Tigers move into the Top 10
AUBURN | After a successful opening to the conference schedule, No. 6 Auburn will hit the road Tuesday for the first of five-straight away games over the next eight days.
The Tigers took two-of-three from then-No. 6 Texas A&M last weekend, winning 4-1 Friday and 11-5 Saturday before dropping Sunday’s game 5-1.
Auburn, 19-2 overall and 2-1 in the SEC, is off to the second-best start in school history.
“I have confidence I can stand before my team and say I think you can compete with anybody in the country,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “They should have that confidence. For these next nine weeks just like this weekend, you’re matched athletically so it comes down to you keeping your wits about you, it comes down to your gamesmanship, it comes down to moments, it comes down to execution.
“That’s the part of who’s going to win championships is who’s going to do big moments, who’s going to show up every weekend whether you’re at home or away and keep competing.”
TEAM NOTES
** Auburn moved up from No. 3 to No. 1 in the NCAA RPI following this weekend’s series win over Texas A&M. Auburn moved up to No. 3 in the Collegiate Baseball poll, No. 6 in the USA Today Coaches poll, No. 6 in the Baseball America poll and No. 9 in the D1 Baseball poll
** Auburn has won seven games when trailing or tied in the eighth inning this season.
** Auburn is up to 23 home runs. The Tigers didn’t hit their 23rd home run last season until May 6.
** Junior Casey Mize was named SEC Pitcher of the Week for a second-straight week. Mize is 5-0 with a 1.93 ERA, 51 strikeouts and three walks in 32.2 innings this season. He’s the first Auburn pitcher to win his first five starts since Tim Hudson in 1997.
** Welby Malczewski was 2-0 last week with a 2.57 ERA in three appearances including a win over Texas A&M Saturday.
** Brendan Venter continues to lead the team with a .418 average along with six doubles, four home runs and 17 RBI. Venter leads the SEC with 33 hits.
** Freshman Steven Williams is hitting .316 with six doubles, five home runs and an SEC-high 28 RBI. Freshman Edouard Julien is hitting .340 with three home runs and 19 RBI.
** Brett Wright is hitting .311. Of his 14 hits, seven are doubles, five are home runs and just two are singles. He has a team-high .800 slugging percentage.
** Auburn was able to beat the Aggies without two of its top pitchers: senior Andrew Mitchell (forearm tightness) and freshman Cody Greenhill (mono). Mitchell underwent an MRI last week, which was negative, and he’s expected to start throwing again this week. Greenhill will undergo a blood test each week until he is cleared by doctors.
“Andrew, we’ll just start setting up throwing to a mitt now and see how that goes,” Thompson said. “I don’t know when anyone of them will get back but at least Andrew is starting back throwing and we’re wanting to get Greenhill back in the mix as soon as possible.”
**Left fielder Conor Davis broke the tip of the ring finger in his right hand and missed Saturday and Sunday’s game. Thompson expects him back for Tuesday’s game at Georgia Tech.
“I thought he maybe could have played (Sunday),” Thompson said. “I think it’s just going to be a pain tolerance deal but I think it would help our club to get Conor right back in the middle of things. We’ll probably give it a go Tuesday and see where we’re at this weekend.”
** Auburn plays at Georgia Tech Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT on ACC Network Extra and WatchESPN. The Tigers return to conference play next weekend at No. 4 Kentucky.