Baseball News: 5-11-2026
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Dudley Dent
May 11, 2026, 8:21:25 AM (3 days ago) May 11
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Auburn Baseball News: 5-11-2026
Fralick’s homer lifts No. 5 Auburn over No. 10 Mississippi State:
https://auburntigers.com/news/2026/05/9/fralicks-homer-lifts-no-5-auburn-over-no-10-mississippi-state
No. 5 Auburn secures sixth straight series with 13-2 win at No. 10 Mississippi State:
https://auburntigers.com/news/2026/05/10/no-5-auburn-secures-sixth-straight-series-with-13-2-win-at-no-10-mississippi-state
Auburn baseball strengthens hosting chances with sixth-straight series win:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/auburn-baseball-is-35-15-overall-and-16-11-in-sec-play-284727472/
Auburn checks in at No. 3 in RPI — backed by nation’s toughest schedule:
https://www.on3.com/teams/auburn-tigers/news/auburn-checks-in-at-no-3-in-rpi-backed-by-nations-toughest-schedule/
***************************
Friday's Results:
Fralick’s homer lifts No. 5 Auburn over No. 10 Mississippi State
Chase Fralick hit a solo home run to start the ninth inning and lead No. 5 Auburn to a 5-4 win and even the series at No. 10 Mississippi State Friday night at Dudy Noble Field.
After Mississippi State (38-13, 15-11 SEC) scored four unanswered runs in the fifth through eighth innings to tie the game, 4-4, Fralick stepped to the plate to start the ninth and hit a two-strike fastball 396 feet to right center to give Auburn (34-15, 15-11 SEC) its lead back.
“It just shows resilience,” Fralick said. “We can bounce back from any game, whether teams are making a comeback or if we’re on the ropes, this team can do anything.
“We’ve done a great job controlling our composure,” Fralick added. “We know what we have to do when we go out there on the field and the gameplan we have when we go against a pitcher. If we execute, we have faith we’re going to be on the good side of the result.”
Going back out for his fifth inning of work in the ninth, Jackson Sanders (4-1) retired the Bulldogs’ three, four and five hitters in order to end the game and earn the win.
“At the end of the day, it’s just me and (Fralick) out there competing. It’s the man in the arena,” Sanders said of finishing a game on the road in front of 13,000 fans. “That’s what we’ve talked about all weekend. Just try to be the man in the arena. Don’t worry about who’s on the outside, but just compete and get it done.”
The win marked Auburn’s sixth this season when trailing or tied after the eighth inning, including its second in its last three Southeastern Conference road series.
“It wasn’t our cleanest game, but it was one of our best spirits,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “They’ve done that time and time again. I get to where I can’t see the way we’re going to do it, but (Andreas) Alvarez gets us off to good, competitive starts, and I think it’s as much of his spirit.
“What a crazy ballgame and a lot going on,” Thompson added. “We just stayed in there and kept fighting. I think the spirit got us through and got us back to even in this series.”
Andreas Alvarez worked around a pair of leadoff baserunners with a pair of strikeouts in the first, and the Tigers threatened early in the top of the second. Chris Rembert and Ethin Bingaman started the inning with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners, but Mississippi State escaped the jam with a pair of strikeouts and runner caught stealing on a first-and-third play.
The Tigers kept the pressure on the Bulldogs by loading the bases with one out in the third and started the scoring on a sacrifice fly from Fralick. Rembert came to the plate for a second time and recorded his second hit with a two-out single back up the middle to double the lead.
Mississippi State threatened to respond by loading the bases in the bottom of the inning, but a ground ball to second was fielded by Rembert, who stepped on second to end the threat.
Leading 2-0 with runners on second and third and one out, Rembert hit a ground ball to short to score Mason McCraine, his second RBI of the game, and Bingaman delivered his second hit of the game, a two-out single to make it 4-0 and end starting pitcher Duke Stone’s night.
Alvarez nearly worked around a leadoff double in the fifth with a pair of strikeouts, but his last pitch of the night was a changeup that was hit for a two-run home run to cut Mississippi State’s deficit to two.
Sanders entered in relief of Alvarez to get the final out of the fifth and worked a scoreless sixth before Mississippi State put the first two batters of the seventh aboard. Sanders got a strikeout and fielder’s choice to nearly avoid damage, but a two-out single made it a one-run game.
Auburn threatened to answer after putting the first two batters of the eighth aboard on a single and hit-by-pitch, but the Tigers failed to get a sacrifice bunt down on three attempts and Bulldog reliever Ben Davis ended the inning with back-to-back swinging strikeouts.
Mississippi State scored for the third time in a four-inning stretch with a two-out single from Ace Reese to tie the game in the eight, setting the stage for Fralick to immediately answer to start the ninth.
“Knowing myself and knowing how I’ve been pitched to all weekend. I’ve been seeing a lot of fastballs with two strikes, and I wasn’t going to miss another one,” Fralick added.
************************
Saturday's Results:
No. 5 Auburn secures sixth straight series with 13-2 win at No. 10 Mississippi State
After winning Friday’s game in dramatic fashion, No. 5 Auburn left no doubt as the Tigers took down No. 10 Mississippi State, 13-2, in seven innings to win the series at Dudy Noble Field Saturday afternoon.
With the win, the Tigers (35-15, 16-11 SEC) improved to 6-1 in rubber games this season, including five straight rubber game wins behind starting pitcher Alex Petrovic (8-2).
“We’ve been pretty good on this run with Petro,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “Offense, defense, pitching, baserunning, it was a good day. The two boys yesterday - Dre and Sanders - made this possible. To find a way to win the series, I’m impressed with the guys, but we’ve got to keep our head down.”
The win secured Auburn’s sixth straight Southeastern Conference series, marking the longest conference series win streak in a single season since 1995. Three of the last four series wins have come against top-10 teams on the road.
“When you do anything that hasn’t been done since one of those teams did it, that’s a pretty good mark,” Thompson added.
While the offense totaled 13 runs on 14 hits, led by multiple hits from five players and multiple RBI by four, Petrovic earned his team-high-tying eighth win of the season as he held the Bulldogs (38-14, 15-12 SEC) to two runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched.
“It’s the don’t-blink mentality. We’ve been in this situation before,” Petrovic said. “You’ve got to make big pitches in big situations, and I did it.”
Eric Guevara led the way with three hits, including a pair of doubles, and drove in three runs in the contest.
“Alex battled the whole way today,” Guevara added. “I’m super proud of him. He keeps battling his guts out. Getting runs for him was huge.”
Chris Rembert got the scoring started with a solo home run to left field to start the second inning. The homer was Rembert’s fourth of the season, including his first since Mar. 24. It left the bat at 110 miles per hour and traveled 421 feet.
After an error prolonged the second inning, the Tigers added a run when Brandon McCraine broke from first with a runner on third, and the throw from first base to second sailed into left field, allowing Ethin Bingaman to score.
Guevara hit a one-out double and stole third in the fourth, and Auburn extended its advantage as Chase Fralick did his job of hitting a ground ball to second to score Guevara.
After stranding five runners in the first two innings, Petrovic worked a clean third inning and erased a leadoff single in the fourth with an inning-ending double play. The right hander threw 54 pitches in the first two innings but needed just 22 as he faced the minimum in the third and fourth.
Leading 3-0, Auburn’s offense added five runs on five hits to take a commanding lead in the fifth. Guevara and Rembert collected back-to-back RBI singles to drive in a combined three runs and make it a six-run game. Bingaman then sent the next pitch delivered by Mississippi State reliever Parker Rhodes over the wall in left field for his 10th home run of the season to make it 8-0.
The Bulldogs answered with a one-out single and two-run homer in the home half of the inning to get on the scoreboard, but Auburn answered immediately with four more runs in the sixth. Guevara drove in his second and third runs of the game with his second double. Fralick singled back up the middle to score another, and a balk with runners on the corners made it a 10-run game.
Bristol Carter’s second hit of the game was a one-out single in the seventh, and the junior outfielder later scored on a RBI single from Mason McCraine, also marking his second hit of the contest, to cap off the scoring at 13-2.
Taking the mound for his second inning of work in the seventh, Ryan Hetzler allowed Mississippi State to load the bases on a pair of singles and hit batter. However, the junior right hander induced a ground ball to second that resulted in a game-ending double play.
The run-rule win was Auburn’s 11th of the season, including its third in the last seven SEC games. The 11-run margin of victory was more than twice as large as any prior loss for Mississippi State this season.
Wrapping up an eight-game road trip, Auburn takes on No. 24 Jacksonville State (38-11, 20-5 C-USA) Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT at Jim Case Stadium.
*********************
Auburn baseball strengthens hosting chances with sixth-straight series win
By Jason Caldwell
In 1995, Toy Story was released and TV shows like Seinfeld and Friends were on NBC instead of in syndication. That summer you had the O.J. Simpson trial that dominated the news cycle. You also had an Auburn baseball team that won 50 games and finished 19-8 in SEC play.
That was the last time the Tigers won six straight league series in the same season, until Saturday. Coach Butch Thompson's 2026 team accomplished the feat with a run-rule victory over Mississippi State to take the series in Starkville.
It was the third road series victory in the last four weeks for the Tigers, all three coming against Top 10 teams. Throw in home wins over Arkansas and Oklahoma and it makes five of the six weekend victories coming against teams ranked in the Top 15.
"It was just hard," Thompson said of winning number six. "Every time we compare back to 1995 or 1997 or 2010, keeping up with the history. When I hear those years being counted out as something we haven't done since then, I know it's a pretty special achievement.
"Being here this long I have gotten to meet a lot of people that were part of those teams. I know how special those teams were. When you do anything, even if it's just one thing that hasn't been done since one of those teams did it, that's a pretty good mark."
Going into the final week of the regular season that has Auburn on the road at Jacksonville State on Tuesday night and at home against Georgia for a series that begins on Thursday night, the Tigers have put themselves in great position for the postseason because of not only the wins but also the level of competition this year.
Going into the final four games of the regular season, Auburn has the No. 1 strength of schedule nationally. The Tigers have already played 26 games against Quad 1 teams (14-12) with all four next week in that category. That means out of 54 regular season games, Auburn will have played 30 against Quad 1 opponents.
Not only have the Tigers faced top competition throughout the year, they have played fewer "bad" teams than anyone. Auburn will finish the regular season with only 12 games against Quad 3 and Quad 4 opponents, going a perfect 12-0. The next lowest total nationally is Ole Miss with 18.
What does all that mean? Auburn may have done enough already to be a national seed because of what the Tigers have done this season. One win over Georgia would absolutely lock up a national seed. Two wins and you would likely wrap up a Top 4 seed in the SEC Tournament and be at least a Top seed nationally in the NCAA Tournament.
But this group of Tigers won't change what they are doing and how they do it. Thompson has repeatedly said for the team to keep their heads down and just grinding. That will be needed again with a tough finish to the regular season, but this team is used to tough.
*********************
Auburn checks in at No. 3 in RPI — backed by nation’s toughest schedule
By Justin Hokanson
Auburn is sitting in a really strong spot nationally at No. 3 in the latest college baseball RPI and what stands out most is how battle-tested the Tigers are compared to almost everyone around them.
Following a sixth straight SEC series win after taking two of three at Mississippi State, the Tigers are rolling. The week before, it was a series win at Texas A&M — back-to-back road series wins against two of the best teams in the league.
And of Auburn’s six losses during this six-series stretch, four have come by just one run. They’ve been that close to multiple sweeps.
Among the top 20 teams nationally, Auburn owns the No. 1 strength of schedule. No other team in the top 10 has played a tougher schedule. That matters because Auburn’s 35-15 record has come against the hardest slate in all of college baseball.
The SEC’s dominance jumps off the page. Eight SEC teams are inside the top 20 RPI: Auburn, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Florida, Ole Miss and Georgia, with Oklahoma (23) just outside. Auburn is right in the middle of the league’s gauntlet and still sitting third nationally.
Of those nine teams, the Tigers are 4-2 in series against the six they’ve faced, with a series against SEC champion Georgia still ahead.
Only UCLA and Georgia Tech are ahead of Auburn in RPI (Auburn is 1-1 against Georgia Tech), but both have significantly weaker schedules — UCLA at No. 28 in SOS and Georgia Tech at No. 35. Auburn has 10 more losses than UCLA, but the Tigers have played a dramatically tougher schedule week after week.
Compared to other SEC contenders:
Texas is No. 4 in RPI with the No. 12 SOS.
Alabama is No. 6 with the No. 4 SOS.
Mississippi State is No. 10 with the No. 13 SOS.
Texas A&M is No. 11 with the No. 33 SOS (17 Quad IV games).
Florida is No. 12 despite the No. 2 SOS.
Ole Miss is No. 13 with the No. 3 SOS.
Auburn boasts 14 Quad I victories this season. That’s second-most in the nation behind Florida’s 15. Yes, the SEC gauntlet and Tigers’ schedule presented them with ample opportunities, but they’ve taken advantage.
Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Oklahoma are the only teams in the top 25 of the RPI without a Quad III or Quad IV loss this season. Among teams currently in the mix for a top-eight national seed, Auburn is the only one without a “bad” loss.
Auburn’s profile looks the part of a top-eight national seed. The Tigers have consistently held up against elite competition, and that’s something the committee has historically valued in regional hosting and national seeding decisions.
The other thing helping Auburn is separation. There’s a noticeable gap between Auburn’s profile and other teams in the top 10 that either played weaker schedules or accumulated more damaging losses. Auburn’s combination of top-three RPI and No. 1 SOS is one of the cleanest resumes in the country right now.
You’d have to think going 1-2 against Georgia this weekend wouldn’t really hurt Auburn’s push for a top-8 national seed. A sweep loss might be a different story. That’s what the Tigers need to avoid if they want to maintain their strong chance of hosting both a regional and super regional.
Take two of three from Georgia and Auburn should all but lock up a top-8 national seed, regardless of what happens elsewhere.
https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2026/05/10105507/Screenshot-2026-05-10-at-10.51.34%E2%80%AFAM.png
Fralick’s homer lifts No. 5 Auburn over No. 10 Mississippi State:
https://auburntigers.com/news/2026/05/9/fralicks-homer-lifts-no-5-auburn-over-no-10-mississippi-state
No. 5 Auburn secures sixth straight series with 13-2 win at No. 10 Mississippi State:
https://auburntigers.com/news/2026/05/10/no-5-auburn-secures-sixth-straight-series-with-13-2-win-at-no-10-mississippi-state
Auburn baseball strengthens hosting chances with sixth-straight series win:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/auburn-baseball-is-35-15-overall-and-16-11-in-sec-play-284727472/
Auburn checks in at No. 3 in RPI — backed by nation’s toughest schedule:
https://www.on3.com/teams/auburn-tigers/news/auburn-checks-in-at-no-3-in-rpi-backed-by-nations-toughest-schedule/
***************************
Friday's Results:
Fralick’s homer lifts No. 5 Auburn over No. 10 Mississippi State
Chase Fralick hit a solo home run to start the ninth inning and lead No. 5 Auburn to a 5-4 win and even the series at No. 10 Mississippi State Friday night at Dudy Noble Field.
After Mississippi State (38-13, 15-11 SEC) scored four unanswered runs in the fifth through eighth innings to tie the game, 4-4, Fralick stepped to the plate to start the ninth and hit a two-strike fastball 396 feet to right center to give Auburn (34-15, 15-11 SEC) its lead back.
“It just shows resilience,” Fralick said. “We can bounce back from any game, whether teams are making a comeback or if we’re on the ropes, this team can do anything.
“We’ve done a great job controlling our composure,” Fralick added. “We know what we have to do when we go out there on the field and the gameplan we have when we go against a pitcher. If we execute, we have faith we’re going to be on the good side of the result.”
Going back out for his fifth inning of work in the ninth, Jackson Sanders (4-1) retired the Bulldogs’ three, four and five hitters in order to end the game and earn the win.
“At the end of the day, it’s just me and (Fralick) out there competing. It’s the man in the arena,” Sanders said of finishing a game on the road in front of 13,000 fans. “That’s what we’ve talked about all weekend. Just try to be the man in the arena. Don’t worry about who’s on the outside, but just compete and get it done.”
The win marked Auburn’s sixth this season when trailing or tied after the eighth inning, including its second in its last three Southeastern Conference road series.
“It wasn’t our cleanest game, but it was one of our best spirits,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “They’ve done that time and time again. I get to where I can’t see the way we’re going to do it, but (Andreas) Alvarez gets us off to good, competitive starts, and I think it’s as much of his spirit.
“What a crazy ballgame and a lot going on,” Thompson added. “We just stayed in there and kept fighting. I think the spirit got us through and got us back to even in this series.”
Andreas Alvarez worked around a pair of leadoff baserunners with a pair of strikeouts in the first, and the Tigers threatened early in the top of the second. Chris Rembert and Ethin Bingaman started the inning with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners, but Mississippi State escaped the jam with a pair of strikeouts and runner caught stealing on a first-and-third play.
The Tigers kept the pressure on the Bulldogs by loading the bases with one out in the third and started the scoring on a sacrifice fly from Fralick. Rembert came to the plate for a second time and recorded his second hit with a two-out single back up the middle to double the lead.
Mississippi State threatened to respond by loading the bases in the bottom of the inning, but a ground ball to second was fielded by Rembert, who stepped on second to end the threat.
Leading 2-0 with runners on second and third and one out, Rembert hit a ground ball to short to score Mason McCraine, his second RBI of the game, and Bingaman delivered his second hit of the game, a two-out single to make it 4-0 and end starting pitcher Duke Stone’s night.
Alvarez nearly worked around a leadoff double in the fifth with a pair of strikeouts, but his last pitch of the night was a changeup that was hit for a two-run home run to cut Mississippi State’s deficit to two.
Sanders entered in relief of Alvarez to get the final out of the fifth and worked a scoreless sixth before Mississippi State put the first two batters of the seventh aboard. Sanders got a strikeout and fielder’s choice to nearly avoid damage, but a two-out single made it a one-run game.
Auburn threatened to answer after putting the first two batters of the eighth aboard on a single and hit-by-pitch, but the Tigers failed to get a sacrifice bunt down on three attempts and Bulldog reliever Ben Davis ended the inning with back-to-back swinging strikeouts.
Mississippi State scored for the third time in a four-inning stretch with a two-out single from Ace Reese to tie the game in the eight, setting the stage for Fralick to immediately answer to start the ninth.
“Knowing myself and knowing how I’ve been pitched to all weekend. I’ve been seeing a lot of fastballs with two strikes, and I wasn’t going to miss another one,” Fralick added.
************************
Saturday's Results:
No. 5 Auburn secures sixth straight series with 13-2 win at No. 10 Mississippi State
After winning Friday’s game in dramatic fashion, No. 5 Auburn left no doubt as the Tigers took down No. 10 Mississippi State, 13-2, in seven innings to win the series at Dudy Noble Field Saturday afternoon.
With the win, the Tigers (35-15, 16-11 SEC) improved to 6-1 in rubber games this season, including five straight rubber game wins behind starting pitcher Alex Petrovic (8-2).
“We’ve been pretty good on this run with Petro,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “Offense, defense, pitching, baserunning, it was a good day. The two boys yesterday - Dre and Sanders - made this possible. To find a way to win the series, I’m impressed with the guys, but we’ve got to keep our head down.”
The win secured Auburn’s sixth straight Southeastern Conference series, marking the longest conference series win streak in a single season since 1995. Three of the last four series wins have come against top-10 teams on the road.
“When you do anything that hasn’t been done since one of those teams did it, that’s a pretty good mark,” Thompson added.
While the offense totaled 13 runs on 14 hits, led by multiple hits from five players and multiple RBI by four, Petrovic earned his team-high-tying eighth win of the season as he held the Bulldogs (38-14, 15-12 SEC) to two runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched.
“It’s the don’t-blink mentality. We’ve been in this situation before,” Petrovic said. “You’ve got to make big pitches in big situations, and I did it.”
Eric Guevara led the way with three hits, including a pair of doubles, and drove in three runs in the contest.
“Alex battled the whole way today,” Guevara added. “I’m super proud of him. He keeps battling his guts out. Getting runs for him was huge.”
Chris Rembert got the scoring started with a solo home run to left field to start the second inning. The homer was Rembert’s fourth of the season, including his first since Mar. 24. It left the bat at 110 miles per hour and traveled 421 feet.
After an error prolonged the second inning, the Tigers added a run when Brandon McCraine broke from first with a runner on third, and the throw from first base to second sailed into left field, allowing Ethin Bingaman to score.
Guevara hit a one-out double and stole third in the fourth, and Auburn extended its advantage as Chase Fralick did his job of hitting a ground ball to second to score Guevara.
After stranding five runners in the first two innings, Petrovic worked a clean third inning and erased a leadoff single in the fourth with an inning-ending double play. The right hander threw 54 pitches in the first two innings but needed just 22 as he faced the minimum in the third and fourth.
Leading 3-0, Auburn’s offense added five runs on five hits to take a commanding lead in the fifth. Guevara and Rembert collected back-to-back RBI singles to drive in a combined three runs and make it a six-run game. Bingaman then sent the next pitch delivered by Mississippi State reliever Parker Rhodes over the wall in left field for his 10th home run of the season to make it 8-0.
The Bulldogs answered with a one-out single and two-run homer in the home half of the inning to get on the scoreboard, but Auburn answered immediately with four more runs in the sixth. Guevara drove in his second and third runs of the game with his second double. Fralick singled back up the middle to score another, and a balk with runners on the corners made it a 10-run game.
Bristol Carter’s second hit of the game was a one-out single in the seventh, and the junior outfielder later scored on a RBI single from Mason McCraine, also marking his second hit of the contest, to cap off the scoring at 13-2.
Taking the mound for his second inning of work in the seventh, Ryan Hetzler allowed Mississippi State to load the bases on a pair of singles and hit batter. However, the junior right hander induced a ground ball to second that resulted in a game-ending double play.
The run-rule win was Auburn’s 11th of the season, including its third in the last seven SEC games. The 11-run margin of victory was more than twice as large as any prior loss for Mississippi State this season.
Wrapping up an eight-game road trip, Auburn takes on No. 24 Jacksonville State (38-11, 20-5 C-USA) Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT at Jim Case Stadium.
*********************
Auburn baseball strengthens hosting chances with sixth-straight series win
By Jason Caldwell
In 1995, Toy Story was released and TV shows like Seinfeld and Friends were on NBC instead of in syndication. That summer you had the O.J. Simpson trial that dominated the news cycle. You also had an Auburn baseball team that won 50 games and finished 19-8 in SEC play.
That was the last time the Tigers won six straight league series in the same season, until Saturday. Coach Butch Thompson's 2026 team accomplished the feat with a run-rule victory over Mississippi State to take the series in Starkville.
It was the third road series victory in the last four weeks for the Tigers, all three coming against Top 10 teams. Throw in home wins over Arkansas and Oklahoma and it makes five of the six weekend victories coming against teams ranked in the Top 15.
"It was just hard," Thompson said of winning number six. "Every time we compare back to 1995 or 1997 or 2010, keeping up with the history. When I hear those years being counted out as something we haven't done since then, I know it's a pretty special achievement.
"Being here this long I have gotten to meet a lot of people that were part of those teams. I know how special those teams were. When you do anything, even if it's just one thing that hasn't been done since one of those teams did it, that's a pretty good mark."
Going into the final week of the regular season that has Auburn on the road at Jacksonville State on Tuesday night and at home against Georgia for a series that begins on Thursday night, the Tigers have put themselves in great position for the postseason because of not only the wins but also the level of competition this year.
Going into the final four games of the regular season, Auburn has the No. 1 strength of schedule nationally. The Tigers have already played 26 games against Quad 1 teams (14-12) with all four next week in that category. That means out of 54 regular season games, Auburn will have played 30 against Quad 1 opponents.
Not only have the Tigers faced top competition throughout the year, they have played fewer "bad" teams than anyone. Auburn will finish the regular season with only 12 games against Quad 3 and Quad 4 opponents, going a perfect 12-0. The next lowest total nationally is Ole Miss with 18.
What does all that mean? Auburn may have done enough already to be a national seed because of what the Tigers have done this season. One win over Georgia would absolutely lock up a national seed. Two wins and you would likely wrap up a Top 4 seed in the SEC Tournament and be at least a Top seed nationally in the NCAA Tournament.
But this group of Tigers won't change what they are doing and how they do it. Thompson has repeatedly said for the team to keep their heads down and just grinding. That will be needed again with a tough finish to the regular season, but this team is used to tough.
*********************
Auburn checks in at No. 3 in RPI — backed by nation’s toughest schedule
By Justin Hokanson
Auburn is sitting in a really strong spot nationally at No. 3 in the latest college baseball RPI and what stands out most is how battle-tested the Tigers are compared to almost everyone around them.
Following a sixth straight SEC series win after taking two of three at Mississippi State, the Tigers are rolling. The week before, it was a series win at Texas A&M — back-to-back road series wins against two of the best teams in the league.
And of Auburn’s six losses during this six-series stretch, four have come by just one run. They’ve been that close to multiple sweeps.
Among the top 20 teams nationally, Auburn owns the No. 1 strength of schedule. No other team in the top 10 has played a tougher schedule. That matters because Auburn’s 35-15 record has come against the hardest slate in all of college baseball.
The SEC’s dominance jumps off the page. Eight SEC teams are inside the top 20 RPI: Auburn, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Florida, Ole Miss and Georgia, with Oklahoma (23) just outside. Auburn is right in the middle of the league’s gauntlet and still sitting third nationally.
Of those nine teams, the Tigers are 4-2 in series against the six they’ve faced, with a series against SEC champion Georgia still ahead.
Only UCLA and Georgia Tech are ahead of Auburn in RPI (Auburn is 1-1 against Georgia Tech), but both have significantly weaker schedules — UCLA at No. 28 in SOS and Georgia Tech at No. 35. Auburn has 10 more losses than UCLA, but the Tigers have played a dramatically tougher schedule week after week.
Compared to other SEC contenders:
Texas is No. 4 in RPI with the No. 12 SOS.
Alabama is No. 6 with the No. 4 SOS.
Mississippi State is No. 10 with the No. 13 SOS.
Texas A&M is No. 11 with the No. 33 SOS (17 Quad IV games).
Florida is No. 12 despite the No. 2 SOS.
Ole Miss is No. 13 with the No. 3 SOS.
Auburn boasts 14 Quad I victories this season. That’s second-most in the nation behind Florida’s 15. Yes, the SEC gauntlet and Tigers’ schedule presented them with ample opportunities, but they’ve taken advantage.
Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Oklahoma are the only teams in the top 25 of the RPI without a Quad III or Quad IV loss this season. Among teams currently in the mix for a top-eight national seed, Auburn is the only one without a “bad” loss.
Auburn’s profile looks the part of a top-eight national seed. The Tigers have consistently held up against elite competition, and that’s something the committee has historically valued in regional hosting and national seeding decisions.
The other thing helping Auburn is separation. There’s a noticeable gap between Auburn’s profile and other teams in the top 10 that either played weaker schedules or accumulated more damaging losses. Auburn’s combination of top-three RPI and No. 1 SOS is one of the cleanest resumes in the country right now.
You’d have to think going 1-2 against Georgia this weekend wouldn’t really hurt Auburn’s push for a top-8 national seed. A sweep loss might be a different story. That’s what the Tigers need to avoid if they want to maintain their strong chance of hosting both a regional and super regional.
Take two of three from Georgia and Auburn should all but lock up a top-8 national seed, regardless of what happens elsewhere.
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