Tag: Butch Thompson

Recap: Auburn baseball explodes for 20-run win against Austin Peay

Recap: Auburn baseball explodes for 20-run win against Austin Peay

After suffering a blowout loss in Saturday’s game two of a three-game home series, Auburn returned the favor to A-Sun opponent Austin Peay by handing the Generals a 24-5 7-inning mercy rule loss.

Unfortunately, the loss on the diamond wasn’t even the worst of the day for Austin Peay, as the school failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament on the hardwood by losing to Stetson in the A-Sun Championship.

As for the baseball game, Auburn scored multiple runs in every inning. An 8-run third highlighted the rout. Auburn scored 7-more in the fifth to put the game completely out of reach.

Infielders Deric Fabian, Cooper Weiss, and Cooper McMurray all contributed 4 RBIs in the lopsided victory, while Gavin Miller led the way with 5 runs batted in. Every Tiger that stayed in the game for at least two at-bats touched home plate.

On the pitching side, Auburn coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] opted to go with a bullpen game instead of starting [autotag]Joseph Gonzalez[/autotag] after his recent struggles. The move worked, as   [autotag]Christian Herberholz[/autotag], [autotag]Cam Tilly[/autotag], [autotag]Drew Nelson[/autotag], [autotag]Ben Schoor[/autotag], [autotag]Konner Copeland[/autotag], combined for 7 innings of 5 run ball.

Auburn may have struggled on Saturday, but it will be happy with another series win heading into a Tuesday road test against in-state rival Troy.

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Austin Peay powers through Auburn, forces Sunday rubber match

The No. 20 Tigers will look to bounce back Sunday after allowing 15 runs on 16 hits to Austin Peay in game two of the weekend series.

The No. 20 Auburn Tigers gave up 15 runs on 16 hits to Austin Peay on Saturday. It did not help matters that the Tigers committed seven errors in the effort. Head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] was less than pleased with his squad’s performance.

“I think the feeling going through that one, I think that’s the worst game I have been a part of as the head coach at Auburn,” Thompson said postgame. “I’ll take ownership of that. It was pretty lethargic. Pretty rough outing by our guys. It all started on the mound and give all the credit to their guy. I really think, in seven innings, we had one real swing and that was (Cooper) Weiss.”

Both teams traded blows in the first inning by hitting a multi-RBI home run each. However, Austin Peay controlled the game by scoring consistently and scoring seven runs over the final two innings to secure a 15-6 win over the Tigers on Saturday afternoon at Plainsman Park.

[autotag]Cooper Weiss[/autotag] put the Tigers on the board in the bottom of the 1st inning by hitting a two-run home run to cut into the Governors’ lead, 3-2. After that, Austin Peay scored eight unanswered runs before Auburn found the plate again. The Governors scored eight runs on three RBi doubles, two RBI singles, and a home run.

[autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] ended the streak by hitting a two-run home run in the 8th inning to cut Austin Peay’s lead to 11-4. The Governors would not back down, as they would score four more runs in the top of the 9th inning to secure the win. Auburn scored two more runs in their half of the inning, but it would not be enough to complete the comeback effort.

Auburn used seven pitchers in the game, with starter [autotag]Carson Myers[/autotag] taking the loss after giving up four earned runs on seven hits through three innings of work. Auburn’s pitching staff struck out 10 batters on Saturday, with [autotag]Dylan Watts[/autotag] leading the way with four. [autotag]Parker Carlson[/autotag] was the lone pitcher to not allow a run in 1 1/3 innings of work.

At the plate, Weiss was the lone player to record multiple hits. He and Irish led the team in RBI with two.

“It’s a quick flush and you have to get right back out here and try to win a series tomorrow,” Thompson said. “We need to be interested in getting back out here and competing tomorrow.”

The Tigers look to win the series over Austin Peay on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.

Runs Hits Errors LOB
Austin Peay 15 16 1 15
No. 20 Auburn 6 8 7 6

WP: Devine (3-0) | LP: Myers (1-1)

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Auburn splits Saturday twin bill with UConn

After splitting Saturday’s doubleheader, No. 22 Auburn and UConn will battle for the series win on Sunday afternoon.

After rain forced the postponement of Friday’s series opener, The No. 22 Auburn Tigers finally began its three-game weekend set with UConn on Saturday by playing two games at Plainsman Park.

The Tigers and Huskies split Saturday’s action. Auburn dominated game one while UConn got revenge on the Tigers in game two. Head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] was pleased with his team’s performance in game one but referenced the first inning of game two as the low point of the day.

“I thought it was the best game we played all year in the first game. It was clean on the mound. Our at-bats were good throughout the ballgame. Defensively we were good. Just all the way around I thought it was our best game. Then I thought we followed that up 45 minutes later with our worst half inning that we’ve had all year. But we got a bunch of guys in two games, and I thought they kept playing. We chased a non-competitive top of the first the entire ballgame and still had a chance.”

Here’s a rundown of how Saturday’s action played out between Auburn and UConn.

Game One: Auburn 8 UConn 1

Runs Hits Errors LOB
UConn 1 6 0 7
Auburn 8 9 1 6

WP- Chase Allsup | LP- Garrett Coe | S- John Armstrong

UConn struck first during the top of the 1st inning when Jake Studley smashed a home run to right field. The Tigers responded by scoring eight unanswered runs to win the first game of the doubleheader.

[autotag]Cooper Weiss[/autotag] and [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] each hit a home run and sent three runs home in the game. Peirce put Auburn on the board in the bottom of the 1st inning on a groundout to 2nd base, then later hit a two-run blast in the 5th inning. For Weiss, he gave Auburn the lead in the bottom of the 3rd with a solo home run to push Auburn ahead, 2-1. His final two RBI came off of a sacrifice fly in the 5th, and a single in the 8th.

[autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] earned his first win of the season in game one. He stuck out six batters while allowing six hits and an earned run on 85 pitches.

“I loved how Chase finished the game. I thought he was getting better. I just liked how he finished strong,” Thompson said of Allsup’s outing. “I do want them coming out on the attack, and I thought that’s what Chase did. I thought he settled and we saw some growth with him.”

[autotag]John Armstrong[/autotag] struck out two batters while allowing a walk and no hits to earn the save.

Game Two: UConn 8 Auburn 4

Runs Hits Errors LOB
UConn 8 12 1 9
Auburn 4 7 1 14

WP- Gabe Van Emon | LP- Joseph Gonzalez | S- Brady Afthim

Saturday’s start is one that Auburn ace [autotag]Joseph Gonzalez [/autotag]would like to forget. Gonzalez got the nod for his third start of the season on Saturday, and was forced to grab pine after allowing six earned runs on four hits in just two-thirds of an inning.

Auburn cut UConn’s lead in half in the bottom of the 1st inning thanks to two home runs by [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] and [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] to trim the Huskies lead to 6-3. UConn kept its momentum alive by scoring a run over the next two innings to seal the game. Auburn added one more run in the 8th inning on a bases-loaded walk to McMurray.

[autotag]Christian Hall[/autotag] led the team in hits with two while McMurray scored three runs. In relief, Tanner Bauman and Christian Herberholz each struck out five batters.

Auburn will conclude its series with UConn on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. Carson Myers will toe the rubber for Auburn while the Huskies will send Stephen Quigley to the mound.

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Auburn vs. UConn: How to watch, stream, and listen to this weekend’s series at Plainsman Park

The No. 22 Tigers welcome UConn to Plainsman Park this weekend for what should be an exciting weekend series.

The No. 22 Auburn Tigers host UConn this weekend for a three-game series at Plainsman Park. If you are wondering how to watch the action live, you have come to the right place.

Auburn faced a challenging slate last weekend at the Jax College Baseball Classic, and this weekend’s docket will not be any easier as they host the UConn Huskies for a three-game set beginning Friday evening. The Huskies enter the weekend with a 2-4 record, but do not let that fool you. UConn has won 44 games in each of the last two seasons and is two years removed from a 50-win season and a Super Regional appearance.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] is looking forward to the challenge that UConn will present.

“(UConn plays) a certain brand of baseball that they take a lot of pride in,” Thompson said. “They’ll play the game extremely well with sound technique and are a very athletic club that’ll stretch us.”

Below, you will find key information ahead of Auburn’s three-game series with UConn including a broadcast guide, projected pitching matchups, and ticket prices.

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 vs. UAB: How to watch, stream Tuesday’s game at Plainsman Park

The Tigers host UAB in the first midweek game of the season Tuesday. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of this in-state battle.

Auburn baseball hosts UAB on Tuesday night at Plainsman Park in Auburn. If you are wondering how to watch the action live, you have come to the right place.

The Auburn Tigers are coming off a sweep of Eastern Kentucky. They will welcome UAB to town for a midweek tilt before embarking on Jacksonville, Florida this weekend for three days of competitive baseball.

Auburn dominated the series with the Colonels early on, as they allowed just two earned runs in the final 23 innings after allowing three runs in the 2nd inning of Friday’s opener. Fans were introduced to new players such as Cooper Weiss, Mason Maners, and [autotag]Carson Myers[/autotag] while returning faces such as Ike Irish and Chris Stanfield picked up where they left off last season.

Head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] is ready to get back to work this week.

“We have four big games this week, starting with UAB,” Thompson said. “We’ll recap a little bit from the weekend – the positives, the good. You have to celebrate those, that’s really important, and then pick out the strategies and techniques you think you can improve upon.”

Below, you will find key information for Tuesday’s game between Auburn and UAB including a broadcast guide, pitching matchup, and ticket prices.

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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Scott Foxhall returns to Auburn baseball staff

Foxhall previously served as Auburn’s pitching coach and recruiting coordinator from 2009-14.

Auburn baseball head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] has welcomed an old friend of the program back for his second stint.

[autotag]Scott Foxhall[/autotag], who served as Auburn’s pitching coach and recruiting coordinator from 2009-14, has returned to the Plains. He will serve as the Director of Player Development, taking the place of [autotag]Aaron Everett[/autotag] following his departure to serve as Jax State’s pitching coach.

During his initial tenure, Foxhall worked with the likes of [autotag]Grant Dayton[/autotag], [autotag]Cole Nelson[/autotag], [autotag]Derek Varnadore[/autotag], [autotag]Jon Luke Jacobs[/autotag], [autotag]Conner Kendrick[/autotag], [autotag]Keegan Thompson[/autotag], and [autotag]Dillon Ortman[/autotag], all of whom struck out 60-or-more batters under his watch.

“Scott Foxhall brings an abundance of experience to our player development position,” Thompson said in a press release. “His recruiting connections span across the country and his familiarity with Auburn will allow him to hit the ground running. A large number of former Auburn players and baseball supporters who love our program are going to be excited to see Scott and his amazing family back on The Plains.”

He comes to Auburn after most recently spending the last five seasons as Mississippi State’s pitching coach. During the Bulldogs’ College World Series championship season in 2021, three pitchers struck out 100-plus batters under Foxhall’s direction. Landon Sims posted an ERA of 1.44 while striking out 100 batters. The Bulldogs’ ace that season, Will Bednar, struck out 139 batters while walking just 26 batters in 92.1 innings.

According to the press release from Auburn Athletics, Foxhall will be responsible for assisting the coaching staff in the overall development of the student-athletes, from assisting with practice plans and scouting reports to reviewing analytical data and overseeing the academic progress of the program. He will also play a large role in on-campus recruiting.

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Former Florida infielder Deric Fabian commits to Auburn

The former Mr. Baseball spent the past two seasons at Florida.

[autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] and Auburn baseball have landed another high-profile transfer, this time its former Florida Gator [autotag]Derec Fabian[/autotag].

He announced his commitment with a Tweet Sunday afternoon, saying “War Eagle.”

Fabian was named Florida’s Mr. Baseball in 2021 after batting .462 with 13 home runs, five triples, eight doubles, 52 RBI and 38 runs for North Marion. He was the No. 192 overall prospect in the country by Perfect Game before he headed to Florida.

He started 43 games as a true freshman for the Gators in 2022 while mostly playing third base. Fabian hit .218 with four home runs, four doubles, 25 runs, 22 RBI and four stolen bases.

The Ocala, Florida native appeared in just 22 games as a sophomore with appearances at first base, second base, third base, shortstop and left field. While it was a much smaller sample size he saw an uptick in his production, slashing .289 with two homers, 10 RBI and nine runs in 38 at-bats.

Fabian is expected to join the battle to be Auburn’s starting shortstop but he has the flexibility to play anywhere in the infield if Auburn needs him to. Where he has a career .952 fielding percentage and has made just six errors.

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Former Jax State second baseman is headed to the Plains

Javon Hernandez led the ASUN in batting average last season by hitting .397.

[autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] has wasted no time beefing up his roster for the 2024 season and is working even harder at it now that five Auburn signees have been drafted by MLB teams.

The Tigers have been active in the transfer portal already and have added former Jacksonville State second baseman [autotag]Javon Hernandez[/autotag]. Hernandez is the second former Gamecock to announce his transfer to Auburn, following outfielder [autotag]Mason Maners[/autotag]’ lead.

Hernandez will come to the Plains as a senior. The Danbury, Connecticut native posted a batting average of .397 in 2023 – a mark that placed him 27th nationally and first in the ASUN Conference.

He also recorded seven home runs, 49 RBI, 89 hits, and 21 extra-base hits. Additionally, Hernandez led the Gamecocks in stolen bases with 11.

Hernandez is the fourth player to announce intent to transfer to Auburn. One transfer commit, [autotag]Sam Mongelli[/autotag], was recently drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 10th round of the MLB draft.

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