AUBURN, Ala. – No. 14 national seed Auburn (37-19) begins its first regional on the Plains in 12 seasons against Southeastern (30-29) Friday at 6 p.m. CT at Plainsman Park.
Next Game:
vs. Southeastern
Friday, June 3, 2022
6 p.m. CT
Radio: Auburn Sports Network
"The next time we take the field it'll be for keeps," head coach Butch Thompson said. "You play an entire season for moments when it's time to prove it. You have to draw from every experience that you've had this entire season and put it into play. There's no more reset. This is it. You have to prove it and play well to continue to advance."
Prior to the Tigers taking on the Lions, UCLA (38-22) and Florida State (33-23) will square off in the first game of the Auburn Regional at 11 a.m.
All Auburn games will be broadcast on the Auburn Sports Network and can be heard locally on 93.9 FM. Friday's contest will also be available for streaming on ESPN+.
AUBURN REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday, June 3
Game 1 – 11 a.m.: #2 UCLA vs. #3 Florida State (ESPN2)
Game 2 – 6 p.m.: #1 Auburn vs. #4 Southeastern Louisiana (ESPN+)
Saturday, June 4
Game 3 – 12 p.m.: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser (TBD)
Game 4 – 6 p.m.: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner (TBD)
Sunday, June 5
Game 5 – 1 p.m.: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser (TBD)
Game 6 – 6 p.m.: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner (TBD)
Monday, June 6
Game 7 (if necessary) – 6 p.m.: Game 6 Loser vs. Game 6 Winner (TBD)
PROBABLE STARTERS
UCLA vs. Florida State – So. RHP Max Rajcic (8-4, 3.08) vs. R-So. LHP Parker Messick (6-5, 3.36)
Auburn vs. Southeastern Louisiana – Jr. RHP Trace Bright vs. Fr. LHP Adam Guth (4-1, 5.13)
QUICK HITTERS
This weekend marks Auburn's 23rd NCAA Regional appearance, including it's fourth in the last five full seasons under head coach Butch Thompson.
It marks the fifth time the program has hosted (1978, 1999, 2003, 2010).
The Tigers are 48-33 all-time in regional play, including 8-2 under Thompson, and have won six straight regional games, outscoring opponents 66-25 during the span.
The team is 9-7 in NCAA Regional contests at home, including winning the 1999 Auburn Regional.
Auburn has won its regional opener in six of the last seven appearances dating back to 2003.
The Tigers are 22-9 at home this season and have won 10 of the last 12 games at Plainsman Park.
Auburn won back-to-back regionals for the first time in program history in 2018 (Raleigh) and 2019 (Atlanta).
The Tigers were one of five schools to sweep back-to-back regionals during the span - joining Arkansas, North Carolina, Texas Tech and Vanderbilt - and was the only program to do it on the road twice.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
After starting the season 8-18, Southeastern Louisiana enters the regional with a 30-29 overall record and recently went on to win the Southland Conference Tournament.
The regional marks the program's fourth in the last eight full seasons under head coach Matt Riser.
Offensively, Southeastern is hitting .251 as a team and is led by Preston Faulkner's .343 clip. The Lions have hit 69 home runs and have stolen 113 bases, good for the 13th most in the country.
SCOUTING THE BRUINS
UCLA enters the postseason with a 38-22 overall record and 19-11 mark in Pac-12 play, finishing third in the conference.
Offensively, the Bruins are hitting .278 as a team, led by a trio of players with an average of .310 or higher. The team scored 25 runs in a wild-extra inning game against Oregon State last Saturday.
On the mound, UCLA has turned in a 3.99 staff ERA, good for the 16th best clip in the country, and led the Pac-12 while ranking 10th in the country in WHIP (1.26).
SCOUTING THE SEMINOLES
Florida State enters its record-tying 44th consecutive NCAA Tournament with a 33-23 overall record and went 15-15 in ACC play.
The Seminoles have turned in a .263 team batting average, led by Jamie Ferrer's .319 clip, and have collected 174 extra-base hits.
On the mound, Florida State has turned in a 4.08 staff ERA and leads the country in strikeouts per nine innings (12.0), totaling 675 strikeouts in 507.0 innings of work. Starters Parker Messick and Bryce Hubbart have combined for 234 punchouts.
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, stadium parking deck and Neville Arena lot, and are advised to allow for additional timing with expected crowds this weekend.
Fans traveling to Auburn via RV are required to park in the hayfield lot located near the corner of S. Donahue Drive and Lem Morrison Drive.
Auburn students must enter via the Tiger Terrace gate located down the left field line.
The Auburn Team Shop will be located at the intersection of S. Donahue Drive and Heisman Drive, across the street from Plainsman Park.
All transactions for concessions and merchandise at Plainsman Park will be cashless (credit/debit and Tiger Cards only).