Auburn has played 55 games of its 56 game schedule this season, but their postseason aspirations may ride on the outcome of one last contest.
Another blowout loss to LSU, this time 11-3 on Friday night at Plainsman Park, has the Auburn baseball team (28-27, 10-19 SEC) backed into a must-win situation during Saturday's regular season finale.
"It's been pretty crazy how this year has ended up," senior Ryan Tella said. "It just amazes me and the rest of the team that we still have something to play for on the last game of the season. It's kind of ironic."
The Tigers may be in a must-win situation, but that doesn't mean they control their own destiny. Auburn would still need either Florida or Kentucky to record wins over Tennessee and Georgia to leapfrog into one of the final SEC Tournament slots.
The Gators and Wildcats have thus far kept Auburn's aspirations alive with a combined 4-0 record over the Volunteers and Bulldogs this week.
"We have teams in our league that are playing for so much as far as the NCAA Tournament," Golloway said. "They want to host or be a national seed. It's given us an opportunity going into the last day of the year, which is pretty amazing."
Auburn starter Michael O'Neal held his own through the first three innings Friday night, but a five-run fourth, which was led off by a first-pitch home run by LSU's Sean McMullen, quickly chased the senior starter.
"Michael mixed really well for three innings," Golloway said. "I thought he did a good job of keeping them off balance, but when the home run left the yard it changed him a little bit. That's kind of been what we've been concerned with all year."
Five more runs in the top of the sixth extended LSU's lead to 11-0, which was more than enough for LSU ace Aaron Nola.
Nola threw seven innings of one-run ball Friday night, striking out nine and allowing just five hits along the way. The senior moved into third place on LSU's career strikeout list Friday night.
With his team's backs against the wall, Golloway didn't rule out the idea of bringing back senior starter Dillon Ortman (9-4, 2.53 ERA), who was shelled by LSU for six runs in just two innings Thursday night.
"He wants the ball, he wants to start, but I want to be cautiously optimistic about that because we don't want to jeopardize his opportunities at the next level," Golloway said. "We definitely didn't plan to start him two of the three days."
Though his team is not in the position he envisioned it would be early in the season, Golloway said he hoped the Tigers' seniors would be ready to go in their final game at Hitchcock Field.
"It'll be fun on Senior Day for the seniors to know they are playing for something potentially," Golloway said. "We backed into that situation, we haven't earned it, but it is what it is."
The opportunity to extend their Auburn careers has presented itself, and Tella said he fully expected his team to step up to the challenge.
"Once we band together as a team as brothers, we're pretty deadly," Tella said. "When we think that it's the end of our road or that our backs are against the wall, we're going to come out and fight."
First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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