Tag: Bobby Peirce

McMurray’s productive day fuels Auburn’s run-rule win over Wichita State

Cooper McMurray sent home six runs in Auburn’s win over Wichita State

Auburn baseball used a late-inning surge in Friday’s game with No. 20 Iowa to pull off a 7-5 win to open its stay at the Jax College Baseball Classic in Jacksonville, Florida.

Momentum stayed on the side of the Tigers in Saturday’s game with Wichita State as they powered through to knock off the Shockers, 19-8, to move to 2-0 on the weekend.

Auburn (6-0) was bound for greatness from the very beginning of the game. [autotag]Cooper Weiss[/autotag] led off the inning with a double, which paved the way for the next two batters to reach base via base on balls to bring [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] to the plate. On the first pitch, McMurray smashed a home run to right field to give Auburn a 4-0 advantage before the first out of the game was recorded.

Auburn outscored Wichita State 15-3 through the first four innings, then would add four more runs in the 6th inning to put the run-rule into effect. The Tigers ended with 10 total hits, with McMurray and [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] each recording two.

What is even more shocking is the number of walks that were issued to Auburn batters. Nine Auburn batters had a base on balls as part of their statline, six of those were walked multiple times. [autotag]Cale Stricklin[/autotag] was walked three times in the game while players such as [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag], [autotag]Javon Hernandez[/autotag], and [autotag]Deric Fabian[/autotag] had two.

[autotag]Joseph Gonzalez[/autotag] picked up his second win of the season after striking out two batters and allowing three earned runs in 4.0 innings of work. [autotag]Zach Crotchfelt[/autotag] led the staff in strikeouts with three in 1 1/3 innings of relief.

Auburn will play one final game in Jacksonville this weekend, a date with No. 11 Virginia on Sunday at 3 p.m. CT. [autotag]Carson Myers[/autotag] will make his second start of the season for the Tigers after earning SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week honors after an eight strikeout day against Eastern Kentucky last Sunday.

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Auburn knocks off No. 20 Iowa behind late-inning surge

The Tigers scored six runs over the final three innings to stun Iowa on day one of the Jax College Baseball Challenge.

Opening day of the Jax College Baseball Classic in Jacksonville, Florida was filled with insanity that would last past midnight.

Auburn’s opening game of the weekend with No. 20 Iowa began over three hours later than its originally scheduled time due to delays in the first game of the day between Wichita State and Virginia. The delay appeared to cause the Tigers to begin sluggish, however, a late-inning surge would be enough to lift them to a 7-5 victory at 121 Financial Park.

Iowa starting pitcher Brody Brecht was as strong as advertised. He struck out 11 batters while allowing two hits, an earned run, and four walks in six innings of work. Brecht departed after throwing 99 pitches and hanging on to a 3-2 lead in Friday’s game, and it would not take long for Auburn to find its groove once he was out of the picture.

The Tigers stole the lead from the Hawkeyes over the final two innings thanks to three straight home runs. [autotag]Mason Maners[/autotag] welcomed Iowa’s Jack Whitlock to the game by smashing a solo home run during the first at-bat of the 7th inning to tie the game at 3-3. Three at-bats later, [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] nailed a two-run shot over the right-center field wall to push Auburn ahead, 5-3.

The party continued when [autotag]Christian Hall[/autotag] led off the 8th inning by tattooing a ball that landed just shy of the St. John’s River to extend the Tigers’ lead to 6-3. [autotag]Cooper Weiss[/autotag] capped scoring later in the inning with a sacrifice fly to score [autotag]Javon Hernandez[/autotag].

Iowa’s Sam Petersen cut the Auburn lead to 7-5 with two outs in the 9th inning on a two-run home run, but the Hawkeyes could not manage to re-take the lead.

[autotag]Cam Tilly[/autotag] earned the win in relief for Auburn by striking out three of the seven batters he faced in two innings of work, allowing just one hit. [autotag]John Armstrong[/autotag] and [autotag]Will Cannon[/autotag] struck out two batters each in their relief appearances while allowing three combined hits. Starter [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] allowed three earned runs on five hits while striking out three batters in his second start of the season. His night was forced to end early as he threw 80 pitches over 3 1/3 innings.

Auburn returns to action Saturday to face Wichita State in day two of the Jax College Baseball Classic. First pitch is scheduled for noon CT, and will be broadcast live at D1Baseball.com and on the Auburn Sports Network.

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Auburn passes first midweek test, downs UAB at Plainsman Park

The Tigers managed to defeat UAB, 7-2, on Tuesday despite recording just three hits in the contest.

Who says you need a dominating offense to win a baseball game convincingly?

The Auburn Tigers (4-0) earned its first midweek win of the season Tuesday by downing in-state foe UAB (2-2), 7-2, at Plainsman Park. Despite winning by five runs, Auburn only managed to record three hits in the contest.

“You’re usually not sitting here with the result you want if the other team scores first and you get outhit in the ballgame,” Auburn head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said after the game. “I give the guys some credit for just hanging in there and battling.”

The usual damage pieces in [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag], [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag], and [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] teamed up to notch one hit each in the stat sheet while the rest of the Tigers’ lineup went 0-14 at the plate.

Auburn’s first official hit came in the top of the 2nd inning when Peirce led off the inning with a single to 3rd base. He later scored in the inning on a bases-loaded walk to [autotag]Javon Hernandez[/autotag], putting the Tigers ahead, 1-0. Irish led off the 3rd inning by hitting a 420-foot home run off the batter’s eye in center field. Irish’s second home run of the season extended Auburn’s lead to 2-0.

Auburn waited three innings to earn its third and final hit of the game when Stanfield opened the 6th inning with a double to right field. [autotag]Deric Fabian[/autotag] grounded out to 2nd base three at-bats later to send Stanfield home.

Auburn pitching made up for the lack of offensive power in the game as six pitchers combined to strike out 11 batters while allowing six hits, three walks, and two earned runs. [autotag]Conner McBride[/autotag] tossed 3.2 innings in his Auburn debut, striking out four batters and allowing two hits. Freshman [autotag]Griffin Graves[/autotag] earned the win by throwing two relief innings and striking out two batters. [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag] struck out the side in one inning of work on 14 total pitches.

The Tigers will now shift its focus to an exciting, yet challenging weekend ahead in Jacksonville, Florida. Auburn will compete in the Jax College Baseball Classic beginning Friday at 5 p.m. CT against the No. 20 Iowa Hawkeyes. Auburn will also face No. 11 Virginia and Wichita State at 121 Financial Ballpark.

Check out these highlights from Tuesday’s win.

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Auburn clinches weekend series with Saturday win over Eastern Kentucky

Bobby Peirce recorded three RBI while Joseph Gonzalez tossed five innings in Saturday’s 6-1 win at Plainsman Park.

It was a cold day on the Plains, but the Auburn bats were hot.

[autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] and [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag] recorded two hits as Auburn (2-0) claimed the first series win of the season by defeating Eastern Kentucky (0-2), 6-1 Saturday at Plainsman Park.

Auburn’s offense began, and ended, with Peirce on Saturday. Peirce put Auburn on the board first with a two-out triple in the 3rd inning to score [autotag]Javon Hernandez[/autotag] and [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag] to push Auburn ahead, 2-0. He put a cap on scoring in the bottom of the 8th inning with a solo home run to extend Auburn’s lead to 6-1.

Ike Irish was Auburn’s offensive hero in Friday’s opener, and Peirce took control in game two. Head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] is pleased with the versatility of his offense through two games and hopes to see the trend continue.

“Two outs, two strikes, and (Peirce) hit that triple to get us going,” Thompson said Saturday. “We really needed that. I hope that this is an offense that we can keep talking about a different guy every night. I hope that’s how we’re built.”

Following Peirce’s triple in the 3rd inning, [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] crushed his first home run of the season over the right field wall to extend Auburn’s lead to 4-0. Auburn’s fifth run of the game came off the bat of Hernandez, who grounded out to the shortstop to allow [autotag]Sam Robertson[/autotag] to score from 3rd base.

Eastern Kentucky’s lone run was scored in the 5th inning when DJ Sullivan doubled home Santiago Peralta. Sullivan led the Colonels in hits with two.

Saturday also marked the return of [autotag]Joseph Gonzalez[/autotag] to the mound after missing 364 days due to a shoulder injury. He struck out two batters, walked three, and allowed an unearned run in five complete innings. [autotag]Zach Crotchfelt[/autotag], [autotag]John Armstrong[/autotag], and [autotag]Will Cannon[/autotag] combined to strikeout seven batters through the final four innings from the bullpen. Every out that Cannon recorded in the 9th inning was a strikeout.

The Tigers go for the sweep of Eastern Kentucky Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. Auburn’s [autotag]Carson Myers[/autotag] will battle EKU’s Rian Yates on the mound.

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Ike Irish and Bobby Peirce named to Preseason All-SEC Team

Two Tigers have received Preseason All-SEC honors.

Auburn catcher Ike Irish and outfielder Bobby Peirce received All-SEC Preseason honors from the conference on Thursday.

Irish, who was already named a Second Team All-American by the NCBWA earlier this week, received a nod on the Preseason All-SEC First Team while Pierce settled for the Second Team.

Auburn’s sophomore catcher is coming off one of the best freshmen campaigns in Auburn baseball history after mashing a freshmen record 24 doubles and leading the team with 86 hits and a .361 batting average.

Irish’s doubles mark was not only an Auburn freshmen record, but the most any Tiger hitter had hit in a season since 2005.

As for Pierce, the graduate student outfielder from Scottsdale, AZ enters 2024 coming off a career-best .343 batting average a season ago.

While he’s never shown much power on the Plains, Pierce showed an elite ability to get on base last season while playing above average defense in the outfield.

He’ll lead the team into 2024 as the longest-tenured Tiger on the roster, having played in 102 games over his four-year career.

The established Pierce and electric Irish begin their season on February 16 when Auburn hosts a weekend series against Western Kentucky.

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Auburn claims top-25 ranking in Baseball America’s preseason poll

Solid pitching and a great transfer portal haul will make Auburn extremely competitive in 2024.

Auburn baseball is poised for another successful season in 2024.

The Tigers have earned a spot in another preseason poll, this time from Baseball America. The publication has included Auburn in its preseason top 25 by giving them the No. 23 slot.

Auburn will need to replace key pieces such as [autotag]Nate LaRue[/autotag], [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag], and [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag], but has a great returning cast led by [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag], [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag], and [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag]. Pitching-wise, the Tigers will be anchored by [autotag]Joseph Gonzalez[/autotag], who returns from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for most of the 2023 season.

Returning pitching, as well as a solid transfer portal haul, is what will make Auburn competitive this season says Baseball America.

The Tigers must replace a lot offensively, but brought in some exciting players through the transfer portal to bolster the offense. On the mound, Opening Day starter [autotag]Joseph Gonzalez[/autotag] is back and healthy after missing nearly all of last season. If he recaptures his exceptional 2022 form and [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] makes a successful transition to the rotation, watch out for the Tigers.

Auburn is one of eight teams from the SEC that earned a top-25 ranking by Baseball America. Defending College World Series champion LSU is the conference’s highest-ranked team at No. 2 and is followed by Arkansas (No. 3), Florida (No. 4), Vanderbilt (No. 7), and Tennessee (No. 8) in the top 10. Texas A&M and South Carolina also grabbed a preseason ranking at No. 11 and No. 12 respectively.

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Auburn reveals challenging SEC schedule for 2024

Which SEC series are you most excited to watch?

We are in the heart of football season, but it is never too early to look ahead to what the spring will bring us.

The SEC released the 2024 conference schedule for each of its programs, and the Auburn Tigers will play one of the toughest in the league.

The ten-weekend slate features six series’ against teams who won 40 or more games in 2023, with four of those series’ being played at home. Auburn welcomes Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Alabama to Plainsman Park while traveling to Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Missouri, and defending College World Series champion, LSU.

Several contributors from last season’s return to next season’s roster, such as pitchers [autotag]Christian Herberholz[/autotag], [autotag]Konnor Copeland[/autotag], and [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag]. Key bats such as [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag], [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag], [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag], and [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] will also grace the 2024 roster.

Here’s a look at Auburn’s 2024 SEC slate.

March 15-17 at Vanderbilt
March 22-24 vs. Arkansas
March 28-30 at Texas A&M
April 5-7 vs. Tennessee
April 12-14 vs. Kentucky
April 19-21 at Mississippi State
April 26-28 at LSU
May 3-5 vs. Ole Miss
May 10-12 at Missouri
May 16-18 vs. Alabama

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Cole Foster taken in 3rd round of MLB draft

The first member of Auburn’s 2023 roster has officially been drafted.

One day after two of Auburn’s top signees from the 2023 class were selected in the MLB draft, one of the Tigers’ top infielders joins the party.

[autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] became the first member of Auburn’s roster to be selected in the MLB draft, going No. 85 overall to the San Francisco Giants.

Last week, D1Baseball named Foster the No. 43 college prospect ahead of the upcoming MLB draft after he finished within the team’s top five in average, hits, RBI, and home runs.

Giants Baseball Insider’s Mark Delluchi shares his initial thoughts on the Giants’ third-round choice:

Foster is coming off a breakout junior season at Auburn, hitting .336/.429/.570 with 13 home runs in 55 games. A switch-hitter, Foster does not have any tools that jump off the page but also has no clear weaknesses either. Defensively, Foster has played primarily shortstop and second base, although most evaluators are skeptical that he will be able to stick at short.

Foster does have intriguing power potential from both sides of the plate but has struggled to tap into it consistently because of a hit tool that lags behind the rest of his game. If Foster can refine his approach and more consistently square up opposing pitching, he could hit for enough power to be a viable everyday player, even if he’s limited to second base.

Several other players to watch for as the MLB draft continues is 3B [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag], P [autotag]Joseph Gonzalez[/autotag], and OF [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag].

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D1Baseball includes three Auburn players in Top 150 MLB draft college prospects rankings

These three players had great careers on the Plains. Now, it is time to take their talents to the next level.

The 2023 MLB draft is on deck, and three Auburn players will have the chance to take their talents to the next level.

Ahead of the MLB draft, which will take place July 9-11, D1Baseball has constructed a list of the top 150 college players that have the best chance to hear their names called during the draft. Among those 150, three of Auburn’s most talented players are included.

Infielders [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] and [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] and pitcher [autotag]Joseph Gonzalez[/autotag] are all on D1Baseball’s top 150 MLB draft prospects rankings. Foster and Ware had incredible seasons for the Tigers in 2023, while Gonzalez was limited due to injury setbacks.

Foster starts the list by checking in at No. 43 in the rankings. Foster has a career average of .305 with 22 home runs and 97 RBI. The 2023 season was his best at the plate, where he was fourth on the team in average with .336, third on the team in hits with 75, and was one of three players to hit ten-or-more home runs by smashing 13. His 49 RBI were also tied for fourth-best on the team with [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag].

Pitcher Joseph Gonzalez is next at No. 92. Gonzalez was expected to be the Tigers’ ace on the mound this season, but setbacks due to a nagging shoulder injury kept him away from the team for the majority of the season. He has a 10-7 record with an ERA of 4.08 in 37 appearances. His sophomore season in 2022 saw him record 54 strikeouts and allowed just 28 earned runs in 15 games, with 14 starts. This season, he pitched just one game, which was a winning decision against Indiana on Feb. 18. He tossed 5.0 innings of shutout baseball, where he allowed just one hit.

Finally, Auburn’s all-time single-season home runs leader rounds out the list at No. 105. Ware crushed 24 home runs this season, breaking [autotag]Hunter Morris[/autotag]’ previous record of 23 back in 2010. Ware also led the team RBI (63), and slugging percentage (.731). He was second in average (.350) and hits (78) behind freshman [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag].

Foster and Gonzalez have at least one more season of eligibility remaining. So if they are not pleased with their draft selection, they have the chance to return to Auburn for one more season. Other players of note that may get the chance to turn pro are pitcher [autotag]Tommy Vail[/autotag], as well as outfielders [autotag]Justin Kirby[/autotag], [autotag]Kason Howell[/autotag], and [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag].

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Auburn baseball earns 30th win with drubbing of Ole Miss

Auburn’s offensive dominance continued Saturday as the Tigers complete the sweep in Oxford.

After outscoring Ole Miss, 24-6 in Friday’s doubleheader sweep, Auburn continued its offensive dominance on Saturday en route to another impressive win.

The Tigers used a 20-hit effort at the plate and a solid defensive day to defeat Ole Miss, 13-5 on Saturday to complete the three-game sweep at Swayze Field in Oxford.

Auburn (30-19-1, 14-13 SEC) set the tone early by jumping out to a 12-run cushion before the Rebels (25-26, 6-21 SEC) had a chance to answer. [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] and [autotag]Nate LaRue[/autotag] each plated runs on RBI singles in the top of the 2nd, and [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] smashed a solo home run in the 3rd inning to give the Tigers a 3-0 advantage.

Auburn would go on to do their most damage in the 5th and 7th innings. The Tigers scored six runs in the 5th to go ahead, 9-0, with a [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] grand slam being the biggest blow of the inning.

Auburn added three more runs in the 7th inning to push their lead to 12-0. Irish got the inning with a solo blast, with [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] and [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] adding runs with two-out singles.

The Rebels finally cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the 7th by scratching four runs across. Bo Gatlin put Ole Miss on the board with a two-run double, and later scored on a two-run home run by John Kramer to cut the Tigers lead to 12-4.

Each team traded runs in the 9th inning to cap scoring. McMurray again would extend the Tigers’ lead with a sacrifice fly to score [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag], and Ole Miss answered with a single by T.J. McCants to score Garrett Wood.

Every player in the Auburn lineup recorded a hit in the game, with five players recording three hits. McMurray led the team in RBI with five, while Foster and Irish each picked up two.

Starting pitcher [autotag]Christian Herberholz[/autotag] allowed just one hit in 2.0 innings. [autotag]Drew Nelson[/autotag] earned the win for the Tigers by relieving Herberholz for 2.0 innings, where he allowed two hits and struck out one batter. [autotag]Chase Isbell[/autotag] led the pitching staff in strikeouts with two.

Auburn returns to Plainsman Park to play one more game at home this season on Tuesday. The Tigers and Jax State will do battle on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT.

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