AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn (5-2) begins a stretch of six games in six days at Plainsman Park with a pair of matchups against Alabama State (3-5) Tuesday and UAB (6-1) Wednesday. First pitches against the Hornets and Blazers are set for 6 p.m. CT.
"It's great for us," head coach Butch Thompson said of the Tigers busy week. "I think after meeting with our players and coaches, there's still so many things that we have to get done, and the best way to do that is to play six (games) in six days. We get an opportunity to come back out and play a lot of baseball, and all of it at Plainsman Park."
The games can be heard on the Auburn Sports Network and will be broadcast locally on 93.9 FM Tuesday and 95.9 FM Wednesday. Wednesday's contest against UAB will also be streamed on SEC Network+.
Single-game tickets and mini packs are available for purchase.To order tickets online, click here. Fans can reach the Auburn ticket office by phone at 855-282-2010 or by emailing tickets@auburn.edu.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Tuesday – So. LHP Konner Copeland (0-0, 0.00) vs. So. LHP Adiel Melendez (0-0, 1.29)
Wednesday – Jr. RHP Mason Barnett (0-0, 0.00) vs. Fr. RHP Thomas Ballard (1-0, 0.00)
QUICK HITTERS
Starting last Wednesday, the Tigers will have played 10 games in 12 days by the end of the week.
Auburn's pitching staff has allowed 14 runs in the first seven games, the fewest since allowing 10 runs in the first seven games of the 1996 season.
Senior first baseman Sonny DiChiara leads the SEC in doubles (six) and ranks top three in the league in average (.545), on-base percentage (.645), slugging (1.227), home runs (three) and total bases (27) through two weeks.
Auburn is 72-23 (.758) against non-conference opponents in the regular season since the start of the 2018 season, including 39-12 (.765) on the weekend.
Junior college transfer Konner Copeland is set to start and make his Auburn debut Tuesday. Copeland was named the Florida Panhandle Conference Pitcher of the Year and NJCAA Third Team All-America in 2021.
Auburn is 11-1 all-time against Alabama State and 51-11 against UAB, including 31-3 at home.
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Alabama State is 3-5 overall, coming off a series win against UT Martin last weekend.
Three of the team's five losses are by two or fewer runs.
Offensively, infielders Corey King (.414) and Chris Lewis (.407) lead the way for a club hitting .258 as a team.
On the mound, Adiel Melendez makes his second start after allowing one run in 7.0 innings against Samford last Tuesday.
SCOUTING THE BLAZERS
UAB enters the week with a 6-1 overall record, coming off a series win at Southeastern Louisiana after sweeping Northwestern in four games to start the season.
Former Auburn great Casey Dunn is in his first season at the helm of the UAB program after spending the previous 18 seasons at Samford.
Offensively, the Blazers are hitting .316 as a team with four players hitting .400 or better through seven games.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Gates open one hour prior to first pitch.
Fans are encouraged to park in the coliseum parking lot, athletics complex parking deck and the stadium parking deck.
Students who plan to utilize the new outfield viewing plaza in right center do not need to enter through the main student gate and may bring outside food and beverage into the space.
Students who wish to sit inside the ballpark (sections 111 and 58-73) must enter through the gate located behind home plate. Students will utilize their digital Tiger Card on their phones for entry. They may no longer enter through the gate located at the Tiger Terrace or down the right field, which has been moved approximately 30 feet from its original location.
All transactions for concessions and merchandise locations at Plainsman Park will be cashless (credit/debit and Tiger Cards only).
Auburn Athletics will continue to provide digital tickets for the 2022 baseball season. Digital tickets help to increase convenience, flexibility and safety for fans on gamedays. Click here for more information on digital tickets.
