6/3/2018 baseball Edit

Statement win for Mize in final pre-draft start

Bryan Matthews • AuburnSports

Senior Editor

RALEIGH, N.C. | After bringing an emphatic end to his three-game losing streak Saturday night, Casey Mize can turn his full attention to Monday’s MLB Draft in which he’s projected as the No. 1 overall pick.

Or perhaps not.

“I’m thinking about winning a championship. I think that’s kind of where all my attention’s at right now,” Mize said. “It is going to be an exciting time for me, but I don’t know, I’m more focused on what we’re trying to accomplish tomorrow.”

Mize mainly featured his fastball and splitter against Army. (Dakota Sumpter/Auburn athletics)

Mize’s attention remains in Raleigh, N.C. where the Tigers are trying to win an NCAA Regional for the first time since 1999 and advance to a Super Regional for only the second time in school history.

The All-American right-hander helped the Tigers take a big step toward that goal by limiting Army to a run on four hits in 7.0 innings of a 12-1 win. Auburn will face either N.C. State or Army Sunday night needing one more win to advance.

Mize, who improved to 10-5, had lost his previous three starts allowing 14 earned runs in 18.2 combined innings. It didn’t help that he got just seven total runs of support in the three games.

“Losing three games in a row is something that cannot happen for me,” Mize said. “I’m not going to put that on the offense because I didn’t pitch well enough. Got to come out tonight, to have some of my stuff and the offense did an outstanding job obviously, it’s good to get out of that little funk. I think we set ourselves up good for tomorrow.”

Mize struck out 11 and walked two to bring his season totals to 151 and 12, a ridiculous 12.6-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He lowered his ERA to 2.85. He also got plenty of run support as Auburn had 17 hits including four doubles and three home runs.

The Black Knights, like most of Mize’s opponents this season, just didn’t have an answer.

“Mize was as advertised and I really, really respect him after seeing him throw and giving them seven innings,” Army head coach Jim Foster said. “I think that’s 110 innings on the year for him now. He just dialed through it and is an extra-special player.”

Auburn, which improves to 41-21, is expected to send Andrew Mitchell (2-2, 4.01 ERA) to the mound to face either N.C. State or Army Sunday night at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN3.