OMAHA | This is Auburn’s first trip to the College World series in 22 years, but not the first visit to Omaha for one of the Tigers’ veteran players.

Junior Rankin Woley was a freshman on the LSU team that made it to the finals of 2017 College World Series before falling to Florida in two games.

“Being here your freshman year you have a lot of stuff going on and you don’t think about it as much,” said Woley, who had one pinch-hit appearance in the 2017 CWS. “Out here the second time, I want to make sure I appreciate every moment. I’m just excited, taking it day-by-day and looking forward to Sunday.”

Woley spent the 2018 season at a junior college before signing with Auburn. He locked down the starting position at first base during preseason practice and has been a fixture at the position and in the middle of the order all season.

He’s a big reason the Tigers advanced to Omaha, hitting .370 with nine RBI in six NCAA postseason games, which is second on the team. He has two doubles including a key bases-loaded drive off the wall in game one of the Chapel Hill Super Regional to energize an 11-7 comeback win over North Carolina.

“The biggest thing with Rankin is he’s finally gotten consistent with his load and approach in the box,” Auburn hitting coach Gabe Gross said. “That was something that we’ve worked really hard on and he’s searched to find something he can repeat over and over again, and really the last three weeks it’s been the same. That’s allowed him to be consistent and have really, really good at-bats.

“His last at-bat in the Super, had the wind not been blowing across the field, it would have been a home run to the opposite field. He hit the ball really, really well and is just having good at-bats.”

Auburn arrived in Omaha Wednesday afternoon and attended a MLB game between Kansas City and Detroit Thursday. They practiced for the first time at TD Ameritrade Park Friday afternoon, where they’ll play Mississippi State Sunday night.

“Definitely today at practice we had to lock it in,” Woley said. “Those first two days it’s like, ‘Wow, we’re in Omaha.’ We’re eating lunch outside one day at a restaurant and I’m like, ‘I can’t believe we’re here. This is unbelievable.’

“But you’ve got to lock it in and I think that started with practice today. We kind of came out there and had good focus, good energy and really looking forward to Sunday.”

First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2.