tommy vail – Syndication Server

D1Baseball includes three Auburn players in Top 150 MLB draft college prospects rankings

These three players had great careers on the Plains. Now, it is time to take their talents to the next level.

The 2023 MLB draft is on deck, and three Auburn players will have the chance to take their talents to the next level.

Ahead of the MLB draft, which will take place July 9-11, D1Baseball has constructed a list of the top 150 college players that have the best chance to hear their names called during the draft. Among those 150, three of Auburn’s most talented players are included.

Infielders [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] and [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] and pitcher [autotag]Joseph Gonzalez[/autotag] are all on D1Baseball’s top 150 MLB draft prospects rankings. Foster and Ware had incredible seasons for the Tigers in 2023, while Gonzalez was limited due to injury setbacks.

Foster starts the list by checking in at No. 43 in the rankings. Foster has a career average of .305 with 22 home runs and 97 RBI. The 2023 season was his best at the plate, where he was fourth on the team in average with .336, third on the team in hits with 75, and was one of three players to hit ten-or-more home runs by smashing 13. His 49 RBI were also tied for fourth-best on the team with [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag].

Pitcher Joseph Gonzalez is next at No. 92. Gonzalez was expected to be the Tigers’ ace on the mound this season, but setbacks due to a nagging shoulder injury kept him away from the team for the majority of the season. He has a 10-7 record with an ERA of 4.08 in 37 appearances. His sophomore season in 2022 saw him record 54 strikeouts and allowed just 28 earned runs in 15 games, with 14 starts. This season, he pitched just one game, which was a winning decision against Indiana on Feb. 18. He tossed 5.0 innings of shutout baseball, where he allowed just one hit.

Finally, Auburn’s all-time single-season home runs leader rounds out the list at No. 105. Ware crushed 24 home runs this season, breaking [autotag]Hunter Morris[/autotag]’ previous record of 23 back in 2010. Ware also led the team RBI (63), and slugging percentage (.731). He was second in average (.350) and hits (78) behind freshman [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag].

Foster and Gonzalez have at least one more season of eligibility remaining. So if they are not pleased with their draft selection, they have the chance to return to Auburn for one more season. Other players of note that may get the chance to turn pro are pitcher [autotag]Tommy Vail[/autotag], as well as outfielders [autotag]Justin Kirby[/autotag], [autotag]Kason Howell[/autotag], and [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag].

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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__

Offensive struggles plague Auburn in season-ending loss to Southern Miss

Auburn recorded nine hits and stranded 11, but only collected two runs in the season finale.

After recording the hottest second half in the SEC this season, the Auburn Tigers played their way into the NCAA Tournament as a regional host for the second-straight season.

Unfortunately, the Tigers’ splendid run came to a screeching halt on Saturday afternoon. Behind four home runs and a strong outing on the mound, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles defeated Auburn, 7-2, to eliminate the hosts from the Auburn Regional at Plainsman Park.

Both teams found themselves in the loser’s bracket after dropping their opening-round games on Friday. Auburn tallied just four hits in Friday’s loss to Penn and hoped to revive the bats in an effort to stay alive. However, it would be Southern Miss that grabbed momentum early and would ride it until the final out.

With two runners on, and one out, Southern Miss’ Christopher Sargent crushed a home run to right field to put the Golden Eagles up, 3-0 before Auburn could grab a bat.

Dustin Dickerson would be responsible for the Golden Eagles’ next two runs, as he would hit home runs in back-to-back at-bats in the 3rd and 5th innings to give Southern Miss a comfortable 5-0 advantage. Rodrigo Montenegro hit a sacrifice fly in the 6th inning to extend Southern Miss’ lead to 6-0 before Auburn would strike.

In the bottom of the 6th inning, two singles by [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag] and [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] would bring life back to the Auburn lineup and cut Southern Miss’ lead to 6-2. The Tigers would leave six runners on base in the final three innings but failed to send another run across to score.

Southern Miss’ dagger came in the 8th inning on a solo home run by Danny Lynch to bring the lead to 7-2.

“The responsibility lies on me,” Auburn coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said following Saturday’s loss. “Our team made a good run. This group put us in position after a really tough start and stayed in the fight the entire season to get us to this point to host a regional. We didn’t link it up enough in these two days to have success against two really good opponents.”

Eight batters recorded hits for Auburn in the game, with [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] being the lone Tiger to pick up two hits. Auburn would also fail to record a multi-base hit in its second consecutive game.

“We pride ourselves on getting timely hits the past month or so,” senior [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] said. “The past few games, for whatever reason, it hasn’t been falling our way. Hats off to Southern Miss, they played a great game. I couldn’t be happier to be a part of this team.”

[autotag]Tommy Vail[/autotag] took the loss for Auburn. After becoming the team’s ace on the backend of the schedule, Vail ran into a stretch of bad luck on Saturday by allowing four earned runs on four hits while recording four strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work.

“He’s a fighter for us,” Thompson said of Vail. “We would not have been able to be here without Tommy Vail.”

In relief, [autotag]Konnor Copeland[/autotag] and [autotag]Chase Isbell[/autotag] worked 4.2 innings and allowed five hits and two runs. Isbell struck out four batters in his 3.2 innings of relief.

Auburn’s season ends with a 34-21-1 record. Southern Miss will face the loser of Penn/Samford on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT in another elimination game.

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Auburn defeats Missouri in SEC Tournament opener, sets up date with Vanderbilt

Auburn has now won nine games in a row, and now has a seat in the double-elimination portion of the SEC Tournament bracket.

The No. 5 seed Auburn Tigers’ hot streak continued late Tuesday night, as they took care of No. 12 seed Missouri in the opening round of the SEC Tournament in Hoover, 10-4. The win is Auburn’s seventh in a row and the fourth straight win over the Tigers from Columbia.

After sweeping Missouri last weekend at Plainsman Park, Auburn picked up where they left off by knocking out Missouri in a come-from-behind effort. Missouri struck first on a sacrifice fly by Ross Lovich in the 2nd inning to give Missouri the 1-0 lead. Auburn answered in the bottom of the 3rd by scoring three runs on a bases-loaded walk, a ground out, and a sacrifice fly.

Auburn’s 3-1 lead was shortlived as Missouri would score three more runs in the top of the 4th to re-take the lead, 4-3. However, in the bottom half of the 4th, [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] decided that his team would not relinquish another lead. [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag] tied the game at 4-4 with an RBI single to score [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag], and he would later score on a three-run blast by Foster that sailed over the right field wall and deep into the Hoover night to put Auburn ahead, 7-4.

After that home run, Auburn returned to its’ comfort zone.

“Cole Foster’s home run allowed us to exhale and get back to playing our brand of baseball,” Auburn coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said Tuesday. “We got enough and did enough. Thankful to come out here and get a win.”

Auburn would score three more insurance runs in the 8th inning to seal the victory. Peirce added an RBI while [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] crushed his 22nd home run of the season, which was of the two-run variety.

“I knew that guy had a high spin rate fastball and he was going to try to blow me up with it,” Ware said. “I just told myself I was going to be on time for it. Thankfully, I got enough of it to get it out of here.”

[autotag]Tommy Vail[/autotag] got the start for Auburn and went 3.2 innings while allowing four runs on two hits. [autotag]Chase Isbell[/autotag] got the win out of the bullpen with 3.0 innings of shutout work, and [autotag]Zach Crotchfelt[/autotag] got the save by turning in a 2.1-inning effort. All three pitchers combined to strike out 11 Missouri batters.

With the win, Auburn is now in the double-elimination portion of the SEC Tournament bracket. Their next matchup is with No. 4 seed Vanderbilt, which will take place at approximately 8 p.m. CT Wednesday.

Here’s a broadcast guide/preview of Wednesday’s game.

Tigers take both games in double header, clinch fourth-straight series victory

Auburn outscored the defending CWS champs, 24-6, to clinch the series on Friday.

The Auburn Tigers (29-19-1, 13-13 SEC) won both games in Friday’s doubleheader against the Ole Miss Rebels (25-25, 6-20 SEC) to clinch their fourth consecutive series win. The Tigers won the first game by a score of 16-4 in eight innings and the second game by a score of 8-2.

Sophomore right-hander [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] got the start for Auburn in the first game and allowed three runs off of four hits, walked one batter and struck one out in 2.1 innings of work. Junior left-hander [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag] picked up the win in a 3.1-inning outing in which he allowed no runs off of three hits and struck two batters out.

Junior left-hander Xavier Rivas got the start for Ole Miss in the first game and ended up with the loss in a 2.1-inning effort in which he gave up six runs off of seven hits, walked two batters and struck five out.

The Rebels got the scoring started in the first inning, but a four-run rally in the second inning put the Tigers in front and they never looked back. Auburn was able to put runs across in all but two innings as Ole Miss struggled to find its footing at the plate.

Auburn had four players with multiple hits in the first game. Junior shortstop [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] went 4-5 with four runs batted in, a double and two home runs. Fifth-year outfielder [autotag]Kason Howell[/autotag] went 4-4 with four runs batted in and four doubles. Redshirt senior right fielder [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] went 3-6 with a double. Junior second baseman [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag] went 2-2 with three runs batted in. Senior catcher [autotag]Nate LaRue[/autotag] hit the only other home run for the Tigers in the 16-4 run-rule victory over the Rebels.

Graduate left-hander [autotag]Tommy Vail[/autotag] got the start and picked up the win for Auburn in the second game. Vail tossed eight innings and allowed only one run off of two hits, walked one batter and struck out six.

Freshman right-hander JT Quinn got the start for Ole Miss and ended up with the loss in an outing that lasted 2.2 innings and saw three runs off of three hits, four walks and five strikeouts.

Howell reached on an error in the second inning which allowed senior third baseman [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] to score for Auburn’s first run of the game. A steady flow of offense kept the Tigers in front.

The Rebels’ two runs came from an RBI double by junior right fielder Kemp Alderman in the fourth inning and a sac-fly hit by junior shortstop Jacob Gonzalez in the ninth inning.

The Tigers had five players with multiple hits in the second game. Foster, Peirce, Ware and LaRue all went 2-5. Freshman designated hitter [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] went 2-4 with three runs batted in and a home run.

The final game of the series is set for Saturday at 2:00 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 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+.

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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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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.

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Vail’s gem leads Auburn to series-opening win over Mississippi State

The southpaw struck out a season-high 10 batters in Auburn’s 2-1 win over Mississippi State on Friday.

The Auburn Tigers entered this weekend’s series with Mississippi State needing a series win to snap a three-series losing streak. In order to do that, top-notch would be required.

[autotag]Tommy Vail[/autotag] answered the call as he turned in a scoreless start while recording a season-high in strikeouts.

Vail turned in 5.0 innings of three-hit baseball. He would also refuse to allow a run while striking out 10 batters in Auburn’s 2-1 win over Mississippi State on Friday at Plainsman Park.

“What’s important is having the same spirit, the same attitude, and just getting ready to get another win,” Vail said Friday. “Early in the game, I’m expecting them to be pretty patient. I knew I could attack in the zone early and then expand later on.”

Head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] says that if Auburn’s pitching is that good every game, his squad will remain competitive throughout the second half of the SEC slate.

“We’re pitching a little better. It started last weekend,” Thompson said after Friday’s win. “This gives us a chance. If we can pitch competitively, that defense is ready to play. We pitched with better sequences and took the sting out of the swing.”

Auburn got on the board first in the low-scoring affair. After failing to record a hit and having just two baserunners through the first four innings, Auburn’s [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] crushed a 398-foot solo home run to right field to give Auburn the 1-0 lead.

The Bulldogs would tie the game in the bottom of the 7th inning on an infield single by leadoff batter David Mershon that scored Amani Larry from 3rd base.

Auburn’s final blow came in the bottom of the 8th inning when [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] hit a sacrifice fly to score [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag] to put Auburn ahead, 2-1.

“I’m just happy to get the win,” Stanfield said of the play. “I saw it go up in the air and saw his back to me. I said, ‘Let me take a chance’ and it ended up working out. I was just trying to take the game into my own hands. It was a close game, and I knew Bobby was coming. I had full trust that Bobby would get the job done. I was just happy to be a part of it.”

[autotag]Will Cannon[/autotag] entered the game and slammed the door for the Tigers, as he faced the minimum to solidify the win and earn his 4th save of the year. [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag] is credited with the win on the mound by tossing 1.1 innings of no-hit baseball in relief.

Game two between the Tigers and Bulldogs is set for Saturday afternoon at 2 P.M. CT and can be seen on SEC Network+. [autotag]Christian Herberholz[/autotag] (0-3, 5.74) will toe the rubber for Auburn on Saturday, battling Mississippi State’s Colby Holcombe (2-2, 5.32).

Auburn holds off the ninth inning push by Alabama in game one victory

6.2 innings of scoreless baseball from Tommy Vail and home runs by Chris Stanfield and Cole Foster lift Auburn to a series-opening win.

The Auburn Tigers (20-13-1, 5-8 SEC) picked up an 8-4 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide (24-11, 4-9 SEC) in the first game of the series Friday night at Sewell Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

“We needed somebody to step up,” Auburn head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said following Friday’s win. “It was his best outing. It was clean, it was efficient, it was great baseball. We needed this one on the road and Tommy absolutely silenced a very good lineup.”

[autotag]Tommy Vail[/autotag] got the start for the Tigers and let no runs score and only allowed two hits in a 6.2-inning effort that also saw four strikeouts and only four walks.

“It felt good to get the weekend off to a good start,” Vail said. “It’s my job to go as deep as I can and save the bullpen so we have more bullets to fire later on. It felt good to throw up zeros and know the guys behind me were playing their tails off.”

Luke Holman got the start for the Crimson Tide and allowed four runs off of four hits, walked three batters and struck out six.

[autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag] got the scoring started with a two-run homer in the second inning. [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag] singled home two more runs in the seventh inning.

[autotag]Cooper McMurray [/autotag] singled to bring another run in during the eighth inning. The Tigers tacked on their last three runs in the ninth inning when Green reached on an error that allowed Stanfield to score from second and when [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] hit a two-run homer to extend the lead to 8-0.

“Throughout the night my at-bats got better and I happened to hit a hanging changeup and did what I could with it,” Foster said.

The Crimson Tide scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, three of which were forced in by walks or batters being hit by pitches.

The first pitch for the second game of the series is set for Saturday at 6:00 p.m. CST.

"We needed this one on the road and Tommy absolutely silenced a very good lineup."

🗣️ » @3strikes_AU #WarEagle

— Auburn Baseball (@AuburnBaseball) April 15, 2023

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Auburn’s bullpen collapses in decisive game three vs. No. 3 Florida

Auburn surrendered 14 unanswered runs.

Auburn looked like it was going to pull off a massive upset over the No. 3 Florida Gators before the bullpen collapsed on the second straight Sunday. The Tigers had an 8-3 lead but the Gators scored 14 unanswered runs to take control of the game and win 17-8 in Gainesville.

Six Auburn pitchers combined to allow 17 runs on just 12 hits, but they walked 13 batters and hit three more. Auburn is now 18-9-1 overall and 3-6 in SEC play.

“We got right where we wanted to,” head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said. “We built that 8-3 lead and when I saw them run and catch us, just so many freebies to allow them to get back in the ballgame there.”

After allowing three runs in the first inning, Auburn starter [autotag]Tommy Vail[/autotag] was able to settle in and give the Tigers 4.2 innings. He allowed five runs, four earned on just two hits. He struck out six Gators but walked five and hit two more.

He left in the bottom of the fifth with two on and two out and Auburn leading 8-3. Thompson turned to [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] to try and end the threat. He was unable to get an out as he walked the first batter, gave up a two-run single, and walked two more before [autotag]Chase Isbell[/autotag] came in to end the inning.

Disaster struck Ibell in the sixth inning as he was forced to call for a trainer and leave the game. That forced [autotag]Drew Nelson[/autotag] into the game.

He walked the first three batters he saw to make it an 8-7 Auburn lead before a sacrifice fly tied the game. He managed to escape the inning with the game tied but was unable to do so in the seventh. He hit the leadoff man and after a Wyatt Langford double put two men in scoring position Auburn once again went to the bullpen.

Jac Caglianome greeted [autotag]Konner Copeland[/autotag] with a two-RBI single to give Florida a 10-8 lead that they would not surrender. The Gators added two more runs in the seventh and five in the eighth to put the game out of reach.

The Tigers fell behind 3-0 after one inning but immediately started chipping away. [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] blasted a solo home run in the second inning and the Tigers took a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning when [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag] hit a two-run homer and [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] scored on a wild pitch.

They got some breathing room in the fifth when Peirce drove in Green and [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] smacked a three-run homer to make it an 8-3 lead.

The Tigers will return to action Tuesday night when they take on UAB at Regions Field in Birmingham. The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. CT.

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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 JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.