'Neatest days': Andrew Mitchell commences to pitch Auburn to series sweep

'Neatest days': Andrew Mitchell commences to pitch Auburn to series sweep'Neatest days': Andrew Mitchell commences to pitch Auburn to series sweep

May 6, 2018

By Jeff Shearer
AuburnTigers.com

AUBURN, Ala. - Andrew Mitchell traded his Auburn baseball cap for a cap and gown Sunday, pitching the Tigers to a 14-0 sweep-completing win over Vanderbilt before participating in Commencement across the street at Auburn Arena.

"This might be one of the neatest days of his life," Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. "His fastball command was excellent, outstanding, against a top 25 ball club. And he gets to graduate, and walk for his mom. That's a pretty good day."

Mitchell blanked the Commodores for 5.1 innings, striking out five. Mitchell, Calvin Coker and Davis Daniel combined on a two-hit shutout, Auburn's first against Vandy in 20 years.

After a 4-8 start to SEC play, the Tigers are 9-3 over their past four conference weekends, including sweeps against Alabama on the road and Vandy at home.

"You're seeing a difference in our pitching," Thompson said, referencing the return of two key pitchers who missed the first month of SEC play because of injury and illness. "Having Cody Greenhill and Andrew Mitchell gives us a shot.

"This is a great series. This gets something back from one of those stump your toes early in the year, but if we take our foot off the gas, we could be right back to where we started. We have to continue to respect the game, play the game together as hard as we can."

Conor Davis ended the series the way he began it on Friday, blasting a three-run home run to contribute to Auburn's largest margin of victory over Vanderbilt in 51 years.

"We've done a great job sticking together, staying positive," said Davis, who drove in 10 runs in the series. "I think that's been our key to success."

Centerfielder Jay Estes played a key role as well, going 8-for-11 in the series.

"It's big, and hopefully we can carry the momentum into the midweek game and into next weekend," Estes said. "A little reality check early in the season. We flipped a switch and we've been doing a lot better and we need to keep going."

After hosting South Alabama on Tuesday, the Tigers (34-14, 13-11) travel to Ole Miss for a Thursday-Saturday series. The Tigers and Rebels are tied for second place in the West, one game behind Arkansas.

"We're playing fairly relentless, but we're also playing really loose," Thompson said. "I'm seeing guys make good decisions. I'm seeing bat speed. I'm seeing range.

"We're going to go through ebb and flows, be on top of the world, have to take a breath, get punched in the mouth. I think we had a weekend like this because all of our guys have hung in there so well together and none of these coaches have given up on any of these players. That's how you see some neat things happen when guys get another opportunity."

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @jeff_shearer