The NCAA baseball season is on the horizon and Auburn is eager to get back on the road to Omaha. The Tigers’ season opener is set for Friday, Feb. 17 against Indiana.
Last season, Auburn obtained a 43-22 overall record and a 16-13 conference record, earning the No. 14 national seed in the NCAA Tournament and hosting its first regional since 2010.
The Tigers swept their regional and defeated Oregon State in the Super Regional to advance to Omaha, Neb. for the College World Series where they had a 1-2 record — defeating Stanford and losing to Ole Miss and Arkansas.
Although the Tigers had a lively season in 2022, they lost eight players to the MLB Draft, including SEC Co-Player of the Year Sonny DiChiara, third baseman Blake Rambusch, shortstop Brody Moore and six reliable pitchers.
With the season swiftly approaching, the current question is: What will lead this team to success? Will it be the vital experience of returning players or the plausible talent from the newcomers?
Head coach Butch Thompson is tasked with predicting the unpredictable before the 2023 season comes to a head. Thompson said that the Tigers will “jump in the fire” as soon as the season starts, but they need these three weeks to build a solid foundation.
“These three weeks are the most important three weeks of our season," Thompson said. "Our success will be in our preparation”.
Auburn’s fall ball exhibition games gave its fans a glimpse into what could be for the Tigers. After recruiting 24 new faces, the Tigers executed two wins against Louisiana Tech and Alabama. Freshman Ike Irish proved strong talent during fall ball and has the potential to be a designated hitter for the Tigers this season.
Outfielders Justin Kirby and Chris Stanfield showed potential within the two exhibition games as well.
“These guys are gonna be stars in our program,” Thompson said.
Building a natural symbiosis within the team is not something that will happen overnight, but rather it will develop over the course of this season.
"We're all out here just competing and trying to get better," said newcomer and left-handed pitcher Tanner Bauman.
Thompson plans to utilize in-team competition to motivate the players to be agile during this season.
“These players have three weeks to make the lineup out and if you want to be in it, let's go”, Thompson said.
Auburn will be entering the ring in February with experienced players in all areas of the field. Senior catcher Nate LaRue and infielder Cole Foster are prepped and primed for the season after a prosperous time in Omaha.
Other valuable returners, including Kason Howell, Josh Hall and Bobby Peirce, will provide irreplaceable experience for the Tigers this spring.
Auburn has a lot of rebuilding to do on the mound. Veteran Joseph Gonzalez is a strong arm for the Tigers and will likely be the Tigers' ace starter this season. Veterans Chase Isbell, John Armstrong and Chase Allsup will contribute to the Tiger bullpen along with 13 new pitchers.
An abundance of contributing factors have the potential to make or break this season for Auburn. Both experience and talent are vital for a successful team, so finding a perfect harmony is the task.
“It's what you do with what you’re given that sets you apart,” LaRue said.
Coach Thompson plans to put his best foot forward but is still unsure as to what that step will look like. Thompson explained how the media is unsure where to rank his team.
"In all honesty, I don’t know what we have”, Thompson said.
During these final few weeks of the preseason, Thompson wants to make sure all the players, both returnees and rookies, have extensive experience keeping up with the pace of the game. Thompson said that “practice should be quicker than the game.”
With an abundance of new faces, the unpredictability of this team has spectators, fans and even the coaching staff on the edge of their seats. The Tigers have copious curveballs in their pocket as they walk into the unknown.
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