Auburn baseball dominated Wright State 11-0 in game one of the three-game set, improving its record to 5-1 — the Tigers’ first shutout win since May 19, 2023, against Missouri.
Coming off two midweek victories over No. 24 Troy and the University of North Alabama, the Tigers bats were able to stay blazing hot. All nine Auburn starters recorded at least one hit in the ballgame, totaling 14 as a team.
Senior RHP Samuel Dutton started on the mound for the Tigers today, and the Wright State Raiders looked to strike early. After back-to-back singles by Boston Smith and Patrick Fultz, Hunter Warren drew a walk, and the Raiders were in business. With the bases loaded and one out Dutton was able to get out of the jam by forcing first baseman Will Cook to ground into a 6-3 double play.
“Yeah that was huge. Getting a zero on the board in the first, you can’t ask for much more than that.”, Dutton said.
The Tigers came to bat in the bottom of the first looking to pounce. A leadoff single from third baseman Eric Snow and a blooper into left field by center fielder Cade Belyeu set the table for Auburn. Redshirt senior first baseman Cooper McMurray capitalized with a line drive single into center field, giving the Tigers an early 2-0 lead. Later in the inning with two men on base, right fielder Bub Terrell, one of the heroes from the Tigers' victory over No. 24 Troy, came to the plate. With a 1-0 count, Terrell launched his first collegiate home run to right-center field giving the Tigers a 5-0 lead, capping off a five-hit inning.
“I mean, he’s a freak. We’ve seen that all spring leading up to the season, and so I was happy for him to get one.”, said McMurray on Terrell’s home run.
Following the Tigers’ offensive outburst, Dutton settled into the game for Auburn. In the second inning, Dutton sent the Raiders down in order, with two K’s on six pitches.
Dutton on what five runs in the first inning means for him: “It makes me have the mindset to attack.”, said Dutton.
Dutton did just that. He cruised his way through 5.2 innings, allowing seven hits, no earned runs, and striking out seven Raiders.
In the bottom of the second, Cooper McMurray kept the offense going for Auburn with an RBI single, extending the Tigers’ lead to 6-0. McMurray played a massive part in the Tigers’ success today, going 3-4 at the plate with four RBIs. McMurray is now batting .450 on the season.
“It definitely is good to see a lot of runs on the board today, and to get back to the things that we know how to do. So, it’s definitely a good feeling, for sure.”, McMurray said.
The three freshmen in the lineup today for Auburn all looked like seasoned vets. In the third inning, Terrell singled for his second hit of the day. Second baseman Chris Rembert followed him as he was plunked by the pitch. Catcher Chase Fralick made Wright State pay by crushing the ball into left field, giving Auburn a 7-0 lead. All three freshmen don’t seem to have any issues adjusting to the next level.
In the bottom of the sixth, Auburn kept the party going. Hits from Ike Irish, McMurray, Terrell, and Rembert helped give Auburn an 11-0 lead. This put the 10-run mercy rule in effect. Sophomore RHP Ryan Hetzler relieved RHP John Armstrong of his duties, and retired the Raiders in order to end the game.
The Raiders and Tigers will play game two of the series tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. CST.
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Rory is a freshman majoring in journalism sports production. He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @RorymGarvin
