Coming off a 2-1 series win against Holy Cross on opening weekend, Auburn baseball hosts No. 24 Troy (3-0) on Tuesday and North Alabama (2-1) on Wednesday at Plainsman Park. First pitches are set for 6 p.m. and 4 p.m. CST., respectively.
“I told them not to let me take their joy, but I thought we were extremely vulnerable,” said Auburn head coach Butch Thompson of the Tigers’ opening weekend performances.
Led by fourth-year head coach Skylar Meade, the Trojans are coming off a sweep of Bellarmine in which they hit .352 as a team with six home runs and 37 runs scored over the three games. Senior outfielder Shane Lewis hit three of the team’s six home runs and added a double in seven at-bats, while transfer Sean Darnell went 5-for-9 at the dish with two home runs.
Troy’s pitching staff posted a 2.88 ERA after allowing eight earned runs in 25 innings pitched. The staff recorded 32 strikeouts while issuing eight walks. Missing the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery, transfer pitcher Adam Falinski got some action in relief on Opening Day and is expected to get his first start since 2023 on Tuesday against the Tigers.
For Auburn, Carson Myers – who retired nine of the 10 batters he faced in his season debut on Opening Day – is expected to get to start on the mound. In three innings pitched, Myers recorded his second career save while only giving up one hit and recording three strikeouts.
The Tigers Wednesday night opponent, North Alabama, is led by third-year head coach Jad Prachniak. The Lions overcame a season-opening loss against Army by winning the middle, and rubber, game to secure a 2-1 series win.
The Lions hit .216 in the series, led by senior catcher Matthew Delgado who went 4-for-8 with a home run and four RBIs. Outfielder Nash Rippen paced the team with three doubles and a .462 on-base percentage.
North Alabama’s pitching staff posted a 2.67 ERA against Army, allowing just 13 hits over 27 innings. Making his college debut, the Lions are expected to send out Reese Young against the Tigers on Wednesday. Young, a native of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, broke the career strikeout and wins records at Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School.
The Tigers are expected to give freshman right-hander Andreas Alvarez his first piece of action of the season with a start on the mound against the Lions.
Both games will be broadcasted on the Auburn Sports Network and can be heard locally on Wings 94.3 FM on Tuesday and ESPN 106.7 on Wednesday. Both games will also be streamed digitally on SEC Network+.
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Logan Fowler is a Senior from Sumiton, Alabama and is majoring in journalism. He joined the Plainsman in Spring 2024.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @loganffowler
