Baseball News: 4-9-2026
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Dudley Dent
Apr 9, 2026, 8:02:31 AM (4 days ago) Apr 9
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Auburn Baseball News: 4-9-2026
Thompson concerned about 'identity on offense' following loss to JSU:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/auburns-hitting-woes-continued-in-a-loss-to-jacksonville-state-on-tuesday-night-280761841/
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Thompson concerned about 'identity on offense' following loss to JSU
By Jason Caldwell
Tuesday night was one to forget for the No. 10 Auburn Tigers, but not before coach Butch Thompson got some answers. Following a 15-4 run-rule loss to Jacksonville State at home that saw his team strike out 14 times, commit four errors, and allow 17 hits, the coach wanted his team's undivided attention.
Sending his team into left field to huddle up, Thompson walked by himself to have a soul-searching moment with his team. There were no other coaches or team personnel around. Just Thompson and this team. He knew what he saw but he wanted to hear it from his team.
"Some of it I didn't like what I heard, but I thought I had some honesty," Thompson said. "I thought when I looked them in the eye and asked them a couple of things, I got honesty. That's a start. We'll go from there and try to flush it and get back out there. There were some things that they said with honesty.
"Like some things my girls have said over the years, even though it was honest I didn't want to hear it. I do appreciate the honesty. It's not supposed to happen that way. We're not supposed to be in that mindset or thinking. I thought they were honest with me."
What are Thompson's thoughts at the moment after watching his team get run-ruled for the third time in the last eight games? It starts with the offense. This was supposed to be a team that was led by its hitters with the return of Chris Rembert, Chase Fralick, Bub Terrell, Eric Guevara, Cade Belyeu, Lucas Steele and Bristol Carter along with some solid additions from the transfer portal and from the freshman class. Instead, the Tigers find themselves searching at the plate following another tough night. Auburn now scored four or fewer runs in seven of the last 10 games. That's definitely cause for concern.
"We got four or five guys that we need to play at a pretty good level every night, our best players, and not getting that," Thompson said. "Six of our first eight batters struck out tonight. And I think we're all aware that the arms that you see week in and week out in the SEC, now that we've already played four series, that it's really not an excuse. Even if a guy's got a good pitch or has something set, we've got to have better at bats. I'm not talking about winning the game tonight, but I'm talking about competing in a better mode, and being the hunter instead of the hunted.
"So I think the at-bats, we've seen it. We've been saying that we got more offense, but it hasn't consistently showed up. And when it has, like two of the three games last weekend, it hasn't been consistent enough to help us keep going. So I'm concerned about the growth of that. And really, game 32, I'm concerned about the identity. If I had asked them to recite, what's our identity as an offense? I don't think I have a coach or a player that can give me an answer."
Getting two of Auburn's nine hits against Jacksonville State with Carter and freshman Ethin Bingaman also getting a pair of hits, designated hitter Logan Gregorio said this is the time for them to show what they are made of.
"We just need to recollect," he said. "We're better than this. We're a very talented team. We obviously failed today. I've been around the game for a long time, and I know that things like this happen to even the best teams in the country. It's obviously not what we wanted, we want to go out there and win every single game, but I have no doubt in my mind that we'll be able to get back. We're going to play our hearts out for the rest of the year."
Thompson concerned about 'identity on offense' following loss to JSU:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/auburns-hitting-woes-continued-in-a-loss-to-jacksonville-state-on-tuesday-night-280761841/
***********************
Thompson concerned about 'identity on offense' following loss to JSU
By Jason Caldwell
Tuesday night was one to forget for the No. 10 Auburn Tigers, but not before coach Butch Thompson got some answers. Following a 15-4 run-rule loss to Jacksonville State at home that saw his team strike out 14 times, commit four errors, and allow 17 hits, the coach wanted his team's undivided attention.
Sending his team into left field to huddle up, Thompson walked by himself to have a soul-searching moment with his team. There were no other coaches or team personnel around. Just Thompson and this team. He knew what he saw but he wanted to hear it from his team.
"Some of it I didn't like what I heard, but I thought I had some honesty," Thompson said. "I thought when I looked them in the eye and asked them a couple of things, I got honesty. That's a start. We'll go from there and try to flush it and get back out there. There were some things that they said with honesty.
"Like some things my girls have said over the years, even though it was honest I didn't want to hear it. I do appreciate the honesty. It's not supposed to happen that way. We're not supposed to be in that mindset or thinking. I thought they were honest with me."
What are Thompson's thoughts at the moment after watching his team get run-ruled for the third time in the last eight games? It starts with the offense. This was supposed to be a team that was led by its hitters with the return of Chris Rembert, Chase Fralick, Bub Terrell, Eric Guevara, Cade Belyeu, Lucas Steele and Bristol Carter along with some solid additions from the transfer portal and from the freshman class. Instead, the Tigers find themselves searching at the plate following another tough night. Auburn now scored four or fewer runs in seven of the last 10 games. That's definitely cause for concern.
"We got four or five guys that we need to play at a pretty good level every night, our best players, and not getting that," Thompson said. "Six of our first eight batters struck out tonight. And I think we're all aware that the arms that you see week in and week out in the SEC, now that we've already played four series, that it's really not an excuse. Even if a guy's got a good pitch or has something set, we've got to have better at bats. I'm not talking about winning the game tonight, but I'm talking about competing in a better mode, and being the hunter instead of the hunted.
"So I think the at-bats, we've seen it. We've been saying that we got more offense, but it hasn't consistently showed up. And when it has, like two of the three games last weekend, it hasn't been consistent enough to help us keep going. So I'm concerned about the growth of that. And really, game 32, I'm concerned about the identity. If I had asked them to recite, what's our identity as an offense? I don't think I have a coach or a player that can give me an answer."
Getting two of Auburn's nine hits against Jacksonville State with Carter and freshman Ethin Bingaman also getting a pair of hits, designated hitter Logan Gregorio said this is the time for them to show what they are made of.
"We just need to recollect," he said. "We're better than this. We're a very talented team. We obviously failed today. I've been around the game for a long time, and I know that things like this happen to even the best teams in the country. It's obviously not what we wanted, we want to go out there and win every single game, but I have no doubt in my mind that we'll be able to get back. We're going to play our hearts out for the rest of the year."
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