The wait is finally over. After 251 days since Auburn baseball suffered a heartbreaking loss in the Super Regionals against Coastal Carolina, the Tigers will take the field at Plainsman Park to open the 2026 season.
“It’s time. It’s time to go out and play another team,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “Our preparation has been great. From where I stand as the head coach, this team has been as endearing and enjoyable as any I can remember. I’ve never enjoyed being on the field more with a team, and I’m ready to see where we’re at. I’m excited to start that journey and start playing somebody else.”
Thompson’s squad, ranked No. 9 in D1 Baseball’s preseason poll, is poised to make a run this season as it is returning the stellar quartet of Bub Terrell, Chase Fralick, Chris Rembert and Lucas Steele. It is the only returning quartet in the SEC to have each driven in 40 or more runs in 2025.
Terrell, Fralick and Rembert all received SEC All-Freshman Team honors last season for their stellar performances, and starting tonight they are looking to avoid beginning the season in a sophomore slump.
The trio of sophomores hit for a combined .327 average last year to go along with 48 doubles, 19 home runs and 128 RBI. All three are expected to be at the top of the Tigers’ batting order and looking to do damage early and often.
Virginia Tech transfer Jake Marciano is set to start the opener Friday night. The sophomore posted a 4-2 record with a 6.08 ERA last season for the Hokies.
The Tigers enter the season opener with multiple new bats added to the lineup, including Ryne Farber and Todd Clay.
Farber, the Texas State transfer, was second on last year’s Bobcats squad in hits (59), batting average (.267), OPS (.762), runs (41), doubles (13), and RBIs (33). He will likely get the start at shortstop.
Clay, the Auburn, Alabama, native, led UAB in hits (69), average (.361), on-base percentage (.473), slugging percentage (.539), total bases (103) and walks (39). On paper, he is a great addition to the already dangerous Tigers lineup.
The Penguins are led by second-year head coach Trevor Charpie, who is looking to erase the memories of last season, starting here on the Plains. His squad finished last season with a 15-42 record, with 11 of those victories coming in Horizon League play.
Senior Braden Gebhardt will start Friday night’s season opener for the Penguins. The southpaw made 18 relief appearances and one start on the mound last season, posting a 7.05 ERA.
Right-handed pitcher Jack Messmore is set to make his Youngstown State debut Saturday on the mound, and right-hander Brandon Mikos is set to start the series finale on Sunday.
First pitch between the Tigers and Penguins on Friday night is set for 5:30 p.m. CST. Auburn enters the season ranked among the top teams in college baseball, but not a single game has been played. The real work starts now.
“We don’t like to look into the rankings too much, whether we were number one or whether we were 313th,” said Steele. “We don’t really look into that because at the end of the day, it’s how we play our game that we’ve prepared for.”
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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
