Plenty to play for as Auburn hosts final series
AUBURN | Butch Thompson has been chasing a 15th conference win for two weeks now. No. 23 Auburn has one last chance to get it this weekend and put an end to a seven-game losing streak.
“I just think every season comes down to where, if you had a great year, a middle of the road year, a poor year, it gets down to where you have to win ballgames. I just think our season is down to that point,” said Thompson, the Tigers’ second-year coach.
“We know we’re playing for a lot and we know we need to win a series just to keep getting better as a ball club and to get things going. The timing of not playing well was not the best in the world for us, but we still have so much in front of us.”
Auburn enters the final weekend of the regular season 32-21 overall and 14-13 in the SEC. The Tigers have won 15 SEC games just once in the last 16 years.
Auburn’s chances could be bolstered with the return of shortstop Luke Jarvis, who has missed the last 10 games with back spasms.
“He feels better today than heading into the Alabama series so I think that's a good thing,” Thompson said. “I do think it's a game-time decision. I do think he has a sincere chance of playing.”
Thompson added that senior Sam Gillikin will probably start Thursday night’s game in left field. In his first start since March 28, Gillikin was 1-of-3 at LSU Saturday, breaking up Eric Walker’s no-hitter with a solo home run in the eighth inning.
Gillikin, who bats left-handed, may not start in Friday or Saturday’s games because Ole Miss will start a pair of left-handers that Thompson considers one of the Rebels’ strengths.
Ryan Rolison and David Parkinson are a combined 12-5 with a 3.04 ERA. Ole Miss also has one of the SEC’s top closers in Dallas Woolfolk, who is 3-2 with a 2.00 ERA and 12 saves.
“We’re going to have to have multiple at-bats against two left-handed starters where we have to do a good job with that,” Thompson said.
| AUBURN | OLE MISS | |
|---|---|---|
|
THU |
Jr. RHP Keegan Thompson (5-4, 2.48) |
So. RHP James McArthur (3-5, 4.70) |
|
FRI |
So. RHP Casey Mize (6-2, 1.97) |
Fr. LHP Ryan Rolison (6-2, 2.48) |
|
SAT |
Fr. RHP Davis Daniel (3-2, 5.28) |
Jr. LHP David Parkinson (6-3, 3.48) |
Ole Miss is 31-22 overall and 13-14 in the conference, one game behind Auburn for fifth-place in the SEC West. The Rebels are 14th in the SEC in hitting (.254), fourth in pitching (3.51) and 12th in fielding (.971).
Auburn is sixth in hitting (.278), 11th in pitching (4.25) and eighth in fielding (.973). The Tigers are hitting just .246 during their losing streak and scored just four runs in three games at LSU last weekend.
“We didn’t strike out at LSU. That’s usually what we talk about when you start talking about approach. You talk about 10 or 12 strikeouts,” Thompson said. “I know in game three versus LSU we struck out three times for an entire ballgame. I think we’re just missing our pitches is more appropriate than not doing something with the fastball or swinging at the breaking ball.”
First pitch Thursday night at Plainsman Park is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT. Friday night’s game will be at 6 p.m. and Saturday’s at 1 p.m. All three games will be on SECN+ and WatchESPN.
BASEBALL UPDATES FROM THIS WEEK…