Auburn baseball notebook – May 23

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Taylor Sondgeroth/AU Athletics

WEEK AT A GLANCE
Overall: 37-18
Last Week: 2-2
SEC: 16-13
Non-Conference: 21-5
Streak: L1

Last Week's Results:
Tuesday – vs. Samford: W, 8-4
Thursday – at Kentucky: L, 1-5
Friday – at Kentucky: W, 6-3
Saturday – at Kentucky: L, 3-6

This Week's Schedule:
Tuesday – vs. Kentucky (TBD)

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Bobby Peirce – R-Jr. – OF – Scottsdale, Ariz.

4 GP/GS, .333/.333/.722, 6-for-18, 4 R, 2 2B, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI

  • Led the team with six hits and tied for the team lead in runs, doubles and homers last week
  • Matched a season-high with three hits, including a double and a triple, in the win at Kentucky
  • Hit his seventh homer of the season, all coming since Apr. 12, in the series finale
  • Has accounted for five of the team's last 13 homers since Apr. 30

Kason Howell – Sr. – OF – Argyle, Texas

4 GP/GS, .333/.375/.400, 5-for-15, 4 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SAC

  • Started his 100th straight game in center field against Samford
  • Collected multiple hits in two of the four games last week, his 17th and 18th multi-hit games of the season
  • Got Auburn's scoring started with a go-ahead, two-RBI double in the third inning in the middle game in Lexington  

PITCHERS OF THE WEEK
Joseph Gonzalez – So. – RHP – Humacao, PR

0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K

  • Turned in his fourth scoreless start of 5.0 or more innings before the game was delayed due to weather
  • Allowed just five baserunners and didn't surrender an extra-base hit
  • Threw 79 pitches, 54 of which were strikes (68 percent)

Trace Bright – Jr. – RHP – Montgomery, Ala.

1-0, 3.60 ERA, 1 GS, 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R/2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K

  • Earned his first win of SEC play in the middle game at Kentucky
  • Didn't issue a walk for the second time this season and struck out five batters
  • Auburn won the fifth straight game in which he has pitched

TEAM NOTES
Auburn's comeback wins against Samford and Kentucky marked the team's 19th and 20th come-from-behind wins this season … the wins were also the 14th and 15th wins away from home this season, tying for the most among SEC teams and marking the second most in a season since 2003 … the 37 regular season wins are tied for the most since 2010 … Auburn turned in a .500 or better record in SEC play for the third time under head coach Butch Thompson … the program had just one such season (20-10, 2010) from 2004 until Thompson's arrival prior to the 2016 season … the Tigers enter the SEC Tournament No. 7 in the RPI … Auburn's appearance in the SEC Tournament is its 29th all-time and its fifth straight … the five straight appearances are the most since making seven straight from 1997-2003 … the No. 5 seed is the team's highest in the tournament since winning the SEC West in 2010 … the team is 35-51 all-time in the tournament, including 14-14 in their first game, 4-7 under Thompson and 4-0 against Kentucky.