This Week in Auburn Baseball - Feb. 19

Opens in a new window This Week in Auburn Baseball
This Week in Auburn Baseball - Feb. 19This Week in Auburn Baseball - Feb. 19
Noelle Iglesias/Auburn Tigers

WEEK AT A GLANCE
Overall: 3-0
Last Week: 3-0
SEC: 0-0
Non-Conference: 3-0
Streak: W3

Last Week's Results:
Friday – vs. Eastern Kentucky: W, 17-6 (7)
Saturday – vs. Eastern Kentucky: W, 6-1
Sunday – vs. Eastern Kentucky: W, 9-1

This Week's Schedule:
Tuesday – vs. UAB (6 p.m.)
Friday – vs. No. 16 Iowa (5 p.m.)
Saturday – vs. Wichita State (11 a.m.)
Sunday – vs. No. 10 Virginia (3 p.m.)
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Cooper Weiss – Gr. – IF – Fort Myers, Fla.
3 GP/GS, .500/615/.700, 5-for-10, 2 R, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 4-5 SB

  • Tied for the team lead with five hits and led the way with two doubles in the series vs. Eastern Kentucky.
  • Collected a pair of hits and put an end to the season opener with a bases-clearing double in the seventh inning of the Tigers run-rule victory.
  • Went 3-for-3 and set a program record with four stolen bases in the series finale against the Colonels.
  • Reached base in 8-of-13 plate appearances, good for a .615 on-base percentage.
  • Turned in a 1.000 fielding percentage at shortstop, recording nine assists and helping turn three double plays.

Chris Stanfield – So. – OF – Tallahassee, Fla.
3 GP/GS, .444/.643/1.111, 4-for-9, 4 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1-1 SB

  • Highlighted a four-run first inning in the season opener with a three-run home run and drove in a career-high four RBI in the game.
  • Collected a hit in all three contests and accounted for the cycle with his first four hits of the season – Friday: home run; Saturday: single, triple; Sunday: double.
  • Reached base in 9-of-14 plate appearance, good for a .643 on-base percentage, and led the team with five walks.

Ike Irish – So. – C – Hudsonville, Mich.
3 GP/GS, .385/.429/.846, 5-for-13, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBI

  • Matched a career high with four hits and drove in four runs in the season opener vs. Eastern Kentucky.
  • Extended the Tigers Opening Day lead from two to four with a two-RBI single in the second and added on with a solo homer in the fourth.
  • Started the five-run sixth inning with a groundout up the middle, the only time he was putout all game.
  • Got Auburn's offense started with a RBI triple in the first inning of the series finale.

 

PITCHERS OF THE WEEK
Carson Myers – Jr. – LHP – Bowling Green, Ky.
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K, .100 B/AVG

  • Helped Auburn secure its sweep vs. Eastern Kentucky with 6.0 scoreless innings and a career-high eight strikeouts against the Colonels.
  • His 6.0 innings were the most by an Auburn pitcher on Opening Weekend since Casey Mize also went 6.0 innings in 2018.
  • Didn't allow his first hit until there were two outs in the fourth inning and faced just three batters over the minimum in his outing.
  • Didn't allow more than one baserunner in any inning.
  • Struck out the side on 12 pitches in his final inning of work.

Joseph Gonzalez – R-Jr. – RHP – Humacao, PR
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R/0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, .125 B/AVG

  • Making his first appearances in 364 days, he earned the win and didn't allow an earned run in 5.0 innings.
  • Induced a pair of double play balls in the first and second innings to work around four Eastern Kentucky baserunners.
  • Retired eight straight batters from the third to the fifth inning before a two-out error ultimately led to the Colonels lone unearned run of the game.

 

TEAM NOTES
Auburn secured its first season-opening series sweep since 2021 and outscored Eastern Kentucky 32-8 on the weekend … after allowing a three-run second inning in the season opener, the Tigers allowed just two earned runs in the final 23 frames, good for a 0.78 ERA during the span … the pitching staff's 1.80 ERA overall is good for fourth best in the league after Opening Weekend … the Tigers didn't walk a batter on Opening Day, marking the first game without walking a batter since Feb. 21, 2023 vs. North Alabama … the eight walks on the weekend were tied for the third fewest in the league … the team hit .330 (12-for-40) with runners in scoring position and .692 (9-for-13) with a runner on third and less than two outs …  eight players drove in multiple runs on the weekend and six collected three or more hits … Auburn hit four triples on the weekend, good for the second most in the country … the team didn't hit its fourth triple last season until Mar. 7 (12 games) and recorded 10 on the season … Auburn stole nine bases against Eastern Kentucky, good for the second most in the SEC … the team didn't steal its ninth base of the season a year ago until Mar. 8 (13 games) … Cooper Weiss set the program record with four stolen bases in the series finale