Tag: Butch Thompson

Auburn run-rules No. 1 LSU to win series

Auburn handed No. 1 LSU its first SEC series loss of the season.

The Auburn Tigers took control early against top-ranked LSU with a six-run first inning as they run-ruled the visiting Tigers 12-2 to pick up the series win Sunday at Plainsman Park.

It is Auburn’s third straight SEC series win and they are now 27-19-1 overall and 11-13 in conference play.

“I thought all three games, even our loss, our processes were good,” head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said. “We absolutely showed up in a big way today.”

After getting six runs of support in the first inning, Auburn starter [autotag]Christian Herberholtz[/autotag] shut down the vaunted LSU offense, allowing just two runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out four batters in his first win of the season.

“I felt great,” Herberholz said of his outing. “Strike one is huge. I think if you get strike one you can do just about anything. Strike one is the biggest strike for sure.”

“Just trust your stuff and let your defense work behind you,” Herberholz added. “It was a good feeling, being able to trust every pitch you have and trust your defense behind you. I just try to give it my all and give our team the best chance to win.”

The two runs are the fewest LSU has scored in a game this season and their 11 total in the series is also their lowest output.

After LSU led the game off with a home run Auburn was immediately threatening thanks to three-straight walks in the bottom of the first. [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] singled to tie the game up before consecutive walks of [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag], [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag], and [autotag]Kason Howell[/autotag] put Auburn ahead. [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag] then singled home two more to give Auburn a commanding 6-1 lead.

Howell padded Auburn’s lead with a two-RBI triple in the fourth and then did the same in the sixth to make it an 11-1 game. He finished the game with five RBI and two triples.

“Yeah, it was an unbelievable weekend,” Howell said. “Our fans were unbelievable, me and my close friend graduating, it’s been a great weekend.

“This team has always fought,” Howell added. “That’s been a staple of our program ever since Coach Thompson took over. We’re fighters. Now we’re just doing it with a little bit of precision and skill that we’ve acquired. We’re just continuing to fight and give everything we have.”

[autotag]Drew Nelson[/autotag] relieved Herberholz in the sixth and was nearly perfect. He allowed just one hit in three innings of work up pick up the save and give Auburn the opportunity to run-rule the No. 1 team in the country.

They did just that in the eighth when [autotag]Bobby Pierce[/autotag] was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Pierce advanced to second on a groundout by Irish before LSU intentionally walked Ware.

McMurray made them pay with a hard grounder off the first base bag that got away from the fielder and drove in Pierce to end the game.

“I’m standing right there with them so I know when they’re connected, and it’s nice that we hooked it up,” Thompson added. “We’ve done an amazing job at figuring out who we are, getting marginally better in a couple spots and staying together. That’s what we have to do moving forward.”

Auburn will return to action Tuesday when they faceoff with Samford at the Hoover Met. The game is set to start at 6 p.m. CT.

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Auburn baseball holds off LSU to even series

A strong middle-inning effort was enough for Auburn to knock off the No. 1 team on Saturday night.

Auburn had no answer for LSU ace Paul Skenes in Friday night’s opener with No. 1 LSU and fell 3-0.

In game two of the series, the eagle flew well, which paved the way for the Tigers to also play well.

Auburn used patience and clutch hitting in the middle innings of Saturday’s middle game of the series with the Bayou Bengals to earn the 8-6 victory to even the series.

“We competed,” Auburn coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said Saturday. “It was going to take a competitive spirit. Our crowd is creating an SEC environment that’s absolutely a factor in a ballgame.”

LSU began the game by jumping out to a 2-0 lead through the first three innings of the game. LSU’s Hayden Travinski and Tommy White each recorded an RBI single in the 2nd and 3rd inning respectively.

A trio of walks in the 4th inning put Auburn on the board. LSU pitcher Ty Floyd walked [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] and [autotag]Brody Wortham[/autotag] to tie the game, and a third walk to [autotag]Nate LaRue[/autotag] by Gavin Guidry put Auburn ahead, 3-2.

Cade Beloso put LSU back in front with a two-RBI single in the top of the 5th inning, 4-3. Auburn then delivered its’ biggest punch in the 6th inning with three singles and a sacrifice fly to jump ahead for the second time in the game, 7-4.

Each team traded solo home runs in the 7th inning, with LSU’s Jordan Thompson scoring the final run of the game on a fielder’s choice in the 8th inning.

To close the game, [autotag]Will Cannon[/autotag] struck out three batters to solidify the 8-6 win and earned a three-inning save.

“The adrenaline was kicking,” Cannon said. “Facing the No. 1 team in the country, I definitely wanted it. Coach Thompson’s belief in me and the entire team is unreal. I thank him every day for that.”

In his return from injury, [autotag]Zach Crotchfelt[/autotag] earned the win on the mound in relief by striking out the only batter he faced in the 6th inning. Starter [autotag]Tommy Vail[/autotag] had another successful start by allowing just one earned run and six hits in 4.0 innings of work, striking out eight batters.

Auburn goes for the series win on Sunday. First pitch between Auburn and LSU is set for 1 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on SEC Network+.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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Auburn drops series opener to top-ranked LSU

Auburn’s bats had no answer for LSU ace Paul Skenes.

Despite a good night from the mound, the Auburn Tigers (25-19-1, 9-13 SEC) fell 3-0 to the No. 1 LSU Tigers (37-8, 16-5 SEC) in the first game of the series.

“All the way through, just a nice job all around,” Auburn head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said. “They just shoved it on us on the mound. That was the difference in the ballgame.”

Sophomore right-hander [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] got the start and allowed two runs to cross off of three hits, walked two batters, and struck one batter out.

Junior right-hander Paul Sknes got the start for LSU and tossed 7.1 scoreless innings in which he allowed six hits, walked one batter, and struck out 15.

LSU got the scoring started in the top of the first inning when first baseman junior Tre’ Morgan hit a two-run homer over the right field wall.

The visiting Tigers added on another run in the top of the seventh inning when Morgan singled through the right side of the infield to drive in redshirt junior catcher Alex Milazzo and give LSU a 3-0 lead.

Despite not putting any runs across, Auburn had three players with two-hit games: freshman left fielder [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag], senior third baseman [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag], and fifth-year center fielder Kason Howell.

The second game of the series is set for Saturday at 8:00 p.m. CDT. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Daniel on Twitter @DanielJLocke

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Auburn vs. LSU: How to watch Auburn’s key series against the top ranked Tigers

Auburn is looking to pick up back-to-back wins over top 5 teams.

Auburn baseball is welcoming No.1 LSU to the Plains this weekend, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The Tigers (25-18-1, 9-12 SEC) are looking to keep the momentum going after taking down No. 4 South Carolina in Columbia last weekend and a win over LSU (36-8, 15-5) would be even more important to their postseasons success.

“We get the No. 1 team in the country at home, but we need it. We need it to build a resume. We need it to see how good we are. We need it to see if we can get back in the hunt and be competitive in this great league,” head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said. “We’ll embrace it once again. What a great measuring stick for us. It’s going to be an exciting weekend of college baseball that’s right here at Plainsman Park.”

Below, you will find everything you need to know ahead of the game between Auburn and LSU, including a broadcast guide, a projected pitching matchup, and players to watch.

Auburn unable to complete sweep against South Carolina

The Tigers were unable to hold onto an early lead.

Auburn was nearly able to complete the sweep against South Carolina but came up just short as the Tigers lost 8-7 to the Gamecocks in Columbia.

The Tigers entered the ninth inning trailing 8-6 but [autotag]Bobby Pierce[/autotag] led the inning off with a home run to make it a one-run game. [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] walked to put the tieing run on but pinch-runner Josh Hall was picked off. [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] singled to keep the threat going but the next two batters were retired to end the game.

“I just thought the effort was tremendous,” head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said. “Bobby there in the ninth just kept us engaged and Ware gets a hit. It just felt like we kind of ran out of outs today instead of losing the ballgame because the competitive spirit was so good.”

The Tigers once again took an early lead, putting up four runs in the first inning. Chris Stanfield walked and scored on a fielder’s choice, [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] hit a two-run homer and [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] hit a solo shot.

The Gamecocks quickly responded, scoring two runs of their own in the first inning. [autotag]Nate LaRue[/autotag] gave Auburn a 5-2 lead with a solo home run of his own in the second inning.

South Carolina answered with two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth to tie it at 5-5 before Ware led the sixth inning off with his second homer to retake the lead. It was his 18th of the season.

The Tigers were unable to hold onto their lead as Tanner Bauman surrendered a three-run homer in the seventh inning.

Auburn’s eight pitchers combined to walk eight batters and allow 11 hits. True freshmen Cam Keshock and Ryan Olson were the only Auburn pitchers to not allow a run. They combined to pitch 1.2 innings, allowing two hits and striking out one batter.

“Great battle, all three games,” Thompson added. “If we’ll battle that way, like we did last week, if we battle like that, we’ll take whatever happens results wise. If we can keep the process and energy that will equal our true results.”

The Tigers will return to action Friday when they host No. 1 LSU for a three-game series.

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Auburn baseball clinches series at South Carolina with huge Saturday win

For the second straight game, Auburn used a big, early lead to cruise to victory.

Auburn baseball found themselves on the outside looking in of D1Baseball’s Field of 64 projections this week and continued to fall in the RPI ahead of a challenging series against the RPI’s top team in South Carolina.

The Tigers apparently used that as motivation, as they followed up Friday’s performance by scoring nine more runs on Saturday to take down South Carolina, 9-5, to clinch the series at Founders Park in Columbia.

For the second game in a row, Auburn jumped out to a comfortable lead in the first inning, which ended up paying off in the late innings. [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] and [autotag]Kason Howell[/autotag] each scored two runs with singles in the first inning to put Auburn ahead, 4-0, before the Gamecocks stepped to the plate.

“Two days in a row we scored in the first inning and really set a tone,” head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said. “It got us into the ballgame, and we did even more today in the first. You knew they’d make a rally, so we had to keep playing.”

Auburn tacked on two more runs in the 2nd inning on solo home runs by [autotag]Nate Larue[/autotag] and [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] to extend the Tigers’ lead to 6-0. South Carolina got on the board in the bottom half of the inning on a single by Jonathan French.

Auburn’s hottest hitter, [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag], continued his stroke of luck by smacking two more home runs in the game. His first home run of the game was a two-run shot to center field and bumped Auburn’s lead to 8-1. He would score Auburn’s final run of the game in the top of the 9th inning with a solo home run.

McMurray has now hit seven home runs in seven straight games, and has now recorded three multi-home run games of the season.

“To open the day with a four-spot in the first is always big,” McMurray said Saturday. “Our pitching staff has come out and been really good for us and making it easy on the offense. On that side of the ball, we think we can score however many runs at any given time. It’s just about playing a full game of clean baseball.”

The Gamecocks began a rally in the middle innings, led by Cole Messina. Messina picked up four RBI on a 5th inning double and a two-run home run home run in the 7th inning. The rally would not be enough for South Carolina to earn the comeback, as they would fall to Auburn for the second straight game.

Auburn’s series win over South Carolina is the first time that the Gamecocks have dropped a series at home. Heading into the series, South Carolina had a 24-1 record at home, and have since dropped two straight.

“Players are allowed to get better, and this is a good step forward for us this weekend, but we have to keep playing,” Thompson said.

Pitching was also valuable in Saturday’s win. [autotag]Christian Herberholz[/autotag], [autotag]Chase Isbell[/autotag], and [autotag]Konnor Copeland[/autotag] combined to strike out 11 batters and allowing just six hits.

Game three of the series between Auburn and South Carolina is set for 2 p.m. CT on Sunday. The game will be broadcasted on SEC Network+ as well as the Auburn Sports Network.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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Auburn baseball takes series opener in Columbia

Auburn hands South Carolina just its’ second home loss of the season.

The Auburn Tigers (24-17-1, 8-11 SEC) opened up the weekend series in Columbia with an 8-3 win over the No. 3 South Carolina Gamecocks (34-7, 13-5 SEC).

“The guys did an amazing job,” head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said. “We’ve been here before, and we’re at the stage now where this is a good win but we know we’ve got to get right back in the middle of this because we have to have more before we leave town.”

[autotag]Tommy Vail[/autotag] got the start and earned the win for Auburn in a 5-inning outing. [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag] and [autotag]Will Cannon[/autotag] provided three and one inning(s) of relief respectively.

“I knew I had to go as deep as I could, trust the guys behind me and trust the bullpen,” Vail said Friday. “Luckily, I was able to give us a couple more good innings and get us in position to win. I was able to get some swings and misses up in the zone. I knew the defense was going to play well behind me. I knew I could fill it up and let them work.”

The Tigers got the scoring started in the first inning and the Gamecocks answered back. [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] hit a two-run homer in the top of the fourth that spared an Auburn rally.

Auburn added three runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 6-1 lead. The Tigers tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh inning and ended up winning 8-3.

The second game is set for Saturday at 3:00 p.m. CDT and will be televised on SEC Network+.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Daniel on Twitter @DanielJLocke

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Auburn vs. South Carolina: How to watch Auburn take on the No. 3 Gamecocks

The Tigers are looking to pull off a massive upset this weekend.

Auburn baseball is headed to Columbia to take on the No. 3 South Carolina Gamecocks this weekend, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The Tigers (23-17-1, 7-11 SEC) won their last SEC series, beating Mississippi State two games to one, but dropped their midweek game against Troy on Tuesday. The Tigers have also struggled away from Plainsman Park, going 3-9 in road games this season.

South Carolina (34-6, 13-4) is red-hot, coming off a sweep of the No. 4 Florida Gators, and is 24-1 at home this season.

“I like the word ‘opportunity’ for this series,” head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said. “We’re really at a point where we have to play a certain level of baseball to continue. We have the opportunity to build a resume, and I don’t think there should be any more pressure on our ball club. We should absolutely just go play. Those will be the two messages I’m trying to get across to the team for this weekend in Columbia.”

Below, you will find everything you need to know ahead of the game between Auburn and South Carolina, including a broadcast guide, a projected pitching matchup, and players to watch.

Butch Thompson provides key update of Joseph Gonzalez’s injury status

Auburn’s projected ace for the 2023 season has not pitched since the Tiger’s win over Indiana on Feb. 18.

Auburn baseball has been without its’ most crucial arm for over two months.

By being last season’s only returning weekend starter, [autotag]Joseph Gonzalez[/autotag] was expected to be Auburn’s ace for the weekend rotation in 2023. However, he has only made one start this season, which resulted in a 6-1 win by the Tigers over Indiana on Feb. 18.

Since then, he has battled shoulder issues that have kept him from pitching any further this season. Wednesday, head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] provided an update that Auburn fans were hoping not to hear.

After showing signs of progress, Gonzalez’s shoulder soreness has returned. With just four weekend series’ remaining, Thompson feels that it is important to focus on getting Gonzalez back to 100% playing shape, meaning that Gonzalez is expected to be shut down for the remainder of the season.

“For (Gonzalez) it was the last 10 percent,” Thompson said this week of Gonzalez. “It was kind of a carbon copy of ramping him up the first time. Trying to get him ready and doing it a second time. I don’t see how he can get back in the timeframe of the regular season. We’ll get Joseph back to the docs.”

Gonzalez has been working with the acclaimed Dr. James Andrews in an effort to get back into his form. Thompson also shares that the inability to play has been challenging for Gonzalez mentally.

“I think (Gonzalez) knows what he means to the ballclub. You have to continue to realize how much these guys love to play the game,” Thompson said. Working on this since opening day, I think it’s been hard on him. The first time he was frustrated. The second time he was kind of broken from a spirit standpoint.”

The Tigers prepare for a battle this weekend at No. 3 South Carolina. Thompson has revealed that [autotag]Tommy Vail[/autotag] will get the nod on Friday night, while [autotag]Christian Herberholz[/autotag] will pitch on Saturday. Sunday’s starter will be announced later in the series.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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Auburn drops midweek contest to Troy

The Tigers drop their first home midweek contest of the year to an in-state foe.

Despite scoring six runs in the bottom of the first inning, the Auburn Tigers (23-17-1, 7-11 SEC) fell 8-7 at the hands of the Troy Trojans (29-13) at home in Plainsman Park Tuesday night.

“We just couldn’t do enough,” head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said. “That’s a good ball club. That’s a team with an RPI higher than ours and doing good in their league. We couldn’t muster enough on the mound to be competitive at home.”

[autotag]Hayden Murphy[/autotag] got the start for Auburn and allowed five runs off of five hits, walked two batters, and struck two out in two innings of work. [autotag]Parker Carlson[/autotag] ended up with the loss in 3.1 innings of work that saw two runs off of one hit, three batters walked and three struck out.

Noah Manning earned the win for Troy in 4.1 innings of work in which he held the Tigers scoreless, only allowed three hits, walked one batter, and struck two out.

The Trojans had two two-run homers in the top of the second inning to cut the deficit to one. They tacked three more runs on in the top of the sixth inning to take a two-run lead.

The Tigers put across one more in the bottom of the seventh inning when [autotag]Justin Kirby[/autotag] hit a sac fly to right field to bring home Kason Howell.

Auburn will be back in action this weekend against the South Carolina Gamecocks on the road. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m. CDT on Friday, 3:00 p.m. CDT on Saturday, and 11:30 a.m. CDT on Sunday. The first two games will be broadcasted on SEC Network+ and the final game will be on SEC Network.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Daniel on Twitter @DanielJLocke

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