Inside of a newly renovated Plainsman Park producing the largest capacity for a game in program history, Auburn baseball picked up an Opening Day win over the Holy Cross Crusaders 4-1 behind a trio of pitchers and nine hits for the Tigers.
“Very solid baseball on both sides. A really good start for them, an excellent finish by Carson Myers. And a good way to start the season,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson.
The story of the night is sophomore center fielder Cade Belyeu, who’s mother Staci passed away this morning after a battle with cancer.
Belyeu received applause from the crowd at Plainsman Park as he took to the plate in the bottom of the second for his first at-bat of the season which two pitches later turned into a single. The center fielder would later hit a 390-foot solo home run to just right of center field in the bottom of the sixth.
“I think it was the most inspiring thing we’ve ever seen,” Thompson said. “Our crowd is just amazing. They absolutely sensed and knew what was going on with him and the ovation for him. The home run, that’s just how amazing things happen through this game. We want to honor her and I know Cade played for his mom today. That was the number one thing that happened tonight. Some things are bigger than ball. This was one of those moments.”
Belyeu finished the day 2-for-4 from the plate with a stolen base.
“I think I said it 1,000 times, that was literally the best thing I’ve ever seen in baseball,” Auburn second baseman Eric Snow said. “It means more when the kid’s loving and caring in the locker room and works his butt off every day. That was literally the best thing I’ve ever seen.”
The Tigers’ opening day starter Florida transfer LHP Cade Fisher threw just 53 pitches in 3.1 innings of work. In his second career opening day start, Fisher allowed no hits, one earned run, one hit-by-pitch and five strikeouts.
“I got a build out. I really wanted Cade to go two or three more innings. Just really was underwater with some things. Effective, but just seemed a little tight and things. So I was kind of interested in getting him out,” Thompson said of Fisher’s performance.
Thompson would then turn to reliever RHP Cam Tilly who put together a scoreless 2.2 innings of work allowing just one hit and recording a pair of strikeouts. Tilly, who earned the win tonight, also had two hit-by-pitches to go along with the staff’s three.
LHP Carson Myers would record the save pitching the final two innings for the Tigers. In 25 total pitches, Myers retired 9 of 10 batters faced, giving up only a single. Myers had a trio of strikeouts himself to go along with a team 10.
“He was sitting there through two innings at 17 pitches, and was just dotting eyes, crossing T's. I thought it was pressure on anybody that would walk out of that bullpen in the moment to be throwing and attacking and being quick between pitches. And so that's how we kind of decided for Carson to finish, and hopefully we got a bullet or two left,” Thompson said.
Auburn’s offense got on the board in the second as the Tigers’ ninth hitter in the lineup Eric Snow hit a two-RBI double, scoring Belyeu and Deric Fabian from second and third. Fabian would go on to bat 2-for-4 on Friday evening with an RBI triple in the eighth to seal the deal for Auburn.
Fans pack the top of War Eagle Wall during the 2025 season opener on Feb. 14, 2025.
“A win is absolutely important. What the boys did on the field, they've been working hard. I kind of have been watching them play every day by coaching them, but the inspiration by Cade Belyeu, the Auburn Family has just helped us continue to grow and they've come along with it,” Thompson said. “It's never perfect, but it looked perfect from where I sat tonight.”
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Patrick is a junior from Auburn, Alabama, double majoring in journalism and marketing. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2022.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @patrickabingham
