Following midweek wins over Alabama State and Kennesaw State, Auburn returns to conference action for a three-game home series against South Carolina.
It could be a pivotal series for the No. 19 Tigers (26-12, 8-7 SEC). Auburn is one of three teams currently tied for second in the SEC West, along with Alabama and Texas A&M.
In order to keep pace with first-place Arkansas, which is 11-4 in conference play, Auburn will need a strong performance in this series.
South Carolina (19-17, 6-9 SEC) has not won a road series this season, and has just a 2-7 record away from home. The Gamecocks’ resume, however, includes quality series wins over Texas, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss.
South Carolina is on a three-game win streak, taking the last two games against the Rebels and a midweek contest against Winthrop.
The Gamecocks are currently tied with Florida for fourth in the SEC East, where everyone is looking up to No. 1 Tennessee’s 14-1 conference mark.
Statistically, the Gamecocks are not as strong as they have been in years past, ranking near the bottom of the SEC in several key statistics.
The Gamecocks’ .262 team batting average is the worst in the league. South Carolina is also last in the SEC in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs scored, hits and extra-base hits.
Despite the substandard offensive stats, South Carolina puts the ball in play. The Gamecocks have only struck out 279 times, fewer than any other team in the SEC.
Auburn pitching, meanwhile, has recorded 397 strikeouts, fifth in the league, and has struck out 37 batters over its current three-game win streak.
First baseman Brandt Belk has been a bright spot for the Gamecocks on offense this season. The senior is seventh in the SEC with a .360 batting average. No other South Carolina player is in the SEC’s top-20 for batting average.
South Carolina’s pitching stats are also near the bottom of the league. The Gamecocks are 13th in opponent batting average, allowing foes to hit at a .263 clip. Only Kentucky is worse. They are also second-worst with a 5.28 ERA, only ahead of Georgia’s 5.69.
Statistically, the matchup seems favorable for Auburn, as the Tigers are third in the SEC in batting average and fifth in runs scored.
The Gamecocks do not strike out many batters, with only 341 recorded this season, an interesting matchup for an Auburn team that strikes out frequently. Auburn, as an offense, has struck out 322 times, third-most in the SEC.
South Carolina’s Saturday starter, junior Noah Hall, is coming off of a career performance against Ole Miss. Hall pitched 7.2 innings, striking out five and not walking any batters in South Carolina’s win over the Rebels on Saturday.
Hall, who seems to be getting into his stride, could be a tough matchup for Auburn in the second game of the series if he pitches as he has in his past three starts.
In those three starts, against Missouri, Georgia and Ole Miss, Hall has gone seven innings or more each time. He has struck out 19 and walked just two, while giving up a combined 16 hits and four runs in the three games.
Historically, the South Carolina series has been a tough one for Auburn, but recently that has not been the case.
Auburn has taken the last three series from the Gamecocks, most recently winning two of three at Founders Park in 2019. This will be South Carolina’s first visit to Auburn since 2017.
The series will begin from Plainsman Park at 6 p.m. CST on Friday, with junior left-hander Hayden Mullins taking the mound for Auburn and junior right-hander Brett Thomas making just his second start for South Carolina.
Friday’s game, like all three in the series, will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
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Matthew is a senior from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2021.
Twitter: @mattwallaceAU