Tag: Ike Irish

Auburn’s Ike Irish on College Sports Wire’s SEC Player of the Year watch list

Way ahead of the 2025 college baseball season, CSW places Auburn’s Ike Irish as a candidate for the 2025 SEC Player of the Year.

Auburn baseball is coming off of a season that was undesirable, finishing 27-26 and missing out on the SEC Tournament for the first time since 2016. That does not take away from some of the raw talent that the team has had as of late though, and another player is making his case to be explosive in 2025.

Catcher and outfielder [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] has been included on College Sports Wire’s list of “5 way-too-early 2025 SEC Player of the Year candidates.” He is also with Jace LaViolette and Gavin Grahovac of Texas A&M, Max Belyeu of Texas and Ethan Petry of South Carolina.

Irish has been valuable for the Tigers throughout his first two seasons, preparing to be an early pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.

He has posted a batting average of .343 with 20 home runs and 109 RBI in his college career, making great use of his time at the plate. Despite having 53 less at-bats in 2024, he produced a lot more contact and power with eight more home runs and nine more RBI than in 2023.

Amongst his notable accolades in his time on the Plains, Irish was named to the 2023 SEC All-Freshman Team and received Freshman All-America honors from multiple national baseball outlets. He also earned First Team All-SEC honors in 2024.

Irish now prepares for a junior campaign in 2025 where he will likely see more time with catching duties, hoping to avoid the injury bug that plagued him last year. He is on pace to be a key veteran leader for a program that is trying to turn around after a big down year under head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag].

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Slugger Ike Irish announces return to Auburn for 2025 season

Auburn baseball received great news Monday as its top batter announced that he plans to return for his junior season.

Auburn baseball’s season ended on a sour note, but the 2025 season is already off to a great start due to one of its stars announcing his return to the program.

[autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag], the team’s leader in several categories in 2024, announced Monday that he plans to return to the program for his junior season.

As a true sophomore in 2024, Irish is not eligible for the upcoming MLB draft. However, his assurance of remaining committed to the program brings a sigh of relief to Auburn fans. The Tigers will lose seven offensive pieces and three pitchers due to a completion of eligibility ahead of the 2025 season. Having Irish’s bat and versatility in the field will be crucial to Auburn’s success next season.

Irish was named to the SEC All-Freshman team in 2023 by recording six home runs and 50 RBI while hitting .361. His average dropped slightly as a sophomore to .319, but he boosted his home run and RBI numbers by recording 14 and 59 respectively despite playing in nine fewer games.

Irish finished the 2024 season by leading the team in average (.319), hits (59), RBI (59), and slugging percentage (.627). He tied Cooper McMurray for the team lead in home runs (14).

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Belyeu, Irish grab postseason All-SEC honors

A pair of young Auburn sluggers were recognized by the SEC for the efforts on the diamond this season.

The SEC has released its baseball awards for the 2024 season, and two young Auburn sluggers are among the recipients.

[autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] and [autotag]Cade Belyeu[/autotag] were instrumental in producing runs this season for Auburn by combining to hit 22 home runs and score 79 runs for Auburn. Because of their efforts, Irish and Belyeu earned All-SEC honors, the SEC announced Monday.

Irish earned first-team All-SEC honors by avoiding the dreaded “sophomore slump.” He hit for a team-leading .319 average with 59 RBI and tied [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] for the team lead in home runs with 14. Irish played three positions for the Tigers this season: catcher, right field, and designated hitter. As a catcher, Irish threw out nine runners, which was third-best in the SEC.

According to Auburn athletics, Irish became the fourth-fastest player in program history this season to reach 100 career hits, doing so in 68 career games. He joins [autotag]Scott Pratt[/autotag], [autotag]Todd Faulkner[/autotag], and [autotag]Tim Hudson[/autotag] by reaching the feat in less than 70 games. He grabs a first-team nod as a designated hitter, becoming the first Auburn DH to grab a first-team spot since [autotag]Sonny DiChiara[/autotag] in 2022.

Belyeu, a native of Auburn, took home All-SEC Freshman glory after hitting .284 with eight home runs and 20 RBI in 38 games with 26 starts. He did most of his damage in the last month of the season by hitting five home runs and scoring 10 runs over his final eight games. Out of his eight home runs, six were against SEC pitching.

Georgia‘s Charlie Condon earned SEC Player of the Year while Hagen Smith of Arkansas took home SEC’s Pitcher of the Year and Nick Mingione of Kentucky was named SEC Coach of the Year.

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Recap: Auburn defense shuts down Alabama in game one

Auburn baseball took down Alabama in game one of the “Iron Bowl of Baseball” thanks to great defense and a late home run

Auburn baseball is wrapping its season up with the hopes up ending a rough 2024 season on a high note. The Tigers take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in the “Iron Bowl of Baseball” in a rivalry series that sees both sides as motivated as ever.

Auburn used its motivation to its advantage, taking down the Crimson Tide in a 4-2 defensive duel on Thursday night.

Despite this, the Tigers got the action going early in the bottom of the 1st. [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag] led the frame off with a walk before [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] singled through the left side of the field. This set up [autotag]Cooper Weiss[/autotag] to reach on a fielder’s choice which saw Irish be thrown out at second base.

[autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] followed this up with a sacrifice fly to left field deep enough to score Stanfield, putting Auburn on the board first.

Things continued into the 3rd inning for the Tigers. With Irish and McMurray on second and third, Caden Green reached on his own fielder’s choice to score Irish. This put Auburn up 2-0 early on its rivals.

Alabama answered back in the top of the 4th, though. Gage Miller stepped up with two runners on and two outs to hit a single into left center. This scored Mac Guscette to make it a 2-1 game.

The Tigers got that run back a couple of innings later. After Green hit a double down the left field line to begin the hitting, [autotag]Deric Fabian[/autotag] hit a double of his own to right field later in the inning, scoring Green and restoring the two-run lead in the 6th.

This lead was only alive for a short time. In the top of the 7th, William Hamiter hit a single through the left side to score Mason Swinney from third, making it a one-run contest for the Crimson Tide.

As the game got into the late stages, though, Auburn continued to realize what this rivalry means to the program, so it made a big move.

In the bottom of the 8th following two straight outs to lead things off, [autotag]Cade Belyeu[/autotag] hit a deep home run to right center, moving the lead to two runs and securing this win for the Tigers and sending the fans home happy.

Senior [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag] got the win on Senior Night, recording one of his best outings of the year. He pitched six full innings and giving up two runs on five hits. He also struck out eight and walked three.

Greg Farone took the loss for Alabama, dropping to 4-3 on the season. He worked for 5.2 innings, giving up three runs on six hits. He posted three strikeouts and two walks in the process.

Auburn now has the opportunity to take the series over its archrivals on Friday night in game two. First pitch in that game is set for 6 p.m. CST and will be broadcast on SEC Network+.

Recap: Auburn baseball evens series with Missouri behind offensive explosion

Auburn evened its series with Missouri on Saturday by keeping its feet on the pedal.

Auburn baseball scored 11 runs on 11 hits in Friday’s series opener at Missouri in a losing effort. Auburn returned to the field Saturday and delivered another stellar performance at the plate, resulting in a win.

The visiting Tigers scored 12 runs on 17 hits while smashing four home runs in a 12-2 run-rule victory over Missouri on Saturday at Taylor Stadium in Columbia, Missouri.

Auburn’s bats were on fire Friday, especially in its six-run 7th inning. However, Auburn’s pitching allowed 12 runs on 13 hits, which included six runs over the final two innings. Saturday’s effort on the mound was much more respectable as [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] and [autotag]Carson Myers[/autotag] returned to early-season form.

Allsup returned to the weekend rotation for the second-straight weekend on Saturday and delivered a four-hit, nine-strikeout performance while allowing one run over five complete innings. For Allsup, he has now struck out 18 batters while allowing two earned runs on eight hits since returning to the weekend rotation last Sunday in the finale with Ole Miss.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] was pleased with Allsup’s efforts on Saturday.

 “That was good,” Thompson said postgame. “Nine strikeouts and only one walk and did a nice job. He did get to that 90 pitches or so, but he’s been on a journey and plugged it back up in a SEC start, and a quality one at that.”

Myers finished the game by striking out four batters and allowing two hits in three innings of work to earn the save.

Offensively, [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag] paced Auburn by recording four hits with four RBI. All four of his RBI came in the final two innings, two in the 7th inning on a home run and two more in the 8th on a single to left field. [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] and [autotag]Carter Wright[/autotag] had three hits while Cooper Weiss added two more. Irish, Green, Weiss, and [autotag]Cade Belyeu[/autotag] each homered in the contest.

With Saturday’s win, Auburn has evened the series with Missouri. The rubber match of this weekend’s series is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT, and can be seen on SEC Network+.

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Recap: Auburn’s SEC Tournament hopes are dashed with Friday loss at Missouri

Auburn dropped the series opener to Missouri on Friday despite having a comfortable lead in the late stages.

The tough hits keep coming for Auburn baseball.

Auburn held an 11-6 lead over Missouri in the 7th inning of Friday’s series opener. Then, as has been the case for most of the SEC slate, Auburn’s luck ran out in the final innings. Missouri rattled off six unanswered runs over the final two innings to stun Auburn and claim the first game of the weekend series, 12-11, on Friday night at Taylor Stadium in Columbia, Missouri.

Each team traded blows through the first six innings with Missouri hanging on to a 6-5 lead. Auburn caught momentum in the 7th inning by scoring six runs to build a comfortable 11-6 lead. [autotag]Eric Guevara[/autotag] kicked off the inning by scoring two runs on a double, with [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] following suit later in the inning with a three-run triple. [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] capped scoring by grounding out to the shortstop which allowed Irish to score.

Auburn’s momentum was taken away immediately as Missouri scored twice in the bottom frame and stole the lead in the 8th inning by scoring four runs. Missouri’s final blow was delivered by Matt Garcia, when he doubled home three runs to push his team ahead, 12-11.

Irish led the team in hits with three. [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag], [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag], and Eric Guevara each recorded multiple hits. On the mound, [autotag]Parker Carlson[/autotag] took the loss after allowing four runs on five hits. Starter [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag] allowed three runs on four hits while striking out three batters in four innings of work.

Game two of the weekend series between Auburn and Missouri is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT Saturday.

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Recap: Belyeu’s big day lifts Auburn to midweek win over Georgia Tech

The Auburn outfielder delivered the final blow by crushing a three-run homer in the 9th inning of Auburn’s 7-2 win over Georgia Tech on Tuesday.

Auburn baseball fell victim to another long ball by one of the NCAA’s top power hitters, Drew Burress, early in Tuesday’s game with Georgia Tech.

However, Burress’ 21st home run of the season would only be a minor storyline as the Tigers managed to slide out of the flats with a 7-2 win over the Yellow Jackets on Tuesday at Ross Chandler Stadium in Atlanta.

Following his 1st inning home run, Burress recorded his second, and ultimately final, run of the game on a single in the 3rd inning to score Vahn Lackey and extend Georgia Tech’s lead to 2-0. Auburn went on to score seven unanswered runs to secure the win.

Auburn’s scoring surge began in the 4th inning when [autotag]Cade Belyeu[/autotag] hit a sacrifice fly deep enough to score [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] to cut the deficit to 2-1. A pair of long balls in the 5th inning by [autotag]Eric Guevara[/autotag] and [autotag]Cooper Weiss[/autotag] and a fielding error allowed Auburn to jump ahead, 4-2.

Belyeu struck again in the 9th inning. His three-run blast off of Georgia Tech’s Mason Patel would be the final blow and would lift Auburn to the 7-2 victory.

Auburn’s ability to overcome early adversity played a role in the win, but it’s defensive performance can not go unnoticed. Tiger outfielders Chris Stanfield and Cade Belyeu robbed Georgia Tech of a pair of two-run home runs that could have ultimately changed the tone of the game. Stanfield took a two-run homer away from Mike Becchetti in the 1st inning, and would later throw out Drew Burress at home in the 3rd inning. Both plays, if successful, would have given the Yellow Jackets a 3-0 lead.

Not only did Belyeu score the final runs of the game, but he took away a two-run home run away from Georgia Tech’s Vahn Lackey in the bottom of the 9th to preserve the lead.

[autotag]Ben Schorr[/autotag] recorded the win on the mound for Auburn by providing two innings of relief and allowing one hit. [autotag]Christian Herberholz[/autotag] closed out the game by striking out two batters over the final two innings. In between Schorr and Herberholz’s outings, [autotag]Cameron Keshock[/autotag] struck out four batters while walking one batter and allowing a hit in two innings of work.

Auburn baseball will continue its SEC schedule this weekend by facing Missouri on the road. The opening game of the series begins Friday at 6 p.m. CT.

Recap: Auburn baseball completes comeback effort in Sunday’s win over Ole Miss

The Tigers rallied from a 5-0 deficit to take down Ole Miss in walk off fashion.

Auburn baseball did not get the necessary wins over Ole Miss last weekend that it needed to keep its SEC Tournament hopes alive, but they refuse to pack up and quit on the season.

Sunday’s game was an example of Auburn’s determination. Trailing 5-0 before picking up a bat, the Tigers chipped away throughout the game before delivering the final blow in the final inning to walk-off as 10-9 victors over the Rebels on Sunday evening at Plainsman Park in Auburn.

The Sunday win prevented Auburn from being swept for the fifth time in SEC play. Auburn head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] was proud of his team’s ability to overcome early adversity and to keep fighting until the final at-bat.

“A great job by the resiliency of the club,” Thompson said postgame. “They’ve hung in there and competed enough to get that last punch back. I really wanted it for them.”

Auburn responded to Ole Miss’ five-run 1st inning effort by scoring two runs in the bottom frame on two RBI singles by [autotag]Cade Belyeu[/autotag] and [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag]. The Tigers added a run each in the next three innings to tie Ole Miss, 5-5, going to the top of the 5th inning, and would take a 6-5 lead in the 7th inning on Belyeu’s double.

Both teams combined to score four runs over the final two innings. Ole Miss’ Jackson Ross tied the game in the top of the 8th with a solo shot, which paved the way for Auburn’s [autotag]Cooper Weiss[/autotag] and [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] to hit solo blasts themselves in the bottom frame to put Auburn back in front, 8-6.

Ole Miss pieced together one last comeback bid in the 9th inning by sending three runs home on a bases-loaded double by Andrew Fischer. In the bottom frame, [autotag]Kaleb Freeman[/autotag] tied the game at 9-9 with an RBI single before a wild pitch allowed [autotag]Javon Hernandez[/autotag] to score and to give the Tigers the 10-9 win.

At the plate, Auburn totaled 15 hits with five players recording multiple hits. On the mound, starter [autotag]Carson Myers[/autotag] lasted 2/3 of an inning after allowing five runs on four hits. [autotag]Cam Tilly[/autotag], [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag], [autotag]Conner McBride[/autotag], and [autotag]Parker Carlson[/autotag] also saw time on the mound.

Carlson earned the win, but the performance of the game belonged to Allsup, who earns the credit for keeping Ole Miss from adding more runs over the middle innings. He allowed one run on four hits over 4 2/3 innings, striking out nine batters.

“Allsup gave us a chance today,” Thompson said. “That’s a couple of outings where he threw the ball really well. He’s had control and command. He’s absolutely grown as a pitcher. He’s hung in there. I’m glad to see him have success. He persevered and was rewarded today.”

Auburn baseball moves to 22-24 on the season, 4-20 in SEC play. The Tigers will travel to Atlanta on Tuesday to face Georgia Tech for its final non-conference game of the season. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.

Check out the highlights from Sunday’s win here.

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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Recap: Auburn baseball drops doubleheader, gets swept in Starkville

Auburn’s baseball struggles continued in Starkville on Sunday, when the Tigers lost both ends of a doubleheader with Mississippi State.

Auburn baseball is entering crunch time as the end of the regular season draws near, trying to find answers to its struggles and make a run towards qualifying for the SEC Tournament in Hoover.

Unfortunately, those deficits were not able to be overcome, as the Tigers dropped both halves of a doubleheader with Mississippi State on Sunday, losing 3-1 and 4-3.

The first of the two contests was a pitcher’s duel until about the 4th inning. That is when the scoreless tie was broken and things got going.

Connor Hujsak led the inning off with a single into left field and advanced to second later in the inning with a Logan Kohler walk.

That set up Ethan Pulliam to single through the left side of the field, scoring Hujsak and putting the Bulldogs on the board.

After a strikeout recorded the second out, Armani Larry stepped up to the plate and also singled through the left side of the field, plating Kohler after an eventual error was made. Mississippi State had the 2-0 advantage.

Auburn attempted to answer back in the top of the 5th, as [autotag]Kaleb Freeman[/autotag] started the inning off with a solo home run over the right field wall, cutting the score to 2-1.

The final bit of scoring came in the bottom of the 6th with some two-out magic from the Bulldogs. After a David Mershon walk and a Dakota Jordan single, Hunter Hines singled through the right side to bring home the third Mississippi State run and eventually secure the win, 3-1.

The second of the two matches was filled with late drama, but early scoring.

With one runner on and two outs in the bottom of the 2nd inning, Kohler singled through the left side to score the first run of the game for the Bulldogs, putting them up 1-0.

Things started looking up for the Tigers in the top of the 4th. [autotag]Christian Hall[/autotag] began the frame with a single through the left side. [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] and [autotag]Cade Belyeu[/autotag] followed that up with back-to-back walks, loading the bases with no outs.

[autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] drew a walk right after this to score Auburn’s first run, which then set up [autotag]Carter Wright[/autotag] to hit into a fielder’s choice and put the Tigers in the lead at 2-1.

After a Freeman walk eventually loaded the bases up again later in the inning, [autotag]Eric Guevara[/autotag] reached on a fielder’s choice to second base, scoring Belyeu and making the score 3-1.

Nobody scored again until the 7th, which is when the Tigers’ pitching woes started to show up once again.

After two singles began Mississippi State’s final chance to tie the game back up, Kohler came in clutch once again, doubling to right center and clearing the bases. The Bulldogs had suddenly come back and tied the game up 3-3.

That sent the game into extra innings, and Auburn could not capitalize in the top of the 8th.

With runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom half of the inning, Hujsak singled into left field, scoring in the game-winning run and securing the sweep for Mississippi State.

[autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag] picked up the loss in game one, dropping to 2-2 on the year. He pitched for 3.1 innings, giving up two runs on six hits, while striking out two and walking one.

[autotag]Christian Herberholz[/autotag] got the loss in the second game after his appearance in the 8th. He pitched 0.2 innings, giving up the one run on two hits while intentionally walking one.

Jurrangelo Cijntje picked up the first win for the Bulldogs with his 6.2 innings of work. He gave up one run on three hits, while striking out five and walking three.

Tyson Hardin got the win in game two, pitching two full innings. His phenomenal outing saw him give up no runs and no hits, while striking out five Tiger hitters.

Auburn now falls to 19-20 on the season and 2-16 in the SEC. Time is officially running out for [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag]’s team as they prepare to do battle with Florida A&M on Tuesday. First pitch for that game is set for 3 p.m. CST at Plainsman Park.