The 10-2 Auburn Tigers have been sizzling both at the plate and on the mound to start the 2024 season, but they’ll face their toughest home series of the year this weekend against 10-2 Austin Peay.
Butch Thompson named his scheduled starters for the first two bouts of the 3-game set on Thursday, interestingly leaving Sunday’s starting pitcher to be announced.
Junior Chase Allsup (1-0) will once again take the mound to open the series. Auburn’s opening-day starter has been solid this season pitching to a 4.50 ERA while striking out 16 batters over 14 frames. The Dothan, AL native has been plagued by the long ball early on however, giving up 3 over his 3 starts.
He’ll look to build off a solid showing last week against Uconn in which he threw 6 innings of 1-run ball, allowing his only run on a solo shot.
Left-hander Carson Myers (1-1) gets the ball on Saturday as he looks to improve on an already minuscule 1.88 ERA. The transfer from UAB has arguably been the Tigers best player through the early season, although he has surrendered 7 walks over his last 8.1 innings pitched after walking just 1 batter in 6 spectacular innings in his first start of the season.
The junior could run into issues this weekend if the trend continues against an Austin Peay lineup with a combined OPS over 1.000.
As for Sunday, it’s possible Butch Thompson could give the struggling Joseph Gonzalez (2-1, 8.38) one more chance to hold onto his weekend rotation spot. Auburn’s coach could also opt to use Wednesday’s starter Conner McBride on short rest, although that could be unlikely given the junior threw 70 pitches in the win.
A bullpen game could also be an option depending on what relieves are used in the first two contests.
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