ARLINGTON, Texas. – After a nine-game homestand to start the season, No. 25 Auburn hits the road to compete in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series presented by Kubota at Globe Life Field.
The Tigers (7-1) will take on Ohio State (1-5) Friday at 3 p.m. CT, No. 8 Oregon State (5-2) Saturday at 6 p.m. and Baylor (7-1) Sunday at 3 p.m.
“These will be three teams that will absolutely give us a dress rehearsal of what it’s going to be like on the road playing in our league,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s a first-class tournament.
“We’ll learn more about our ballclub and that’s why you take these trips and create these experiences, to see if we can get connected on the road and keep trying to play consistent baseball,” Thompson added.
The games will be broadcast on the Auburn Sports Network and can be heard locally on Wings 94.3 FM. They will also be streamed digitally with a subscription to FloCollege.
Tournament information and links to purchase tickets for the weekend can be found here.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday – Sr. RHP Samuel Dutton (1-1, 0.90) vs. So. RHP Drew Erdmann (0-0, 11.57)
Saturday – TBA vs. TBA
Sunday – Fr. RHP Christian Chatterton (0-0, 4.66) vs. R-Sr. RHP Cole Stasio (1-0, 4.50)
QUICK HITTERS
Auburn is riding a seven-game winning streak and is outscoring opponents 73-27 with a .379 batting average and 88 hits during the stretch.
The Tigers are 27-5 in non-conference play since the beginning of last season and 165-60-1 in non-conference play under head coach Butch Thompson.
Auburn has 13 or more hits in four straight games for the first time since 2010-11.
The team enters the weekend ranked third in the SEC and 11th in the country with a .345 average. The Tigers also rank top 20 in the country in hits (102; second in SEC, seventh in NCAA), home runs (15; third in SEC, eighth in NCAA), runs (79; fifth in SEC, 16th in NCAA) and slugging percentage (.561; fifth in SEC, 16th in NCAA).
Auburn has hit four home runs in back-to-back games and has added five doubles to total 13 extra-base hits in the last two.
Freshmen Chase Fralick, Chris Rembert and Bub Terrell have combined to hit .361 with 17 runs, 22 hits, four doubles, five home runs and 19 RBI in the last six games.
In his first two starts in an Auburn uniform, Dutton is 1-1 with a 0.90 ERA and has struck out a career high seven batters in both trips to the mound.
Auburn relief pitchers are 7-0 with a 2.18 ERA and have held opponents to a .152 average against through nine games.
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State enters the weekend with a 1-5 overall record under first-year head coach Justin Haire. The Buckeyes went 1-2 at the Jacksonville College Baseball Classic last weekend, losing one game in extra innings and another in walk-off fashion, and have played all six of their games to this point on the road.
Offensively, the Buckeyes are hitting .257 with 10 home runs and 50 runs scored. Senior Tyler Pettorini carries team-leading marks in batting average (.360) and OPS (1.132) into Friday’s game. South Carolina transfer Ellis Lee is slugging .609 and leads the team with three home runs and eight RBI.
Ohio State has used 16 pitchers in six games and has posted an 8.83 ERA with 44 strikeouts and 39 walks in 53.0 innings. Opponents are hitting .284 against the Buckeyes, good for over a hit per inning.
SCOUTING THE BEAVERS
Oregon State and sixth-year head coach Mitch Canham enter the weekend at 5-2. They started the season 5-0 before dropping the final two games in the Round Rock Classic last weekend.
The Beavers are hitting .320 as a team with 63 runs scored and 77 hits. Hawai’i native Aiva Arquette leads the team with a .440 batting average and five extra-base hits in 25 at-bats. Infielder Tyce Peterson has a 1.126 OPS and a .391 batting average.
On the bump, Oregon State has posted a 3.25 team ERA with 72 strikeouts and 41 walks in 61.0 innings. As a team, the Beavers have allowed 29 runs in seven games, with eighteen being scored in their last two games.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Baylor is off to a 7-1 start under third-year head coach Mitch Thompson, marking the program’s fourth 7-1 start since 1995. The Bears have turned in two shutouts and are outscoring opponents by 39 runs in seven games.
As a team, Baylor is hitting .342 with 68 runs scored on 90 hits. Senior infielder and Dutchman Tyriq Kemp is hitting .520 with a .840 slugging percentage. Outfielder Wesley Jordan has a 1.251 OPS and is tied for the team lead with 10 RBI.
The Bears carry the 21st best team ERA in the nation into the weekend at 2.15. As a staff, Baylor has nearly a four to one strikeout-to-walk ratio with 73 strikeouts to 19 walks in 71.0 innings.