Auburn is coming off its first midweek loss, losing to Alabama State 3-2, and is looking to get back on track against the No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats. The 18-14 Tigers will host the 27-5 Wildcats, who recently fell to Samford in a close 9-7 game. This marks Auburn’s fifth consecutive top-10 opponent to start SEC play.
Auburn is seeking its first series win over Kentucky since 2016 as the Tigers look to end the series drought. Overall, Auburn is 81-51 against the Wildcats.
The Tigers have not fared well thus far in conference play, where they currently stand 2-10, while the Wildcats have an 11-1 record in SEC play. This series is crucial for Auburn to stay in the race in the SEC.
“I think whenever you’re challenged and not doing good… meeting things head on is how you handle things,” said head coach Butch Thompson about the team’s recent struggles. “I don’t think there’s another way, and we’ve got to figure out strategies to be head on."
Cooper McMurray leads the team in home runs with 12 on the season, and Ike Irish follows right behind him with 11. Irish leads the team in RBIs with 47 and McMurray is next with 46. Together, they rank second and third in the league in RBIs and their combined 93 RBIs are third in the league. These two will need to keep up their offensive efforts in this series to help Auburn get back on schedule.
RHP Dylan Watts appears to be starting the Thursday game against Kentucky, and the pitching matchup will be a significant factor in this series’ outcome. Kentucky has been sensational on the mound and boasts the third-best ERA in the league at 3.61 and 3.09 in SEC games, which is second best in the conference. Auburn’s pitching will have to keep up and help sustain the offense to try and take over the game.
Kentucky’s offense has also been great in SEC play, hitting .316 as a team — compared to Auburn’s .269 — as the Wildcats boast the second-highest batting average in the league. Seven of their nine players are hitting .310 or higher, so a fair number of runs may be scored in this matchup.
“They can hit too, they’ve absolutely done that,” Thompson said when asked about what he sees in scouting Kentucky. “From a pitching standpoint… they do an amazing job of what are your weaknesses hit what you’re not good at… they do an amazing job overall so another complete, hot team.”
Though Auburn has struggled in SEC play, the Tigers have played close games against many top SEC teams. Auburn has hung with some of the top teams but just needs to work on finishing.
The Tigers host the Kentucky Wildcats at Plainsman Park with the series starting on Thursday, April 11 with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. CST. Game two is on Friday, April 12 at 6 p.m., and game three on April 13 at 2 p.m. Thursday's game will be broadcast on ESPNU with the other two on SEC Network+.
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Tyler Cox is a sophomore from Atlanta majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in fall 2023.
