No. 6 Auburn Travels to Kentucky for Top-10 Matchup

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March 22, 2018

AUBURN (19-3, 2-1 SEC) at KENTUCKY (15-6, 0-3 SEC)









AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" No. 6 Auburn (19-3, 2-1 SEC) hits the road for the first time of the conference season with a three-game series at No. 8 Kentucky (15-6, 0-3 SEC) this weekend. The series opener at Cliff Hagan Stadium is scheduled for Friday at 5:30 p.m. CT and will be followed by game two Saturday at 11 a.m. and the series finale Sunday at noon.

All three games will be broadcast on SEC Network+ and can be found online at WatchESPN.com or on the WatchESPN app. Saturday's contest will also be aired on national TV on the SEC Network. Additionally, the entire series will be broadcast on the Auburn Sports Network. You can listen on the radio on WTGZ-FM (93.9), online at AuburnTigers.com, or on a mobile device via the TuneIn app.

Probable Starters

  • Friday ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" Jr. RHP Casey Mize (5-0, 1.93) vs. Jr. RHP Sean Hjelle (4-1, 2.40)
  • Saturday ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" So. RHP Davis Daniel (2-0, 4.35) vs. TBA
  • Sunday ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" TBA vs. R-Jr. RHP Justin Lewis (3-2, 6.91)

QUICK HITTERS

  • Auburn's 19 wins are tied for the second most in the nation, and the team's .864 winning percentage is tied for fourth best in the country.
  • This weekend's series at Kentucky marks Auburn's second straight against a top-10 opponent. Four of the Tigers' five road trips in conference play come against current top-10 teams.
  • Auburn won its second straight SEC opening series against a top-10 opponent by taking two of three games from No. 6 Texas A&M last weekend. The Tigers swept No. 5 Florida to being conference play a season ago.
  • The series victory against the Aggies marked the Tigers' fifth straight to start the season. It was the Tigers' 16th series win in 19 tries dating back to the start of last season and its eighth in the SEC during the span.
  • Auburn has totaled 184 runs through 22 games, marking the most runs to this point in a season since scoring 212 runs through 22 games in 2010. The Tigers rank fourth in the SEC and 10th in the country in runs, and the team's 8.4 runs per game are also good for fourth in the league and 11th in the NCAA.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS

  • Kentucky enters the weekend with a 15-6 overall record and 0-3 mark in SEC play. The Wilcats were sewpt at Arkansas last weekend, but responded to defeat Xavier, 20-4, in Cincinnati Tuesday.
  • Offensively, the Wildcats lead the SEC in runs (190), doubles (55) and slugging percentage (.571) and rank second in home runs (40). The team's slugging percentage is second in the NCAA and its home run total is third. A trio of Wildcats in Luke Heyer (10), T.J. Collett (nine) and Kole Cottam (nine) each rank in the top six in the country in home runs. Collett also ranks first in the SEC and sixth in the NCAA with 30 RBI.

SERIES HISTORY vs. KENTUCKY

  • Auburn has enjoyed success in its all-time series against Kentucky as the Tigers have posted a 78-43 overall record, including a 34-21 mark in Lexington, Ky.
  • The two teams last met in 2016, when Auburn took two of three games against the Wildcats at Plainsman Park.
  • In the previous meeting at Cliff Hagan Stadium, the rubber match came down to an extra-inning affair which Kentucky ultimately won, 6-5.