AUBURN | Rankin Woley is off to hot start for No. 8 Auburn.

The senior is hitting .524 (11 of 21) with six doubles and eight RBI to pace the Tigers in their 5-0 start. In a 17-1 win over Oakland Wednesday night, Woley was 3 of 6 with two doubles and four RBI.

“Off to a great start, for sure,” Woley said. “I’m going up there and I’ve got nothing to lose. I’m a senior and this is my last run of college baseball and it’s kind of fun. I’m making the most of it, trusting everything and really working with Gabe (Gross) a lot. It’s paying off and I hope it stays.”

After a year at LSU and then one at junior college, Woley transferred to Auburn and hit .277 with a team-high 17 doubles, three home runs and 45 RBI in 2019. He played first base last season, but has moved to third this year and even worked in a little at second Wednesday night.

He’s played flawlessly in the field so far with a 1.000 fielding percentage on eight chances.

“He hadn’t had a chance to play third base and he’s played it so athletic. He moves so good,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “He got so good at first base last year … I know he made a great play in Omaha sliding into the wall that I don’t think he could make early in the year.

“He’s made every play. It’s not just dominating the routine play, it’s kind of turning his body loose, checking a runner and looking him back before throwing across the infield. I couldn’t be more pleased for him, and he’s much more fun to be around when he’s hitting the ball well.”

Woley isn’t the only AU hitter putting up big numbers at the plate. Ryan Bliss went 4 of 6 with a double and four RBI against the Golden Grizzlies to raise his average to .500 while Matt Scheffler was 3 of 3 with two runs scored and one RBI to raise his average to .417.

“Rankin is hitting the ball really well right now and I just feed off him,” Bliss said. “I see him, he had three hits in the column, and I’m like, ‘Ok, I’ve got to get to his level,’ so I try to match him. Little stuff like that really helps the offense get rolling.”

Freshman Trace Bright earned the win against Oakland in his first college start. The right-hander allowed a run on two hits in 3.0 innings with six strikeouts and one walk. Five AU relievers combined to hold Oakland scoreless on four hits over the final 6.0 innings.

Freshman Johnny Ceccoli hit his first career home run, a solo shot over the right field wall, and had an RBI-single in AU’s six-run eighth inning. AU scored seven in the second on six hits and two Oakland errors including Conor Davis’ two-RBI double.

Auburn hosts UCF for a three-game series this weekend beginning Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.