The ink had barely dried on the final scorebook of the 2025 season when Auburn baseball made a bold statement about its plans for 2026.
Just over 24 hours after being eliminated by No. 13 Coastal Carolina, the Tigers wasted no time reloading, securing commitments from five transfers. This move signals to the college baseball world that the Tigers’ turnaround wasn’t a fluke and that they plan on sticking around as a contender.
"It's probably been the most unique few days of my journey in coaching,” said Auburn Head Coach Butch Thompson on managing the postseason while the transfer portal is open.
Auburn picked up a variety of talent Sunday, including two starting pitchers, Jake Marciano and Drew Whalen.
As a sophomore at Western Kentucky, Whalen logged a 9–3 record with a 3.53 ERA, earning Conference USA Pitcher of the Year honors. He will have a chance to earn his spot in the starting rotation next season.
Marciano started 14 games as a freshman for the Virginia Tech Hokies, posting a 4-2 record with a 6.08 ERA. The lefty was the No. 14 best available transfer according to 64Analytics.
Thompson and his staff didn’t have to leave Alabama to find the next big bat for their lineup. UAB third baseman Todd Clay announced Sunday evening that he will be transferring to his hometown school. Clay was a member of Auburn High School’s 2021 state championship team.
The American Athletic Conference Co-Newcomer Player of the Year led the Blazers in hits (69), hitting average (.361), on-base percentage (.473), slugging percentage (.539), total bases (103), and walks (39).
Clay did damage against his future team this season, posting four hits, five RBIs, and one home run against Auburn in two Blazers victories.
The orange and blue also picked up shortstop Ryne Farber and reliever Garrett Brewer to round out their big day.
The switch-hitting Farber hit .267 with 17 extra-base hits and 33 RBIs for the Texas State Bobcats as a sophomore, hitting .340 as a freshman.
The former Michigan State southpaw is a nice pickup for Auburn’s bullpen. Brewer registered 41 strikeouts and a 4.46 ERA over 34.1 innings of work.
The Tigers currently rank as the No. 4 transfer portal team in the country, per 64Analytics, trailing only Georgia, South Carolina, and Lamar University.
The portal will remain open until July 1, leaving room for more changes to Auburn's lineup for next season.
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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
