AUBURN | Auburn is still trying to solidify its weekend rotation with eight days before opening conference play at home against Tennessee.

Tanner Burns, the reining NCBWA Pitcher of the Week, will start Friday night while Jack Owen threw 7.0 shutout innings in his first weekend start last last Saturday against Cincinnati.

Sunday’s starter, however, remains wide open with Garrett Wade making a strong case for an opportunity with his performance against UT Martin Wednesday throwing 5.0 shutout innings in a 2-0 win.

“He does and he did,” said Auburn coach Butch Thompson of Wade making a case to move into the weekend rotation. “He’s been growing ever since he got here. He was absent on Saturday at his aunt’s funeral. That just gives you a testament to a young man that’s going through something like that personally with his family and then his team needs him just a few days later in a big way.

“If he doesn’t get off to the start that he did, if he doesn’t get us through five innings, it puts us in jeopardy. He’s a great young man that’s worked so hard and really starting to pound that strike zone.”

Ward, a freshman left-hander, struck out eight and issued two walks. He’s 2-0 in three appearances this season with a 0.00 ERA, 13 strikeouts and three walks in 9.0 innings.

The 2018 Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year put up big numbers at Hartselle High School, but struggled with his control when he first arrived at Auburn this fall.

“I think I’ve grown a lot because coming in in the fall, it was definitely a struggle right from the get-go. I think I was trying to impress a little too much too,” Wade said.

“I think I’ve improved tremendously,” he added. “The command of the fastball and slider have both gotten better. I feel like my slider, it was good in high school and stuff, but I feel like it’s gotten even better since I’ve been here so that’s been good. Coach (Steve) Smith and Coach Thompson have been working with me on command a lot in bullpens and stuff and I think that’s helped a ton.”

While Wade’s future may very well be as one of Auburn’s weekend starters, it may be another week before that can happen after he threw 72 pitches Wednesday. Three different players have started the third game of a weekend series this season combining for a 9.00 ERA.

“We’ll see how he feels. I think he could throw one or two,” said Thompson of Wade’s availability for this Sunday’s game against UTSA. “But I think being in a start this close to the weekend in these conditions, the biggest pitch count of his early career, I would probably rule him out as the head coach and he’d probably want the ball. We’re here to develop and grow and figure all these pieces out. There’s definitely games on the horizon. There’s a game Tuesday.

“As soon as the smoke clears from this evening, I think we basically have to give him his next mission and start working hard to get ready for whatever that next mission Coach Smith hands down.”

Game times for this weekend’s series against UTSA are Friday at 6 p.m. CT, Saturday 2 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. All three games will be on SECN+.