AUBURN, Ala. – No. 23 Auburn (14-3) opens Southeastern Conference play with a top-25 showdown against No. 13 Vanderbilt (14-3) Friday through Sunday at Plainsman Park.
First pitches are currently scheduled for Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m. CT and Sunday at 2 p.m. With Saturday's weather forecast, fans are encouraged to check AuburnTigers.com and social media for potential schedule changes.
“We’ve been waiting for this and working for this and preparing for this, so we’re excited to host Vanderbilt,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “I’m looking forward to the series, looking forward to having Josh (Donaldson) back, and looking forward to being in the friendly confines of Plainsman Park.”
The games will be broadcast on the Auburn Sports Network and can be heard locally on Wings 94.3 FM or ESPN 106.7. All three contests will also be streamed digitally on SEC Network+.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday – Sr. RHP Samuel Dutton (2-1, 1.31) vs. Jr. LHP JD Thompson (2-0, 3.66)
Saturday – Jr. LHP Cade Fisher (0-0, 5.14) vs. So. LHP Ethan McElvain (0-2, 8.74)
Sunday – Fr. RHP Christian Chatterton (2-0, 2.66) vs. Jr. RHP Cody Bowker (2-1, 1.89)
QUICK HITTERS
Auburn has won four of eight SEC home opening series under head coach Butch Thompson.
The Tigers have opened SEC play against a ranked opponent in all eight SEC seasons under Thompson. Seven of those series have come against top-10 opponents.
Auburn is 10-2 at home this season and has outscored the opponent 105-50 at Plainsman Park.
The team has won six straight series dating back to the end of the 2024 season.
The offense enters the weekend ranked in the top 25 in average (.329), hits (187), home runs (25) and on-base percentage (.442).
The Tigers are 12-0 when outhitting the opponent this season.
Starting pitchers Samuel Dutton and Christian Chatterton are a combined 4-0 with a 1.15 ERA and 39 strikeouts to eight walks in their last three starts and 31.1 innings pitched.
Auburn leads the all-time series vs. Vanderbilt 98-69, including a 56-23 record in games played at Plainsman Park.
The home team has won each of the last five series with four of five meetings resulting in a sweep.
SCOUTING THE COMMODORES
Vanderbilt enters SEC Opening Weekend with a 14-3 overall record and is outscoring opponents 51-5 during its current five-game winning streak.
Offensively, the Commodores are hitting .292 as a team with 137 runs on 156 hits in 17 games. Senior utility player Jacob Humphrey leads the way with a .439 average, good for eighth in the league. Preseason Second Team All-SEC honoree RJ Austin is hitting .364 and leads the team with 10 stolen bases.
On the mound, Vanderbilt has turned in a 3.11 staff ERA with 211 strikeouts in 142.0 innings pitched. The Commodores rank top 12 in the country in hits allowed per 9.0 innings (5.58), strikeouts per 9.0 innings (13.4), WHIP (1.06) and ERA.
PROMOTIONS
Friday – Josh Donaldson Day and Bringer of Rain umbrella hat giveaway
Saturday – Light-up cowboy hat giveaway
Sunday – Freshman trading card giveaway and postgame autograph session
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Plainsman Park now features two new premium club areas in the Broadway Club at Plainsman Park and 984 Club along with the return of the Hall of Fame Club, which opened in 2024. Additionally, the ballpark now has expanded general admission areas in the War Eagle Wall, Tiger Terrance and Plainsman Patio.
Pregame road closures: Event staff will assist fans using crosswalks up until 15 minutes prior to first pitch, at which time there will be a full closure of Donahue Drive between the right field gate and intersection of Heisman Drive for fans to enter Plainsman Park. Donahue will re-open shortly after first pitch.
Postgame egress road closures: Donahue Drive will again be fully closed from right field to Heisman Drive starting between the 7th and 8th innings. It will remain closed until the stadium has cleared of fans, roughly 30 minutes after the final out of the game.
New entrances: In an effort to expedite fan entry to Plainsman Park, two new entrances have now been introduced on the lower First Base Concourse, along Donahue Drive. The traditional Home Plate Concourse and Tiger Terrace gates will continue to provide stadium admission, as well as the premium entrance outside of the Hall of Fame Club for those with reserved seats inside the Hall of Fame Club.
Metal detecting: Consistent with other Auburn Athletics venues, fans entering any gate at Plainsman Park this season will be asked to walk through a metal detector upon entry.
For a complete overview of gamedays at Plainsman Park for 2025, click here.