On Monday, the SEC became the first conference in the history of the USA Today Baseball Coaches Poll to have 10 teams ranked in the Top 25.
The conference schedule offers no respites this season, and No. 15 Auburn is in the midst of a brutal stretch in SEC play.
The Tigers will take on a ranked opponent for the fourth time in four weekends in conference play, as they travel to Fayetteville to take on No. 8 Arkansas.
After dropping two-of-three to Missouri last weekend, Auburn enters the series 23-7 overall and 4-5 in the conference.
“I don’t feel sorry for our team. This is the hand we were dealt,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. “We’ve just got to get back up and go play baseball and if we outplay Arkansas, we’ll win the ballgame.
“It’s time to play baseball. This is how you grow. This is how you get to the other side. Our program is sitting here and I don’t like where we’re at currently in a short stretch. But I believe in everything we’re doing and another great opportunity this weekend to go out and showcase ourselves and show everybody we are for real.”
Auburn will receive a boost this weekend as relievers Andrew Mitchell (arm) and Cody Greenhill (mono) return to an Auburn bullpen that has desperately missed them.
Arkansas (21-9, 5-5 SEC) leads the SEC with 55 home runs and sits at second in the SEC with a team batting average of .311. Freshman outfielder Heston Kjerstad leads the team with a .400 average, eight home runs and 31 RBI.
“We’re going to see great arms, we’re going to see an explosive offense and playing on the road,” Thompson said. “But we’re going to have to do this. We’re going to have to beat somebody people don’t think we can beat.”
Casey Mize (6-0, 2.11) will get the nod Friday night for Auburn. Blaine Knight (5-0, 2.01) will oppose Mize for the Hogs.
Last season, Auburn roughed up Knight to the tune of eight runs in 2.1 innings. The Tigers took two-of-three from Arkansas in Plainsman Park, but the Hogs eliminated Auburn from the SEC Tournament in Hoover with a 12-0 blowout victory.
First pitch Friday night from Baum Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. CST.
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