AUBURN, Ala. – When baserunners try to steal against Auburn, junior catcher Nate LaRue responds to the challenge like Michael Jordan in "The Last Dance."
"I take it personally," LaRue said. "I hope you get a good jump. I want a competition. It makes my job more exciting."
Fifteen would-be thieves have attempted to steal bases against LaRue this season. Ten times he's thrown them out.
"Being able to shut that down is my contribution to us as a team," LaRue said. "That's pretty much my whole game. That was always my point of emphasis: footwork, transfers, receiving and blocking. That's the biggest part of my game."'My contribution': Nate LaRue has thrown out 10 of 15 would-be base stealers
Success in hitting depends in part on who's pitching. Not so with defense.
"You're going to fail a lot in hitting," said LaRue, who's batting .221 with four home runs and 27 runs batted in while boasting a .994 fielding percentage, committing only two errors in 330 chances. "Defense is the one thing you can just about master."
That mastery doesn't just happen. LaRue and fellow Auburn catchers Ryan Dyal, Jake Wyandt and Ben Schorr can show you the bruises and scrapes that come with their position. And that's just from practice.
"Foul balls. Your knees are always taking a beating because you're squatting and slamming on the ground when you block. Forearm, bicep," LaRue said, ticking off catchers' occupational hazards.
"It's a part of why we do it. We enjoy being back there, we enjoy getting down and dirty. We just put our nose in it."
"You notice a lot more': Nate LaRue with Auburn pitcher Carson Skipper
From his vantage point behind the plate, LaRue observes much, always anticipating what could happen next.
"You're looking at everybody constantly," he said. "What's Sonny doing over there at first. Where's Rambo, Cole, Farqy, Brody? Outfielders, where are they at? If a ball is hit in the gap are they going to be able to get an out at home?
"You start noticing everybody and every move, every prep step everyone makes. You know the pitchers, how they work, how their pitches work. You understand other hitters: up in the box, back in the box, off the plate, on the plate. A late swing vs. an early swing. You notice a lot more."
A two-way standout at McGill-Toolen High School in Mobile, Alabama, LaRue pitched in five games this season for Auburn, recording a 1.69 ERA.
"Growing up playing travel ball, we'd play four games a day," he said. "I'd catch three, pitch the last one. It's not that difficult for me because I've done it my whole life."
Settled in solely at catcher since the first SEC series in mid-March, LaRue figures to be tested Friday when No. 14 national seed Auburn plays Southeastern Louisiana at 6 p.m. CT in the Tigers' NCAA Tournament regional opener. The Lions have stolen 113 bases in 147 attempts, a 77 percent success rate.
If Auburn can neutralize opponents' baserunning in the regional, it will improve the Tigers' prospects of advancing.
"It doesn't give them as much chance to get momentum. You're always looking for any edge you can get in a game," LaRue said. "If you throw a guy out or get an inning-ending double play in a big situation, that's always going to carry over into the offense."
Playing at home, says LaRue, can be another momentum creator.
"That's huge," he said. "We always say the Road to Omaha starts here. We're fortunate enough that it actually does this year. That's really big for all of us. Our home fans, I can't express enough how important that is."
Auburn catcher Nate LaRue
"We've had a lot of guys step up."
— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) May 31, 2022
🗣@Ralue24 on @AuburnBaseball pitching staff
On the prospect of a packed Plainsman Park & its potential impact on this weekend's regional:
"That'd be huge for us."#WarEagle I #RoadToOmaha pic.twitter.com/pzKGLJGwkB
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer