Baseball season will soon be underway on the Plains as Auburn opens its season on Friday – hosting Eastern Kentucky for the first time in program history.
Auburn finished the 2023 season with a 34-23-1 record and a 17-13 record in SEC play. Eastern Kentucky finished with a 29-30 record in the 2023 season. The Colonels also won two games against top-30 ranked teams last season, where they can add another in their opener.
One story to look at ahead of this game is first baseman Cooper McMurray’s status. His status for the series seems to be probable, but the Auburn coaching staff is monitoring him closely.
“McMurray looks like he’s ready to go we’ll try to start him all three games at first base I think this weekend,” said head coach Butch Thompson. “If not, then you know he’s still coming off of a procedure from the fall that we’ve been kind of protecting him and we think he’s ready to go out and do his job.”
McMurray was one of Auburn’s top hitters last season, finishing with 14 homers, 49 RBIs and 37 runs with a .272 batting average. He was the first Auburn player to homer in three straight SEC games since 2010 and first player since 2010 to homer multiple times in three SEC games.
Pitching is important in any game, but with new pitching coach Everett Teaford, it will be an aspect to look at during opening day. These early season games will be important in seeing who fits with who and this will be shown through different pitching combinations.
“I think that’s the biggest challenge when you say you have a new pitching coach, right, whether it’s Tim Hudson or Steve Smith or Daron Schoenrock, now Everett Teaford is getting that rhythm of how you work together,” Thompson said. “What are the best combinations not just, the best pitchers but who plays best off one another.”
The new pitching staff and pitchers for Auburn pose a threat that will seemingly improve with time during the season. Auburn right-handed pitcher Chase Allsup will take the mound in the home opener and believes that pitching will be a key strength for this 2024 season.
“We got every different arm angle you could think of from (Tanner) Bauman to John (Armstrong),” Allsup said. “And yeah, I think that’s gonna be a big strength for us and their ability to throw strikes.”
The leaders and veterans including Bobby Peirce, Joseph Gonzalez, Bauman and Will Cannon will need to show up in these early games to open the season with a spark. In building early team chemistry, they will each need to play a pivotal role early on, starting with opening day.
Looking at Eastern Kentucky’s pitching, left-handed Isaac Milburn will start on opening day. He was 4-4 and had a 6.37 ERA last season.
Some top returning hitters for Eastern Kentucky include Miguel Larreal, who finished the 2023 season with six homers, 34 RBIs and 48 runs with a .332 batting average, and DJ Sullivan, who finished the season with seven homers, 39 RBIs and 33 runs with a .287 batting average.
Auburn will open the season hosting Eastern Kentucky at Plainsman Park in a three-game series that begins Friday, Feb. 16. Each game will be televised on SEC Network+.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
Tyler Cox is a sophomore from Atlanta majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in fall 2023.
