Notebook: Super advanced for his age
AUBURN | It’s been a few years now, but Gabe Gross will never forget his first conversation with Ike Irish.
It immediately sold him on the power-hitting catcher from Hudsonville, Mich.
“You know, one of the beautiful things in the recruiting process, you get to know these kids when they're pretty young,” said Gross, Auburn’s hitting coach. “And our first conversation … I asked him what he was looking for in a college and he said, ‘Coach, I just wanna win. I hate to lose.’
“I thought that was one of the best answers I've ever gotten. It's not like facilities, it's not like conference, he's just like, ‘Man, I wanna win.’ That's what I'm looking for in college. And he brings that to the ballpark every single day.'
Irish, one of a talented group of Auburn freshmen, is set to start his first-career game at designated hitter Friday in the season-opener against Indiana.
He’ll also be a backup to starting catcher Nate LaRue and could help out a first base.
“He’s probably one of the better pure hitters I’ve ever seen in my life,” said LaRue. “He’s very mature with his approach. He knows what he’s trying to do when he gets up to the plate. He’s just got a real repeatable swing and he’s just really good behind the plate.”
Irish, a left-handed hitter, will likely be right there with LaRue in the middle of AU’s batting order.
“If I looked at him right now and I didn't know who he was, I would think he's a junior or a senior,” said outfielder Bobby Peirce. “He's super advanced for his age. I mean, really good approach, really good eye, a lot of power. It's for average. He really does everything at the plate. So it's really impressive to see that for a freshman.”
The Tigers host the Hoosiers for a three-game series this weekend at Plainsman Park. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT on ESPN+/SECN+.
THE LINEUP: Peirce is set to be the leadoff hitter and play in left field. Kason Howell returns for his fifth year as the starting centerfielder and transfer Justin Kirby will play right field. The projected infield for the opener will consist of LaRue at catcher, transfer Cooper McMurray at first base, JUCO signee Caden Green at second, Cole Foster at shortstop and Bryson Ware at third base.
“Right now it's the coaches that are making the lineup out,” said AU coach Butch Thompson. “And we're going to try to put the best team out there understanding … between tomorrow and as we go each weekend, we'll gain so much when the players start making the lineup out. It'll be a better team till we shift to that.”
THE ROTATION: Auburn will go with sophomore RHP Chase Allsup Friday, junior RHP Joseph Gonzalez Saturday and freshman LHP Drew Nelson Sunday. Gonzalez was originally scheduled to be AU’s Friday starter but faced hitters for the first time in preseason practice Sunday. Pushing him to Saturday may end up being a permanent move, however.
“He probably is our closest thing to a diesel engine to feel like he could run the most innings in a start, at least the track record of it,” said Thompson. “So maybe you want that on Saturday to give the pen a day of rest when you have new pieces.”
THE CAPTAINS: The three teams captains this season as voted on by the players are LaRue, Howell and Peirce.
FREEZE WARNING: Temperatures are expected to dip overnight as a front moves through Auburn with it forecasted to be 52 for first pitch Friday and falling into the low 40’s in the evening. The game was moved up two hours due to the forecast. Opening Day will also feature first-year football coach Hugh Freeze throwing out the first pitch.
“To have your football coach to be new and already head on a swivel, doing anything he can to help basketball or women's basketball or volleyball or baseball. I mean that's a good start. Auburn embraces that. Auburn respects that. Auburn loves that. And I think Coach Freeze, that's another sign for me in a short period of time of what a potentially great match we have in our new football coach,” said Thompson.