AUBURN, Ala. – Head coach Butch Thompson announced a pair of fall exhibition games for the Auburn baseball program Friday. The Tigers will take on Western Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. CT at Plainsman Park before hosting Samford on Friday, Nov. 2 at 5 p.m.
Both games are open to the public, and admission is free. Ticket options and information for the 2019 season will likely be available during the fall games. Additional details will be announced at a later date.
The games will not count toward the team's 56-game regular season schedule due to the rule changes announced by the NCAA last spring.
A member of the Southern Conference, Western Carolina and Auburn have met on 25 previous occasions, but not since 2004. Auburn is 19-6 all-time against the Catamounts and has won eight straight contests in the series.
Also a member of the SoCon, Samford posted a 37-26 record a year ago and won the conference tournament en route to an appearance in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional. Auburn and Samford have a longstanding rivalry that dates back to 1909, and the Tigers hold a 73-24-1 advantage in the in-state series.
All fall practices, which officially begin in October, are open to the public. Scrimmage dates and details surrounding the annual Orange and Blue World Series will also be announced at a later time.