The Auburn Tigers are returning to the Plains after sweeping the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington and taking two of three games against No. 21 LSU in Baton Rouge.
The Tigers (20-15, 7-8 SEC) now hope to continue their recent success against the Ole Miss Rebels (23-14, 8-7 SEC) in a three-game series this week.
As the season is coming to the final stretch, each win is important, especially in the SEC West.
Currently, Ole Miss is tied with Arkansas and Alabama for first, with Auburn one game behind.
If Auburn wins at least two of the three games against the Rebels, the Tigers could potentially take first place in the West.
While the Tigers are loaded with talent, there have been some rough stretches this year.
After dropping all three games against the Vanderbilt Commodores, team leaders were needed to boost team morale.
"When confidence is down you rely on your teammates to pick you up, and that's exactly what my teammates did for each other," said junior pitcher Zach Blatt.
In order for Auburn to beat the Rebels, Tiger defense will have to silence outfielder Tanner Mathis, who is currently leading the Rebels with a .418 batting average and 28 hits.
The Rebels are led on the mound by junior left-handed pitcher Matt Crouse.
Crouse has an ERA of 2.79 with six wins and two losses, and has compiled two complete games this season with 61 innings pitched and 42 strikeouts.
Auburn pitcher Corey Luckie also believes confidence is key for the Tigers, emphasizing the team can't relax with their SEC schedule.
"Our recent success is because we have confidence," Luckie said. "We know we can win."
In order for the Tigers to win the games needed to take first place, everyone on the team will have to play to their full ability, and after the past two series, the Tigers are confident that they can win the SEC West.
Coach John Pawlowski said conference games take a physical and a mental toll on the players, but added his team has stayed tough, even calling a players only meeting to encourage one another.
"The older guys and the captains have really stepped up and led by example," Pawlowski said.
Pawlowski said several players such as Tony Caldwell, Kevin Patterson and Wes Gilmer have really stepped up.
"Zach Blatt and Corey Luckie have been great out of the bullpen," Pawlowski said. "The biggest thing for us on offense is our timely hitting and quality at bats."
As he has been throughout the year, Coach Pawlowski is still confident that the Tigers can win the SEC and make it to Omaha for the postseason.
The Tigers and Rebels square off at Plainsman Park for game one Thursday at 6 p.m.
Several promotions will be occurring during the series, including fireworks after Friday night's game and an Easter egg hunt for kids after Sunday's matchup.
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