After sweeping Youngstown State during opening weekend, No. 9 Auburn returns to Plainsman Park on Tuesday evening to take on Cincinnati.
After starting the season 3-0 for the fifth time under head coach Butch Thompson, the Tigers offense hopes to carry its momentum from Saturday night’s rout of the Penguins, when it scored 17 runs on 20 hits.
Sophomore Chase Fralick is off to a hot start at the plate, hitting .500 (6-for-12) with one home run and an OPS of 1.288.
Chase Fralick (3) scores first run against Youngstown State in Plainsman Park on February 14, 2026.
Not only is the Peachtree City, Georgia, native producing offensively, but he’s also shining behind the plate. Fralick has already caught one runner stealing this season, and paired with his offensive production, his 2027 MLB Draft stock is buzzing.
Andreas Alvarez is expected to get the start on the mound for Auburn in the midweek showdown with the Bearcats. The sophomore came up huge for the Tigers last season, starting two NCAA Tournament games.
“I’ve got two guys I really believe in, Chatterton and Alvarez,” Thompson said following Saturday’s win. “Both started in the postseason and did great work in the SEC. We’ve got to get those guys out there.”
The right-hander made his postseason debut against NC State in the regional round, throwing five shutout innings against the Wolfpack and striking out five. His second postseason outing came against Coastal Carolina in the super regional, where he produced four scoreless frames.
Alvarez will look to make a statement as he hopes to return to the weekend rotation this season.
The Bearcats, whose season ended in heartbreaking fashion last year at the Knoxville Regional at the hands of Wake Forest, enter the 2026 campaign looking for revenge and a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Jordan Bischel’s group is coming off a hard-fought series with Jacksonville State, winning two of three games.
In the first two contests, Cincinnati took care of business, defeating the Gamecocks by a combined score of 17-10. Redshirt freshman Ryan Tyranski led the way with a .333 average (2-for-6), while Jackson Smith drove in a team-high four runs.
In game three, the Bearcats were taken down in a classic pitchers duel. Cincinnati was unable to muster any offense, finishing the night with two hits. In the second inning, Jacksonville State’s Grayson Ashe provided the only damage of the game, launching a solo home run over the left-center field wall.
Bischel will hand the ball to senior Dillon Schuler. The University of Illinois Chicago transfer started 16 games for the Flames last season. He posted a 7-7 record with a 5.50 ERA.
Auburn finished 11-2 last season in midweek games and Thompson’s club is looking to bring that success into this year. That push starts tomorrow when Alvarez takes the ball for the Tigers at 6:00 p.m. CST.
Outside of Cincinnati and Georgia Tech, all of the Tigers’ opponents will come from non–Power Four conferences. However, the orange and blue can’t afford to take their competition lightly after falling twice to UAB last season.
“You can’t hide now,” Thompson said. “You’re as good as you are between the lines playing the game right now.”
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Rory is a sophomore majoring in journalism sports production. He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @RorymGarvin
