AUBURN, Ala. – In the era of exit velo and launch angles, the formula for scoring runs in baseball remains unchanged from a century ago.
Get 'em on, get 'em over, get 'em in.
When a team possesses a power hitter in the middle of the lineup, that second step is occasionally optional, but someone has to set the table.
That someone, for Auburn, is leadoff hitter Blake Rambusch, who's reached base in 47 of Auburn's 49 games and in 105 of the last 107 games dating back to his time at Grayson College.
"That's my whole game," said Rambusch, who's hitting .358 with a .448 on-base percentage, and has been hit by 11 pitches this season. "My whole approach is trying to get on base and doing whatever I can, getting hit by a pitch, getting on by an error, whatever. It doesn't matter for me as long as I can get on base and score a run for my team."
Once Rambusch is aboard, No. 2 hitter Kason Howell seeks to "get 'em over," but with a team-high 14 steals, Rambusch often handles the second part of the equation by himself.
Then comes Sonny DiChiara, with his SEC-best batting average (.412), on-base percentage (.576), slugging percentage (.838) and bases on balls (53).'Thunder': With 57 career home runs, Sonny DiChiara ranks No. 3 among active NCAA hitters
"Every time I look up, he's either on second or third," said DiChiara, who leads the Tigers in hitting, home runs (16) and RBI (45). "It's a cool feeling knowing if I just put this ball in play he's going to score."
Rambusch and DiChiara have combined for 134 hits (.381 average) and 87 runs in their first 49 games at Auburn. Sonny has driven in Blake 12 times.
"Me and Kason talk about it all the time," said Rambusch, who has led off for Auburn in every game this season. "Do anything you possibly can to get on base so we can get this dude up and score soon."
"He's going to hit the ball hard somewhere," DiChiara said. "He's going to get walked. He's never just going to throw an at-bat away. That's pretty cool to watch and be behind him. He just never gets beat.
"When it goes from Rambo to Kason to me, we're always going to put up three good at-bats someway, somehow."
Elite offensive production tells only part of the story. Rambusch at third base and DiChiara at first have anchored Auburn's corner infield positions all season, with Rambusch crediting his first baseman for handling a few errant throws.
"He's gotten me a couple times," Rambusch said with a chuckle. "I've thrown some cutters and some changeups over to him and he'll save me. It's definitely nice having him over at first because he can swing the bat really well and he can play defense just as good."Hot corner: After starting the season in the outfield, Blake Rambusch has handled third base for Auburn
DiChiara returns the compliment, noting Rambusch's ability to handle the hot corner.
"He's definitely got that glove on him," DiChiara said, disputing Rambusch's contention that some of his throws are off target. "Whenever he throws the ball, it always seems to find me right in the chest, and he can do that at every single position on the field too."
DiChiara and Rambusch – Thunder and Lightning as they're referred to in Auburn's game notes and on social media – both joined the Tigers' program this season.
"I always wanted to play in the SEC, always thought Auburn was a super cool school and I knew the values of these coaches," said Rambusch, who played two seasons at Grayson College in Texas. "It was a really easy decision for me."
Growing up in Birmingham, DiChiara was well aware of Auburn. Not only is his mother, Lara, an alumna and former Diamond Doll, Sonny competed annually against the Tigers the past three seasons at Samford.
"Talking to the coaches and their beliefs and morals, I felt like that fit with me," DiChiara said. "I always wanted to play in the SEC. This was a perfect opportunity for me."
One of two sets of SEC teammates to rank in the top 10 in batting average, both overall and in SEC play, the newcomers have made an instant impact on the Plains.
"It's been a dream come true," said Rambusch, who leads the SEC with 73 hits and is tied for the most in league play with 36. "To play in front of these big crowds, it's everything you want to do when you come into this league."
Individual stats aside, Thunder and Lightning lead an Auburn team that's vastly exceeded external expectations and nears the postseason with championship aspirations.
"We've put ourselves in a really good position," DiChiara said. "I can't really put it into words. It's absolutely awesome."Sonny DiChiara (left) has driven in Blake Rambusch 12 times
⚡️ Thunder & Lightning
— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) May 11, 2022
.381: combined batting average for @BlakeRambusch & @SonnyDichiara
87: runs scored in 49 games
12: times Blake has scored on SD RBI
"All I've got to do is get on base." - BR
"Put a ball in play somewhere so they can score." - SD #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/ZwKsISulBE
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer