Last weekend the No. 16 Auburn baseball team (39-17, 20-10 SEC) did what it failed to do last year, reach the Southeastern Conference Tournament. On Friday night, second year head coach John Pawlowski and the Auburn Tigers clinched the SEC Western Division, something the Tigers had not done since 1995, defeating No. 17 Ole Miss (36-20, 16-14 SEC) 18-4.
"The guys deserve this championship and winning the SEC West," said Auburn coach John Pawlowski on Friday. "We have been swinging the bats well and also pitched well. These guys came out today with an intensity level that has been consistent. We didn't do anything differently."
Freshman pitcher Slade Smith entered the game in the bottom of the fourth with bases loaded and only one out but picked up the win in relief. The freshman pitched the next 5 2/3 innings and was able to keep the Rebels off the board.
"It was my job to come in and shut them up and get us back in the dugout so we could put up some more runs and that's exactly what we did," Smith said. "In this environment, against a great team like Ole Miss, to come in, it is everything I dreamed of. When I signed the dotted papers to play for Auburn, this is what I wanted. It's great to see us finally at this level."
Junior Outfielder Brian Fletcher went 3-for-6, including two home runs, and senior catcher Ryan Jenkins 4-for-6 with two doubles and a home run to help Auburn score 10 times in the first four innings of Friday night's game.
Auburn continued their dominant play the following day, ending their conference play with a three-game sweep over the Rebels, this time 11-1.
The sweep over Ole Miss was Auburn's first over the Rebels since 1988 and its first in Oxford since 1976. The Rebels had not been swept in conference play since 2006 and the first time anyone did it at Oxford-University Stadium since 2003.
"It's really exciting," said senior pitcher Michael Hurst. "For us coming in here and getting a sweep is really big for the team and it's a big confidence builder going into the SEC Tournament. I just came in and tried to do the best I can. I threw strikes and let the defense work behind me and they did a great job."
Most of Auburn's runs came in the third inning as the Tigers racked up seven points on seven hits to go up 9-1 after only two-and-a-half innings.
Joining the second-seeded Tigers in the first half of the bracket in the Tournament will be third-seeded South Carolina (43-13, 21-9 SEC), sixth-seeded Ole Miss, and seventh-seeded Alabama. Auburn and Alabama will play the first game of the tournament on Wednesday at 9.30 A.M. C.D.T. at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
