Birds flying high: Orioles see 'a great fit' in Auburn's Irish

AUBURN, Ala. – When the life-changing phone call ended, Ike Irish turned to his mother and shared the great news.   

“Get ready to learn Baltimore,” said Irish, flashing a smiling that combined joy, gratitude and relief.

The Orioles drafted the Auburn All-American with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft on July 13.

“It was crazy,” Irish told WarEagle+ in an exclusive interview at his family’s home after getting the call. “I’m super happy and excited and glad I came to Auburn.”

Gathered with his family, friends and teammates in Duluth, Georgia, Irish hugged his parents, Jeff and Kelly, after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced the selection.

“It’s awesome,” Ike said. “We’ve got people from my hometown, Hudsonville (Michigan). We have some of our best friends from Auburn. It’s amazing to see the support and all the people who care about me.”

Orioles general manager Mike Elias then called to tell Irish, “We’re really excited to select you. We’ve been watching you all spring. Love your bat and we think you’ll be a great fit here at Camden Yards.”

“They said, ‘We’re so excited to have your bat in our organization,’” Irish said, “’ and we can’t wait to get you in an O’s uniform.’”

That didn’t take long.

Five days after selecting Irish, the Orioles signed him, with Ike wearing a No. 1 jersey and Orioles cap for a photo shoot.

“The Birds,” as the Orioles are often referred to, invested their top pick in a player whose walk-up song last season was “Birds Flying High.”

“They’re getting a ballplayer,” Irish said. “I like to tell myself that I’m an old-school player.”

An old-school player who led Auburn last season in average (.364), on-base percentage (.469), slugging percentage (.710), runs (65), hits (78), home runs (19) and total bases (152) while ranking second in RBI (58) and third in stolen bases (11).

Irish’s journey to baseball stardom began at a young age.

“I traded my pacifier in for a catcher’s mask,” Ike told WarEagle+ before the draft. “I grew up in a baseball family. My real name is Isaac – most people don’t know that – but my parents thought Ike would be a better baseball name.”

Jeff and Kelly were correct. A former professional ballplayer, Jeff guided his son to become a left-handed hitting catcher, knowing the added value those traits carried.

A multisport athlete growing up, Ike also played quarterback in football and left wing in hockey, eventually settling on football and baseball, turning down MLB overtures to enroll at Auburn in the summer of 2022, right after Sonny DiChiara helped lead the Tigers to the College World Series.

“It was always Auburn,” said Irish, who hit .350 for his three-year career (2023-25) on the Plains. “I stepped on campus and it was love at first sight. The coaching staff really stood out to me. They developed guys into high draft picks, good people and good players.”

Irish remained loyal to Auburn, refusing to consider a transfer after the Tigers struggled in 2024, his sophomore season.

“These coaches committed me a spot on this team when I was 15 years old,” said Irish who graduated in three years from Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business. “They stayed with me all through high school. I was able to grow as a person and a player. This coaching staff is such great people and this university is such a great place, it was never in my mind to leave. I love this place. It was a respect thing for Coach Thompson but it was also a love for this place.

“I’ve learned from five great role models: Coach Fox (Scott Foxhall), Teaf (Everett Teaford), Butch (Thompson), Gabe (Gross) and Karl (Nonemaker). They lived out what it’s like to be an Auburn man. It’s the people who make this place great.”

Still soaking in the moment, Irish reflected on Auburn’s role in his baseball journey.

“A lot of thank yous,” he said. “We changed the program this year with the amount of support that came out. This isn’t just a selection for me but it’s for the program, and the program’s going in the right direction.”

Auburn’s 10^th first-round pick, Irish is the Tigers’ fifth highest-drafted player in program history, becoming a fan favorite for his productivity, competitiveness and loyalty to Auburn.

“That’s what I’m most proud of, being able to say that I represented this university, the name on the front more so than the name on the back,” Irish said. “I think this is the best place on Earth and it gave me the best experience on Earth.”

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer