It would be difficult to imagine a better start to the season for sophomore Casey Mize. After posting a team-best 3.52 ERA in his freshman season, Mize is off to a near perfect start in his sophomore campaign.
Mize (2-0) had a career-high 12 strikeouts over five scoreless innings, scattering four hits and walking only one, leading Auburn to a 4-0 victory over Holy Cross. His 12 strikeouts were the most by an Auburn pitcher since Keegan Thompson struck out 12 vs. Alabama on March 3, 2015.
“Early in the game my body felt out of sync a little bit, just wasn’t feeling as good as last week or in the bullpens,” Mize said. “I just felt a little off. I finally got settled in in the third inning and I felt really good. Going deep in counts is definitely something I don’t want to do, kind of got me frustrated a little bit. It allowed me to get some punch outs and some swing and misses.”
Mize has now pitched 10 scoreless innings in his two starts this season and allowed just six hits. He has struck out 19 and walked only one. Opponents are hitting .036 against the sophomore.
“Casey was good. I thought he was up early. I guess I’m being the old mean coach, but he was up and it was just fighting,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. “The ball was coming out great, but up and a lot of pitches early. At the end of the day he gets five innings, but he did get more efficient as he went. He had 12 strikeouts. He got to the bottom, he started getting in on batters and got his slider going as well.”
Auburn’s top two starters, Thompson and Mize, are now 4-0 and have yet to allow a run in 24 innings this season. They have struck out 25 batters and walked just three.
Senior Cole Lipscomb fired four scoreless innings out of the Auburn bullpen, striking out four while allowing two hits. Lipscomb picked up his second save of the season. He has two saves and one win in his three appearances out of the bullpen this season.
After making 24 starts the last two seasons, Lipscomb’s transition to the bullpen has gone very well. He has now thrown 9.1 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and recording nine strikeouts.
“Someone that has thrown 167 innings the last two years, someone that has an SEC graduate on their left sleeve, for them to be willing to do whatever is best for the team, I’m thankful that he embraced it,” Thompson said.
The 16 combined strikeouts from Mize and Lipscomb were the most for an Auburn team since Feb. 28, 2010 vs. Florida Atlantic.
Freshman Conor Davis finished the day 1-1 with a RBI, three walks and a run scored. Fellow freshman Will Holland got the start at second base Saturday and reached base four times. He also stole the first base of his career.
“Will was 1-for-1, a couple of walks, took what they gave him,” Thompson said. “I love watching him play. He had a ground ball in the ninth inning, he juggled it a little bit and got the out at first. It’s so nice to play two freshmen.”
Through two games in the series, the Auburn pitching staff has held Holy Cross scoreless and allowed just six hits. It is the second consecutive series that Auburn has held the opposing team without a run through two games.
Holy Cross starter Brendan King (0-1), who was named Patriot League preseason pitcher of the year, lasted just 3.2 innings Saturday. He allowed three runs on three hits and walked seven.
Auburn (6-1) will go for the sweep of Holy Cross (0-3) tomorrow at 12 p.m. CST. Freshman Davis Daniel will be on the mound for the Tigers.
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