Tag: Dylan Watts

Butch Thompson to enhance pitching staff this offseason

Auburn baseball ranked near the bottom in several categories this season. Thompson looks to change that by any means necessary.

Auburn baseball experienced a disappointing season in 2024 by finishing with a 27-26 record and missing this week’s SEC Tournament with an 8-22 mark in conference play.

Pitching played a major role in Auburn’s struggles this season as the team finished near the bottom in several categories within the SEC including ERA (5.94), opposing average (.286), strikeouts (466), and hits allowed (517). Head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag], who is known for his success as a pitching coach, understands that his team needs enhancements to perform at a higher level, and will do whatever it takes to make it happen.

“(Pitching) our biggest challenge and it continued to be one all the way until our last ball game,” Thompson said during his final regular season press conference. “It’s learn and grow. I have to figure out the solutions on what I can do to help in that area that I have spent a lot of time in my career doing.”

How does Auburn go about correcting its issues on the mound? The two obvious choices are through NIL and the Transfer Portal. Thompson looks to utilize both tools this offseason.

Thompson hopes his program will become more competitive within the SEC in the NIL game and on the field.

“NIL, that space, whether I hit the mark or fell short on that of the estimation, trying to find a commitment there that matches the peers in our league,” Thompson said. “We finished fifth in this league the last two years and I thought once we got to a certain level of depth in our pitching staff, there’s a watermark or a level of acceptability in our league. I thought we threw too many innings in our league beneath that from a talent standpoint.”

Outside of NIL and stadium upgrades which will feature an expanded locker room, new weight room, and a new pitching lab, Thompson says there are a few perks he will use in his recruiting pitches to transfer targets.

“I think we’re pretty attractive because we play in the Southeastern Conference. We’re trying to take a trip to the Dominican with the club over Thanksgiving. We play a series in Arlington, Texas back in the dome in February in addition to those 10 SEC weekends. There’s huge opportunity,” Thompson said. “We’re hopeful that when we get to the first of June that we have our ducks in a row. That’s our singular focus is on this roster that we can put all of our attention to that and see if we can attract some guys that help us get ready quick.”

Outside of seniors [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag], [autotag]Christian Herberholtz[/autotag], and [autotag]Konnor Copeland[/autotag] it is unclear how many pitchers will depart from the program this offseason. [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] is a name to watch for ahead of this summer’s MLB draft and notable pitchers such as [autotag]Carson Myers[/autotag], [autotag]Dylan Watts[/autotag], [autotag]Will Cannon[/autotag], and [autotag]Conner McBride[/autotag] are eligible to return to the program next season.

[lawrence-related id=82952]

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Recap: Auburn baseball struggles carry on, loses to Ole Miss

Auburn baseball begins the month of May with a loss to Ole Miss, a win it desperately needed to keep any SEC Tournament hopes alive

Auburn baseball is attempting to fight its way into the SEC Tournament after it has struggled for the entirety of conference play, only winning three games up to this point. The Tigers have to play nearly perfect from here on out, which begins by playing Ole Miss.

Unfortunately, the start to this series did not go as Auburn hoped, as it lost to the Rebels in game one of this set on Friday, 11-7.

The scoring in this game got started early. In the top of the 1st, Ole Miss left fielder Jackson Ross took the first pitch he saw and sent it over the left field wall, putting his team on top 1-0.

The Tigers did not let that early run pass by so easily, though. With two runners on and one out in the bottom of the 2nd, [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag] reached on an error that was able to score in an Auburn run, tying the game up.

This is where the Rebels started to pour on though, as they wanted to put this game to bed quickly. They got two runners on with one out in the top of the 3rd before Ross came back to the plate and doubled down the left field line to score in one.

Andrew Fischer followed this up with a three-run homer to right field, giving Ole Miss a quick 5-1 lead on the road.

The Tigers clawed back in the bottom of the 4th with one out. Green got down the line quickly to complete an infield single to third base, putting two runners on. [autotag]Mason Maners[/autotag] then hit an RBI single and advanced to second base on a throw, putting two runners in scoring position.

Immediately after this, [autotag]Deric Fabian[/autotag] stepped to the plate and hit a ball towards the right side, where an error was made that allowed both runners on base to score, making it a 5-4 game.

The Rebels did not let this last for long. In the top of the 5th, Ross got things going with two outs in the form of a single to center field. Fischer then followed this up with a double down the right field line, putting Ross at third.

This set Will Furniss up to send a deep shot into center field and over the wall for another three-run home run.

Luke Hill kept the party going with a double into right center, before Judd Utermark hit a double right after to score him. This put Ole Miss up 9-4.

The Rebels struck again in the top of the 7th, when with the bases loaded and two outs, Eli Berch took a free pass and brought in the 10th run for his team.

Auburn made a quick answer in the bottom half of the inning. With [autotag]Carter Wright[/autotag] on second, Green came in clutch once again, singling to center field and making it a 10-5 game. However, the Tigers still needed some late heroics to win this.

Ole Miss made those even harder to come by later on. In the top of the 9th, Treyson Hughes rattled off an RBI single to extend the lead back to six runs.

The Tigers did make some noise in their final chance. With two runners on and one out, [autotag]Kaleb Freeman[/autotag], scoring [autotag]Cade Belyeu[/autotag] from second.

[autotag]Christian Hall[/autotag] then walked to load the bases, creating some tension on the field. After a strikeout, [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] walked to bring in another run for Auburn. That would be all, though, as [autotag]Gavin Miller[/autotag] then struck out to end the game.

[autotag]Dylan Watts[/autotag] was given the loss for the Tigers, dropping to 0-3 on the season. He pitched for three full innings, giving up five runs on six hits, while striking out two and walking one.

Riley Maddox earned the win for the Rebels. He worked for five innings, giving up four runs on eight hits. He also struck out three and walked two.

Auburn has a chance to even the series up in game two on Saturday night. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. CST, and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

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Auburn sticking with same weekend rotation for third straight week

Auburn baseball will once again try to capture its first SEC weekend series win of the year when the Tigers host the Ole Miss Rebels at Plainsman Park.

Auburn baseball will once again try to capture its first SEC weekend series win of the year when the Tigers host the Ole Miss Rebels at Plainsman Park. If there were ever a time for [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag]’s team to grab a series “W”, this would be it, as the Rebels come in with just a 5-10 road record and 23-21 record overall.

Although the Tigers haven’t won either of their last two series, it hasn’t been because of the starting pitching. Auburn’s weekend rotation has pitched to an above-average 3.85 earned run average over the past two weekends. That stat, along with Auburn’s newfound competitiveness in recent games, may be why coach Thompson has opted to throw Sophomore [autotag]Dylan Watts[/autotag] (0-2), senior [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag] (2-2), and junior [autotag]Carson Myers [/autotag] back into the action this weekend against Ole Miss.

Watts will once again open up the series for the Auburn staff. The young right-hander wasn’t fantastic last weekend against LSU, but he was certainly very good. Auburn’s newest pitching weapon went the deepest he had in any game this season last Friday, throwing 5 2/3 innings of 2-run ball. Watts was dominant throughout the night but allowed 2 solo home runs in the 4th and the 5th in an otherwise brilliant 9 strikeout performance.

Seasoned veteran Tanner Bauman is in line to start for the second-straight Saturday after throwing 4 1/3 solid innings of 2-run ball last weekend. The senior is lefty tied a season-high with 5 punch outs on the afternoon, although I’m sure he would have traded a few of those for quicker outs to get him through 5 innings. He’ll hope to last long enough to qualify for his third win of the season this time out.

In a strange ironic twist, Auburn’s only win last weekend came when the Tigers best and most consistent pitcher, Carson Myers, had one of his worst outings of the season. The UAB transfer lasted just 4 innings against LSU last Sunday, allowing 4 runs (all earned) on 5 hits and a walk. He struck out just 1. Myers may have a chance to take the bump in a rubber game this Sunday. If he gets the chance, the left-hander will need to be better.

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Recap: Auburn’s struggles continue, loses to LSU

Auburn baseball continues to live in a hole of defeat, losing its ninth straight SEC game against LSU on Friday in Baton Rouge

Auburn baseball is in a huge hole that has been dug over the course of the entire SEC schedule. It looks to make to try and end this season by climbing out of from the bottom of the conference standings little by little, as the door on making the postseason altogether continues to slowly close.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, that hole got a little bit more deeper after they got shut out by LSU on Friday in Baton Rouge, 5-0.

After a quick and quiet first three innings and some change, the scoring finally got started for the LSU Tigers in the bottom of the 4th. Following two quick outs, power hitter Tommy White launched a solo home run over the right center wall to make it 1-0.

That allowed the Bayou Bengals to find what Auburn struggles fighting against: increasing momentum. Following a strikeout to start the bottom of the 5th, Hayden Travinski hit a solo shot on a 3-2 count to left field, putting the lead at two.

[autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag]’s squad was able to get out of the 6th unharmed, but that did not stop LSU from making noise in the 7th.

With runners on second and third, and two outs in the frame, Alex Milazzo sent a double into left center to score both runners. This put the score at 4-0 and got the folks in Baton Rouge rowdy.

Paxton Kling was hit by the first pitch after that sequence, setting up Ashton Larson to hit a single into left field and score Milazzo. It was not 5-0 in favor of the home Tigers, which is where the scoring ceased and put Auburn on the losing end of yet another game.

[autotag]Dylan Watts[/autotag] got the start and the loss for the night. While he dropped to 0-2 on the season, he had a good outing. He pitched for 5.2 innings, giving up two runs on three hits and striking out nine hitters. He did not surrender any walks.

Gage Jump got the victory for LSU, improving to 4-1 on the year. He worked for seven full innings, giving up no runs on two hits, while striking out six and not giving up a single free pass.

Auburn looks to even this series up in game two on Saturday, where first pitch will be set for 6 p.m. CST at Alex Box Stadium. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.

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Auburn announces weekend rotation for series against LSU

Despite falling in all three weekend contests last weekend against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Auburn head coach Butch Thompson has opted to stick with the same trio of pitchers for this weekend’s series against LSU.

Despite falling in all three weekend contests last weekend against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Auburn head coach Butch Thompson has opted to stick with the same trio of pitchers for this weekend’s series against LSU.

While the Tigers did lose the trio of games, the pitching staff wasn’t the main issue. Sophomore [autotag]Dylan Watts[/autotag] (0-1), senior [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag] (2-2), and junior [autotag]Carson Myers [/autotag] along with a sleuth of relievers gave up 15 runs over the three losses. Over half of the runs given up did come in the series opener, however.

The sophomore Watts gets the Friday nod for a second straight week after a fairly good start to open the series last weekend. Watts pitched the deepest he had into a game this season, tossing 4 innings of 2-run ball before the Auburn bullpen imploded in an 8-1 loss. While the start was solid, the Washington State native did allow 5 base hits while just striking out 1 bulldog over his 4 innings of work. He’ll look to miss more bats against an LSU lineup that has scored at least 6 runs over its last three games.

Left-hander Tanner Bauman will once again take over on Saturday. The senior had a nearly identitical start to that of Dylan Watts last weekend but lasted 2/3 of an inning less. Bauman allowed 2 runs and six hits over 3 1/3 innings on the mound. He struck out 2 and walked 1. Unfortunately for the senior and his team, he was charged with the loss after any hope of an Auburn late comeback was flushed by rain in the 7th inning.

Junior southpaw Carson Meyers makes his team-leading sixth weekend series start to finish things off on Sunday. The UAB trasnfer has been the bright spot in an otherwise forgetful season for Auburn, as his latest 6-inning, 1-run outing dropped his season ERA down to a very respectable 3.72. Meyers also missed bats frequently last Sunday, striking out 5 Bulldogs in the loss. The 5 punch-outs were the most Meyers has accumulated since his opening start of the season against Eastern Kentucky.

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Auburn announces weekend rotation for series against Mississippi State

This weekend, sophomore Dylan Watts, senior Tanner Bauman, and junior Carson Myers will get the call against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. 

Auburn baseball’s 2024 season has been nothing short of tumultuous, with the Tigers struggling to pick up any kind of momentum since the pre-SEC schedule ended in mid-February. That rockiness has caused head coach Butch Thompson to consistently tinker with his weekend rotation, as we’ve Auburn throw out different combinations in almost every SEC series thus far.

This weekend, sophomore [autotag]Dylan Watts[/autotag], senior [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag], and junior [autotag]Carson Myers [/autotag] will get the call against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Watts earns the Friday nod after pitching exclusively in relief since his season debut in late February against UAB. The Washington State native has yet to throw more than 2 2/3 innings in a game this year but does own an impressive 19:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 16.2 innings pitched this season. His 5.94 era is high, but the sophomore could have a decent chance to slice it down with a longer outing.

Senior southpaw Tanner Bauman will toe the rubber on Saturday for the Tigers in an interesting move from Thompson. Bauman had a very solid outing against No. 5 Kentucky last Saturday, navigating his way through 4 innings of 1-run ball. Bauman’s second-straight inclusion in the weekend rotation isn’t surprising, but Thompson’s decision to pitch fellow left-hander Carson Myers directly behind him is.

The junior Myers has spent plenty of time in high leverage situations for the Tigers this season. After a mid-season scuttle, Myers has settled in as Auburn’s most reliable pitcher, most notably giving up just 4 runs over his last 12 SEC innings pitched.

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Butch Thompson issues apology for Auburn baseball’s recent struggles

The Tigers fell to 2-10 in SEC play last weekend by dropping a home series to Tennessee, its’ fourth-straight conference series.

Auburn baseball’s rotten start to SEC play continued over the weekend, as the Tigers dropped two of three games to No. 4 Tennessee at Plainsman Park.

After winning Friday’s opener, the Tigers fell in the final two games in run-rule fashion, being outscored 31-7 in 14 total innings. Allowing plenty of runs to score in SEC play is becoming common, as they have allowed opponents to score 9.4 runs each game, compared to the 5.4 runs they score in each SEC contest.

Following Sunday’s 19-5, seven inning loss to the Volunteers, head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] addressed the team’s recent struggles, especially on the mound. He took the time to apologize to fans and boosters for the team’s recent poor performance in SEC play.

“It’s my responsibility. We have a long way to go in this season. We knew this schedule was going to be a grind and test us. It has been a little more than that, especially on the mound. It’s my responsibility with us not being competitive on the mound or not being able to do some things. I just apologize to all the fans and stakeholders and everybody who loves, cares and supports our program. We’ll get with the guys and force them to figure out solutions and our staff to get better and meet expectations. We’ve worked hard from the time we got here to build something up and we’ve done this together. We’ll continue to try to get this group refocused. I’m intently asking for some ‘figure it out mentality’ from our coaches and players to show us a roadmap of how we can get better.”

The recent setbacks are not due to Thompson’s lack of coaching or scheming. Last weekend, Thompson attempted to shake up Auburn’s weekend pitching rotation by wiping the usual slate of [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag], [autotag]Joseph Gonzalez[/autotag], and [autotag]Conner McBride[/autotag] clean and electing to start [autotag]Dylan Watts[/autotag] in Friday’s game before making a game-time decision for Saturday’s and Sunday’s starters.

The plan fell through, as Auburn’s final two starters ([autotag]Conner McBride[/autotag] and [autotag]Will Cannon[/autotag]) combined to pitch three full innings, allowing 11 earned runs on seven hits while walking four batters. The pitching staff collectively boasts a 9.18 ERA against conference foes and allows opposing batters to hit .341 off of them.

As Thompson said, there is plenty of season left to figure things out. The Tigers have six SEC series’ remaining, beginning with No. 16 Kentucky this weekend at Plainsman Park.

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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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