The SEC coaches predicted that Auburn would finish seventh in the SEC West.
That did not happen. The Tigers went 43-22 and made it all the way to Omaha and the College World Series.
Instead of being one of the worst teams in the SEC, the Tigers were one of the best in the country and checked in at No. 7 in the final edition of the USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll that was released on Monday.
Despite a disappointing end to the regular season and a one-and-done trip to Birmingham for the SEC Tournament, Auburn was able to host a Regional. They took care of business, outscoring Southeastern Lousiana, FSU, and UCLA 51 to 18 in three games to win the Regional.
They then traveled to Oregon State and beat the No. 3 Beavers in three games to make it to Omaha.
After losing their first game to Ole Miss, the eventual champions, the Tigers beat Stanford for their first win at the College World Series since 1997. They were eliminated by Arkansas the next day to finish with a 1-2 record in Omaha.
The poll, which can be seen in its entirety here, features eight SEC teams. While Ole Miss led the way at No. 1, Arkansas (No. 3), Texas A&M (No. 4), Auburn (No. 7), and Tennessee (No. 9) all made the top 10.
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