Coming off its best win of the season on Tuesday, a 9-2 victory over the No. 3 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the Auburn Tigers baseball team will host its most important series of the early season as it takes on the No. 2 Texas Longhorns in a three-game home series this weekend.
Auburn picked up a road sweep against the Missouri Tigers last weekend to begin SEC play, but with Texas likely being the toughest series opponent Auburn will face all season, it will need to be on its A-game.
The past few weeks have seen the Tigers clicking on all cylinders, but it's been their pitching staff that has fueled the team's 11-game winning streak. Fresh off shutting down the No. 1 offense in the nation on Tuesday, thanks largely to a 10-strikeout performance from midweek starter Andreas Alvarez, Auburn will rely on its pitching trio of LHP Jake Marciano (0.93 ERA), LHP Jackson Sanders (2.76 ERA) and RHP Alex Petrovic (2.03 ERA) to stall the Longhorns' offense.
The trio has a combined record of 9-0, allowing only four home runs in 84 innings pitched this season.
Challenging the pitching staff will be a Longhorns offense that ranks in the top five in the SEC in batting average, home runs, hits and RBIs. Texas is coming off a weekend series in which it took two of three games against the Ole Miss Rebels.
The Longhorns will also look to bounce back after a midweek loss to Tarleton State on Tuesday. Texas came into SEC play undefeated, with wins against UC Davis and No. 16 Coastal Carolina, but Auburn is set up to be its toughest opponent so far this season.
Todd Clay (7) running to first after hitting the ball during the Auburn vs Georgia Tech game Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
Leading the Texas offense is the junior duo of outfielder Aiden Robbins and infielder Casey Borba. Robbins, the team leader in hits and batting average, also poses a threat on the basepaths, having swiped seven bases this season on seven attempts. Borba has been a power threat all season, leading the team with seven home runs and posting a slugging percentage over .700. However, Borba is susceptible to strikeouts, as his 26 strikeouts this season lead the Longhorns.
Other bats to watch include freshman outfielder Anthony Pack Jr., a contact hitter with signs of pop, and senior infielder Temo Becerra, who has recorded 23 hits this season while striking out 10 times.
This matchup has the potential to produce strong pitching duels, with both teams atop the SEC in team ERA (Auburn: 2.26, Texas: 2.67). Auburn will need to watch for Texas starter Ruger Riojas, whose 50 strikeouts this season lead the conference. Lefty Dylan Volantis has also been a reliable starter for the Longhorns, having already thrown more than 29 innings while holding a 1.53 ERA.
First pitch Friday night between the Tigers and Longhorns is set for 6 p.m. CST and can be streamed on SEC Network+.
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Jonathan is a freshman majoring in industrial and systems engineering. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2025.
