Tag: Trace Bright

Chase Allsup selected by Orioles in MLB Draft

Allsup is the first Auburn Tiger off the board in the 2024 MLB draft.

Former Auburn right-hander [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the fourth round of the 2024 MLB Draft on Monday afternoon. The three-year Tiger pitcher joins the Orioles after posting a 6-5 record and 5.11 earned run average over 56 career games on the Plains.

Although Allsup was never quite able to capture dominance on the mound over his collegiate career, the Dothan, Alabama native continuously flashed an above-average, high-velocity fastball, and devastating slider that helped him accumulate a 10.1 SO/9 during his time as a Tiger.

While Baltimore’s major league rotation is fairly set with American League All-Star starter Corbin Burnes leading the pack, Allsup’s live arm could allow him to rise quickly up the minor league ladder as a bullpen arm. If the former Tiger is able to develop other offerings on the mound he could challenge for a spot at the back end of the Orioles rotation as soon as 2025.

Allsup is the sixth Tiger over the last six seasons to be drafted within the first five rounds of the MLB draft. He joins [autotag]Sonny DiChiara[/autotag], [autotag]Trace Bright[/autotag], [autotag]Mason Barnett[/autotag], [autotag]Blake Burkhalter[/autotag] (2022), and [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] (2023). The slot value at No. 127 overall is $562,000.

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AL Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson picks Auburn to win NCAA Tournament

The former Auburn signee still has love for the Tigers.

[autotag]Gunnar Henderson[/autotag] was expected to be a key piece of Auburn baseball’s 2019 signing class, joining signees such as [autotag]Trace Bright[/autotag], [autotag]Mason Barnett[/autotag], and [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag]. However, he turned pro after being selected 42nd overall by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2019 MLB draft.

Despite never playing a game at Plainsman Park, Henderson’s love of Auburn athletics has never wavered. His NCAA Tournament bracket can prove it.

Henderson revealed his bracket on Monday, showing surprising picks such as James Madison making the Final Four and Duquesne making the Sweet 16. However, the best pick of all is his choice for national champion… the Auburn Tigers.

Henderson predicts that Auburn, Tennessee, North Carolina, and James Madison will make the trip to Phoenix, Arizona this year for the Final Four, with Auburn taking down SEC-rival Tennessee to win it all.

The Selma native was the top signee of Auburn’s No. 11 signing class for the 2019 recruiting cycle. Outside of being the best player from Alabama that year, he was the nation’s No. 4 shortstop and the No. 19 prospect overall according to Perfect Game.

He made his Major League debut with the Orioles on Sept. 2, 2022, and has racked up 32 home runs and 100 RBI since then, batting .256. Last season, he hit .255 with 28 home runs and drove in 82 runs while fielding over .960 at both third base and shortstop, which led to unanimous American League Rookie of the Year honors.

Do you agree with Henderson’s bracket picks?

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__

Auburn baseball flashback: the last time Auburn played Southeastern Louisiana

Auburn’s journey to Omaha in 2022 began with a 19-7 thrashing of Southeastern Louisiana in game one of the Auburn Regional.

Auburn baseball’s road to Omaha began at Plainsman Park against Southeastern Louisiana in game one of the Auburn regional.

The Tigers exploded for 11 runs in the first inning, with six of those runs coming off of home runs by switch-hitting [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag], who hit two home runs in the inning, one from each side of the plate.

The large lead in the 1st inning allowed Auburn to cruise to a 19-7 victory. Auburn ended the game with seven home runs. Foster ended the game with three home runs, [autotag]Nate LaRue[/autotag] recorded two, and [autotag]Sonny DiChiara[/autotag] and [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] each hit one. [autotag]Trace Bright[/autotag] recorded a season-high 10 strikeouts in 5.0 innings on the mound.

The Tigers would keep their offensive firepower going over the final two games of the regional by defeating Florida State and UCLA by a combined score of 32-11. Auburn would then win the Corvallis Super Regional, and competed in the College World Series for the second time in three seasons.

This weekend, Southeastern Louisiana returns to Plainsman Park for a three-game set and hopes to get revenge on the Tigers.

Before the Tigers and Lions tussle in Plainsman Park, here’s a look back at Auburn’s 19-7 victory over Southeastern Louisiana in the 2022 Auburn regional.

Auburn vs. Indiana: How to watch, stream, listen to this weekend’s series at Plainsman Park

Auburn Baseball kicks off the 2023 campaign with a three-game series against the Indiana Hoosiers at Plainsman Park. Here’s everything you need to know.

Auburn Baseball welcomes Indiana to Plainsman Park this weekend, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

Auburn Baseball has had many questions surrounding its’ club heading into the 2023 campaign, which explains the lack of national recognition as Auburn is ranked in just two of the six national polls, with Perfect Game giving the Tigers their highest ranking at No. 17.

Auburn lost five pitchers from last season’s team in the first 12 rounds of the MLB Draft, which include closer [autotag]Blake Burkhalter[/autotag] and weekend starters [autotag]Mason Barnett[/autotag] and [autotag]Trace Bright[/autotag]. The Tigers will be missing some notable power from [autotag]Sonny DiChiara[/autotag] as well.

Even though Auburn has brought in some talent to hopefully fill those needs, head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] still says there are plenty of questions left to answer.

“Even if you do bring in a top 10 class, even if you have five freshmen in the top 100, (there is) still guesswork,” Thompson said Thursday.

Auburn has played many intrasquad scrimmages this winter and has held practices against one another leading up to the season opener. Thompson feels that this weekend’s series against the Hoosiers will erase the guesswork that he and his staff have had to use.

“I’m excited for the season and for our players to play somebody else, the guesswork goes away tomorrow,” Thompson said ahead of Auburn’s series with Indiana. “We will know more come next Monday than we’ve known for months (about) who we are.”

Thompson says that this weekend’s opponent, Indiana, will match up well with his club, and that they have pieces that will truly test his mostly inexperienced squad.

“They have seven of their nine position players back. They have real power, they have an 18-home run guy (Matthew Ellis), a 19-home run guy (Carter Mathison), they have two or three guys that can steal a base if you are not aware of how to stop the run game, or slow it down a bit,” Thompson said. “Big swings if you make cripple pitches and do not get into some good sequencing of quality pitches, you’ll pay for it.”

You will find key information about this weekend’s series below, including a how-to-watch guide featuring links to all three games, a how-to-listen guide, weekend matchups, and a projected starting lineup.

Butch Thompson reveals Auburn’s opening day starter, weekend rotation

This pitcher is set to make his first collegiate start on Friday afternoon when the Tigers open the season against Indiana.

The season-opening series is a great time for a head coach to test several aspects out in order to construct the perfect strategy before SEC play begins in mid-March. Auburn head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag]’s first item on the agenda is finding his perfect weekend rotation.

Auburn returns just one weekend starter from last season’s College World Series squad, [autotag]Joseph Gonzalez[/autotag]. He is expected to be the anchor of the staff, but will not get the opening day start on Friday when the Tigers host Indiana to kick off a three-game series, but instead will be used on Saturday.

“(Gonzalez) threw game three for us on Sundays last year. He seems like the starter, at least in the past because of not having enough starters back, that can go the longest. We might like the second spot anyway,” Thompson said of Gonzalez’s role within the staff.

If Gonzalez’s slot is on Saturday, then who will throw the first pitch of the 2023 season? Thompson will hand the ball to sophomore right-hander, [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag].

Allsup was used in a relief role last season. In 23 appearances, Allsup struck out 36 batters and built an ERA of 3.38 in 29.1 innings of work. Thompson says that Allsup earned a starting role due to his efforts in the fall scrimmage with Alabama.

“He started our fall exhibition game against Alabama and was great,” Thompson said of Allsup. “He’s been hunting to get back there and I thought he was this past weekend.”

Thompson has announced that freshman left-hander [autotag]Drew Nelson[/autotag] will close out the weekend by starting Sunday’s game. Other pitchers that could see time in relief include [autotag]Tommy Sheehan[/autotag], [autotag]Chase Isbell[/autotag], and [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag]. Thompson shares what he hopes to see out of his first time starters, Allsup and Nelson.

“Maybe Allsup goes four or five innings max. I would say the same thing about Nelson,” Thompson said. “I think it’s the way baseball pitching has grown at all levels.”

Auburn will be looking to replace the production of [autotag]Trace Bright[/autotag] and [autotag]Mason Barnett[/autotag] in the weekend rotation, Gonzalez and Allsup should slide into their roles easily. Both were members of the D1Baseball Top 200 starting pitchers list alongside freshman [autotag]Zach Crotchfelt[/autotag], who is expected to start next Tuesday’s game against North Alabama at Toyota Field in Madison.

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Three pitchers earn spot on Preseason Top 200 list

D1Baseball considers three Auburn starters to be among the nation’s best.

There are a few questions surrounding Auburn Baseball as they prepare to make another run to the College World Series in 2023… one of those is who will anchor the pitching staff?

The Tigers will be without two of their three weekend starters from a season ago. [autotag]Trace Bright[/autotag] and [autotag]Mason Barnett[/autotag] have begun their professional careers, which leaves [autotag]Joseph Gonzalez[/autotag] the perfect opportunity to become the rotation’s ace.

Who will take over the other two spots? D1Baseball has delivered its suggestions.

The baseball media outlet released their preseason top 200 starting pitchers rankings and included three members of Auburn’s roster. Gonzalez is Auburn’s highest-rated pitcher checking in at No. 20, while [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] and freshman [autotag]Zach Crotchfelt[/autotag] round out the list at No. 44 and No. 183 respectively.

Gonzalez alternated between Saturday and Sunday starting roles in 2022. In seven starts, he bumped an ERA of 3.20 while striking out 24 batters and walking five in 45.0 innings of work. His strongest outing of the season came against Vanderbilt on April 10, where allowed eight hits and one earned run while striking out eight batters in a complete-game effort, earning the 8-2 win. Opposing batters hit .275 off of him last season.

Allsup was used as a reliever last season and did not pitch more than two innings in his 23 outings. He struck out 36 batters in 29.1 innings of work, boasting an ERA of 3.38.

Crotchfelt, a freshman from Jackson, New Jersey, makes the list without ever having thrown a collegiate pitch. He signed with Auburn as the No. 9 overall left-handed pitcher from the 2022 recruiting cycle, and the No. 93 overall recruit by Perfect Game. He was named a MaxPreps All-American after striking out 130 batters in 65.0 innings of work as a senior at Jackson Memorial High School.

It will be worth keeping an eye on these players as potential fillers to the rotation. [autotag]Tommy Sheehan[/autotag] is also seen as a potential weekend starter for the Tigers after he struck out 29 batters in 33.2 innings of work last season. Out of his 16 appearances, he earned three starts.

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Auburn Baseball misses out on top 25 preseason ranking

Despite earning a bid to the College World Series in 2022, Auburn Baseball misses the cut in D1Baseball’s preseason ranking.

The Auburn Tigers had an incredible run to the College World Series in 2022.

Following an early exit from the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Auburn went on a tear through the Auburn Regional by outscoring Southeastern Louisiana, Florida State, and UCLA 51-18 in three games to set up a weekend slate at Oregon State. Auburn was able to knock off the Beavers in the Super Regionals to clinch a berth in the College World Series for the second time in three seasons.

Despite such a strong end to the 2022 season, it seems that Auburn will need to prove its worth to the voters this season.

D1Baseball recently released its preseason top 25 rankings. Nine SEC teams made the cut, with seven of those being placed in the top 10. Out of those nine teams, Auburn was not one of those.

While it is not known why Auburn did not make the preseason top 25, it may be due to the uncertainty surrounding Auburn’s roster. Pitching-wise, the Tigers will look to replace [autotag]Trace Bright[/autotag] and [autotag]Mason Barnett[/autotag] in the rotation and [autotag]Blake Burkhalter[/autotag] in relief. Auburn will also be missing the bats of [autotag]Sonny DiChiara[/autotag], [autotag]Blake Rambusch[/autotag], [autotag]Brooks Carlson[/autotag], and [autotag]Brody Moore[/autotag].

Auburn will need to replace many key pieces of last season’s College World  Series team but is off to a great start as the incoming freshman class ranks No. 10 according to D1Baseball.

Auburn opens the season on Friday, Feb. 17 at Plainsman Park against Indiana. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT.

Here’s a look at the initial top 25 from D1Baseball.com.

1 LSU
2 Tennessee
3 Stanford
4 Ole Miss
5 Texas A&M
6 Wake Forest
7 Florida
8 Arkansas
9 Oklahoma State
10 Vanderbilt
11 East Carolina
12 North Carolina
13 Maryland
14 Virginia Tech
15 TCU
16 Louisville
17 UCLA
18 Southern Miss
19 Virginia
20 Alabama
21 NC State
22 Miami
23 South Carolina
24 Texas Tech
25 Oregon

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Baltimore Orioles agree to terms with Trace Bright

Contract details have emerged for RHP Trace Bright and the Baltimore Orioles.

Another key piece of Auburn’s rotation is officially going pro.

Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline has reported that the Baltimore Orioles have agreed to terms with their fifth-round selection, Auburn RHP [autotag]Trace Bright[/autotag].

Bright, who recorded 17 starts for Auburn in 2022, was taken with the 137th overall selection and has signed a contract worth $400,000, which is below slot value, but still considered a pretty hefty payday.

The Montgomery product ends his three-year stint at Auburn with an ERA of 6.01 in 139.1 innings of work. He struck out 149 batters and issued just 63 walks in 40 total appearances, posting a 10-9 record.

In 2022, Bright got the nod in 17 weekend games, and making one additional appearance as a reliever. In 18 appearances, Bright struck out 94 batters while issuing just 38 walks. His longest outing of the season was 6.0 innings, which he accomplished in three straight starts in nonconference weekend action.

His best outing came in the Auburn Regional against Southeastern Louisiana, where he struck out ten batters in Auburn’s 19-7 win over the Lions at Plainsman Park. Bright also got the start against Stanford in the College World Series, where he struck out eight batters in five innings of work in Auburn’s lone win in Omaha.

Bright becomes the fifth draft pick from Auburn to sign with an MLB Organization. Details have yet to emerge for [autotag]Brody Moore[/autotag] (517th overall pick by Cardinals), [autotag]Hayden Mullins[/autotag] (369th pick by Red Sox), and [autotag]Carson Skipper[/autotag] (326th pick by Rockies). It is expected that all three will sign with their respective organizations.

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Group of Tigers get drafted on day two

See which Auburn players are heading to the Bigs as day two of the MLB draft continues:

The MLB draft is on its second day, and a new group of Auburn players are headed to The Show.

Tigers reliever [autotag]Blake Burkhalter[/autotag] was the first Auburn player to come off the board, as the Braves selected him in the second round with the 76th overall pick in the draft. More were expected to go during the second day of the draft, though, and that turned out to be exactly the case on Monday when the Tigers saw a group of prospects finally get to hear their name called.

Here is every Auburn player that has been taken on day two so far:

A look at Auburn Baseball’s top prospects ahead of MLB Draft

Six Tigers are among College Baseball’s top 150 draft-eligible prospects according to D1Baseball.com

Auburn’s unexpected run to the College World Series in 2022 had its perks, which included added exposure for members of the team.

Due to their success, Auburn baseball’s top batters, fielders, and pitchers were able to show their talents to fans far and wide as well as Major League Baseball scouts.

Ahead of the 2022 MLB Draft, D1Baseball released their picks for the top 150 draft-eligible college prospects, where six Tigers were listed.

Auburn’s top prospects are headlined by pitchers, beginning with the SEC’s save leader, [autotag]Blake Burkhalter[/autotag].

Burkhalter struck out 71 batters over 46.1 innings of work, and went on to record 16 saves in 2022. Next are weekend starters [autotag]Trace Bright[/autotag] and [autotag]Mason Barnett[/autotag], followed by reliver [autotag]Carson Skipper[/autotag].

Both position players to make the list made an impact at the plate, as they finished the season sitting atop the team’s batting average leaderboard. In his first season after transferring from Samford, Sonny DiChiara led Auburn in three major categories… home runs (22), RBI (59), and average (.383). Not far behind him was [autotag]Blake Rambusch[/autotag], who stole 16 bases and recorded a .327 average.

All six players have a great shot to hear their names called during the MLB Draft that is set to begin Sunday, July 17. Where do they stack up against College Baseball’s best prospects? Here is where the top Tigers are listed according to D1Baseball’s top 150 list: