Following the abrupt cancellation of the 2020 baseball season, head coach Butch Thompson and his team is excited to get back on the diamond.
This week the SEC’s coaches and administrators approved a regular schedule which will start on Feb. 19 and include 30 conference games and up to 26 non-conference games.
“It’s great and reassuring,” Thompson said. “There was a consensus with the 14 SEC head coaches. There was a consensus with the SEC office with Herb Vincent, who runs baseball, and our commissioner Greg Sankey. We have got another level of approval from the athletic directors. I don’t know what covid has in store for us, but at least for the coaches and players we kind of know what to prepare for.”
Thompson expects to get a schedule next week and to decide how to handle hosting fans at Plainsman Park, which Thompson acknowledged will look different. He also gave credit to the nurses, doctors and Auburn University for making it as safe as possible and for the return to happen.
“Doctors and nurses and nurses have been working to save lives and helping people and helping families. People have been through a lot. From the top of Auburn University on down and through all of our SEC schools there has been a Dr. (Mike) Goodlett and others behind the scenes doing everything they can to make our student-athletes as safe as they possibly can be, but also paving a way for them to be able to participate and compete and play.”
He also added that watching football and other fall sports play their seasons gave him hope that they would be able to play a season.
“We tip our hats to football finishing the season and basketball tipping off and now in the conference schedule. That is hope. That is exciting for us. I believe we’re going to play. I’m excited about playing. Our players are excited. A lot of that hope lies with people that have worked so hard to make these other seasons happen.”