Tag: Tanner Bauman

Auburn RHP Christian Herberholz inks free agent deal with Baltimore Orioles

Herberholz is turning pro after striking out 90 batters over 90 2/3 innings as an Auburn Tiger.

Baltimore has become a hot destination for former Auburn baseball players.

Since 2020, the Orioles organization has either drafted or signed five former Tigers. [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] joined that company earlier this week by being taken in the fourth round of the MLB draft by Baltimore, and his Auburn teammate [autotag]Christian Herberholz[/autotag] is set to join him.

Wednesday, Herberholz signed a free-agent deal with the Baltimore Orioles, joining infielder [autotag]Cooper Weiss[/autotag] by landing an undrafted deal with a Major League club.

Herberholz signed with Auburn after a successful stint in the junior college ranks at nearby Southern Union State Community College, where he struck out 55 batters in 56 1/3 innings as a Bison. At Auburn, he appeared in 33 games in two seasons, where he struck out 90 batters, walked 38, and boasted a 4.76 ERA in 90 2/3 total innings.

The MLB draft period results in five Tigers earning a free agent deal, or being drafted. Auburn RHP’s Chase Allsup (Baltimore Orioles) and [autotag]Will Cannon[/autotag] (Cincinnati Reds), as well as south paw [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag] (New York Yankees) were drafted while Herberholz and Weiss signed free agent deals.

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

Tanner Bauman selected by Yankees in MLB Draft

Bauman joined Chase Allsup by being selected on day two of the 2024 MLB draft.

Former Auburn left-handed pitcher [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag] was selected by the New York Yankees with the No. 271 pick in the ninth round of the 2024 MLB Draft on Monday afternoon. The two-year relief pitcher joins the organization after posting a 7-3 record and a 5.25 earned run average in 42 career appearances on the Plains.

The six-foot-five product from Jacksonville, Florida showed signs of his potential over the course of his time with the Tigers, throwing with a lot of spin and using his off-speed pitches to his advantage.

The bullpen in New York is fairly stable at the moment with notable pitchers like Tim Hill, Michael Tonkin and Luke Weaver taking up many of the relieving roles. While it will be a battle to make it up to the major league level, Bauman can make his case for why he should be a player to look out for in the coming years if he puts together a string of consistently good outings.

Bauman is the second player from Auburn to be taken in this year’s draft, along with fellow pitcher Chase Allsup. The slot value at the No. 271 overall pick is $192,600.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Tyler on Twitter @traley34

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]

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

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’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.

[lawrence-related id=82645]

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.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

 

Recap: Auburn baseball loses heartbreaker to LSU, drops series

A 9th-inning RBI single was the difference as LSU took down Auburn on Saturday to claim the series.

Auburn baseball suffered a shutout on Friday in a 5-0 loss to LSU in game one of the series and was outshined at the plate in Saturday’s middle game. However, they had a chance to win until the very last at-bat.

Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs, LSU’s Josh Pearson delivered an RBI single to score Alex Milazzo to push the Bayou Bengals to a 3-2 victory over Auburn on Saturday at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge.  Auburn conceded its seventh-straight SEC series and has extended its SEC losing streak to 10 games with Saturday’s loss to LSU.

LSU outhit Auburn, 10-3 on Saturday, but could not take advantage of most opportunities as they left 12 runners on base. After allowing Auburn to score first on an RBI groundout by [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag] in the 3rd inning, LSU answered by hitting two solo home runs in the bottom frame. Consecutive blasts by Tommy White and Jared Jones pushed LSU in front, 2-1 through three innings.

Auburn tied the game at 2-2 in the 4th inning when a wild pitch allowed [autotag]Christian Hall[/autotag] to score. The offense remained quiet until Pearson’s RBI single in the 9th inning.

“We had a chance tonight in this ballgame,” Auburn head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said postgame. “I keep telling them ‘Keep pushing through and playing hard.’ We’ve been able to have success before, and we just have to come back out here tomorrow and try not to make excuses. We just have to keep at it.”

Auburn received a strong start from [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag], who allowed five hits and two runs and struck out five in 4 1/3 innings. [autotag]Cam Tilly[/autotag] had the most notable outing of the game by striking out seven batters in three complete innings.

“Tilly pitched Tuesday but had such a good look pitching behind (Chase) Allsup that you wanted to get him back out there,” Thompson said. “Seeing that he had seven strikeouts, that looks like I’ve seen absolute growth in him.”

Auburn will look to salvage a game in its series at LSU on Sunday afternoon. Game three is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT on Sunday and can be seen on SEC Network+.

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.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

 

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.

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.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch