WEEK AT A GLANCE
Overall: 29-12
Last Week: 5-0
SEC: 11-7
Non-Conference: 18-5
Streak: W6
Last Week's Results:
Tuesday – vs. Alabama State: W, 6-5 (10)
Wednesday – vs. Kennesaw State: W, 14-1
Friday – vs. South Carolina: W, 6-3
Saturday – vs. South Carolina: W, 8-6
Sunday – vs. South Carolina: W, 2-0
This Week's Schedule:
Tuesday – at Jacksonville State (6 p.m.)
Friday – at No. 1 Tennessee (6 p.m.)
Saturday – at No. 1 Tennessee (6 p.m.)
Sunday – at No. 1 Tennessee (12 p.m.)
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Sonny DiChiara – Sr. – 1B – Hoover, Ala.
5 GP/GS, .611/.696/.889, 11-for-18, 4 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 BB
- Collected a hit in all five games last week, including multiple hits in four contests, and led the league with 11 hits while tying for the league lead in total bases (16).
- Reached base a total of 16 times in 23 plate appearances, including at least three times in all five games.
- Went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run to extend the lead to three runs in the eighth inning of the series-opening win against South Carolina.
- Went 3-for-4 with a walk in the middle game before going 1-for-2 with two walks in the finale to finish off the sweep against the Gamecocks.
Nate Larue – Jr. – C – Mobile, Ala.
4 GP/3 GS, .556/.545/1.000, 5-for-9, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB
- Led the team and tied for third in the league with six RBI during the week.
- After entering the game as a defensive replacement in the top of the 10th, hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th in Tuesday's win against Alabama State.
- Hit a two-run home run, his fourth of SEC play, to take a 3-1 lead in the second inning of the series opener against South Carolina.
- Drove in the first run in the second inning and go-ahead run with a two-out RBI single in the seventh inning of Saturday's come-from-behind win.
- Went 2-for-3 and accounted for both runs in Sunday's 2-0 shutout win to secure the sweep. Got the scoring started with an RBI single in the second while scoring a run after a leadoff single to double the lead in the fifth.
- Caught all 27 innings behind the plate and threw out a would-be base stealer to end the sixth inning of a tie game in the series opener Friday.
PITCHERS OF THE WEEK
Blake Burkhalter – Jr. – RHP – Dothan, Ala.
1-0, 3 SV, 0.00 ERA, 4 APP, 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R/0 ER, 0 BB, 12 K
- Earned the win in Tuesday's extra-inning affair against Alabama State, striking out a career-best five batters in a pair of frames.
- Recorded the save in all three games of the weekend sweep against South Carolina, becoming the first Auburn pitcher in the Stat Crew era (since at least 1992) to record three saves during a SEC weekend.
- Led the league with 12 strikeouts and tied for the league lead with four appearances during the week.
- Struck out four of the five batters he faced in 1.2 innings in the series opener.
- Struck out two of three batters he faced in a clean inning in the middle game.
- Finished off the series finale with his third save while allowing only his second baserunner to reach in 5.2 innings during the week.
Joseph Gonzalez – So. – RHP – Humacao, P.R.
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7 IP, 7 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 4 K
- Turned in his fourth straight quality start in as many trips to the mound in SEC play, becoming the first Auburn pitcher to do so since Casey Mize in 2018.
- Is the first Auburn pitcher to win four straight SEC starts since Keegan Thompson did so from Mar. 20-Apr. 11, 2015.
- Recorded the longest scoreless outing of his career as Auburn finished off its first SEC shutout of the season.
- Didn't allow a walk in his third straight start – a span of 24.0 innings.
- Didn't allow multiple baserunners until back-to-back singles to start the eighth inning ended his outing.
- Has allowed six earned run in 30.0 innings and four starts in SEC play, including three earned runs in his last three starts and 24.0 innings.
Carson Skipper – Sr. – LHP – Trussville, Ala.
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 APP, 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R/0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
- Matched Burkhalter and tied for the league lead with four appearances during the week.
- Allowed only two baserunners with six strikeouts and no walks in 5.1 scoreless innings.
- Pitched 2.0 scoreless innings with three strikeouts as Auburn mounted its comeback against Alabama State.
- Earned his fourth win of the season in 1.1 scoreless innings in the series opener against South Carolina.
- Needed just 19 total pitches to record a combined six outs in the middle game and series finale against the Gamecocks, inducing an inning-ending double play with the tying run on base in the eighth inning of the series finale.
TEAM NOTES
Auburn completed its first five-win week since Mar. 5-9, 2019 with a pair of midweek wins against Alabama State and Kennesaw State before a SEC sweep against South Carolina … the sweep was Auburn's first in conference play since sweeping Tennessee on SEC opening weekend in 2019 … the Tigers have also won four straight league games for the first time since starting that 2019 season 4-0 and is four games over .500 in SEC play for the first time since being 7-3 that same season … the team is riding a six-game winning streak and has won 11 of its last 14 games dating back to the series finale at LSU on Apr. 2 … Auburn was trailing or tied in the seventh-ninth innings in four of its six games during the current winning streak … the pitching staff has a 64-14 strikeout-walk ratio during the winning streak … the bullpen during the winning streak has turned in a 1.80 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 20.0 innings … Burkhalter and Skipper have combined to go 2-0 with four saves during the stretch … Auburn's win Tuesday against Alabama State was its eighth one-run win of the season … the Tigers' win in the middle game against South Carolina marked the team's 15th win when trailing in a game this season … the team's win in the series finale was the first SEC shutout of the season … with four weeks of SEC play remaining, Auburn is a game behind Arkansas for first place in the SEC West and is tied with Georgia for third in the league overall … the team's 10-5 record in the last five weeks of SEC play is second in the league … DiChiara continues to lead the league in batting average (.447), on-base percentage (.595) and slugging percentage (.862) and leads the nation in batting average and on-base percentage while ranking third in slugging … no other SEC player is within 100 points of DiChiara in on-base percentage, who has reached via hit, walk or hit-by-pitch 103 times in 37 games … the senior also leads the league in average (.426) and on-base percentage (.573) during conference games while ranking second in slugging (.820) … leadoff hitter Blake Rambusch leads the league in hits overall (65) and in SEC play (32) … Rambusch ranks second to DiChiara in batting average in SEC-only games (.416) … the next closest hitter is hitting .382 … Rambusch has reached base in 39 straight games and in 98 of 99 games dating back to the final 13 games of 2019 … Gonzalez ranks second in the league in ERA (1.71) and is tied in the category in league games (1.80) … Burkhalter leads the league by three and ranks fourth in the country with 11 saves overall … he also leads the league by two with eight saves in SEC play.