ARLINGTON, Texas – Hitting the road for the first time this season, No. 5 Auburn (3-1) travels to Arlington, Texas, to participate in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series for the second straight season.
The Tigers will take on Kansas State (4-0) Friday at 7 p.m. CT, No. 9 Florida State (3-0) Saturday at 3 p.m. and No. 15 Louisville (2-2) Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
“Going out to Arlington has been huge for us, the program’s third trip,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “Last year was a huge confidence boost for us and really molded our ballclub. The event has continued to grow. This is huge for us. These guys dream and aspire of doing great in college and then going on and playing professional baseball, and getting to play in a recent World Champions’ dome in February is hard to beat.
All three games will be broadcast on the Auburn Sports Network and can be heard locally on Wings 94.3 FM on Friday and Sunday and ESPN 106.7 FM Saturday. The games will also be broadcast on FloCollege and viewable with a monthly subscription.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday – So. LHP Jake Marciano (0-0, 1.80) vs. Jr. RHP James Guyette (1-0, 7.20)
Saturday – So. LHP Jackson Sanders (0-0, 1.50) vs. Jr. RHP Bryson Moore (0-0, 16.20)
Sunday - R-So. RHP Alex Petrovic (1-0, 0.00) vs. Sr. LHP Wyatt Danilowicz (1-0, 0.00)
QUICK HITTERS
This weekend marks Auburn’s third trip to Arlington in the last five seasons, and the Tigers hold a 5-1 record with five straight wins in the event.
Auburn’s rotation of Jake Marciano, Jackson Sanders and Alex Petrovic combined to turn in a 1.12 ERA with 29 strikeouts and one walk in 16.0 innings vs. Youngstown State last weekend.
All three starters registered career highs in strikeouts Opening Weekend – Marciano (12), Sanders (8), Petrovic (9).
The Tigers enter the weekend ranked seventh in the NCAA in strikeouts per nine innings (14.4) and top 25 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.09) and WHIP (1.03).
The pitching staff has struck out 12 or more batters in each of the first four games of a season for the first time since 1997 and for the first time in any four-game stretch since the last four games of the 2022 postseason.
Chase Fralick has seven hits in the last three games and leads the team with eight hits in 15 at-bats (.533) so far this season.
Seventeen position players have seen action in the first four games of the season, including 10 making their Auburn debut.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Kansas State enters the weekend with a 4-0 record under eighth-year head coach Pete Hughes, having outscored its opponents 57-22 in the first four games of the season.
Offensively, the Wildcats are hitting .396 with 53 hits, including 19 extra-base hits. Shortstop Dee Kennedy was named the Brooks Wallace Award Shortstop of the Week after hitting .500 (7-for-14) with two doubles, three homers and 15 RBI Opening Weekend.
On the mound, Kansas State has a 4.76 team ERA with 40 strikeouts and 14 walks in 36.0 innings pitched. The Tigers will see right hander James Guyette, who earned the Opening Day win vs. Iowa with eight strikeouts in 5.0 innings.
SCOUTING THE SEMINOLES
Florida State enters the second weekend with a 3-0 record under third-year head coach and former Auburn assistant Link Jarrett. The Seminoles have outscored their opponents 34-9 through three games.
Offensively, the team is hitting .350 and have been led by a quarter of everyday starters hitting .400 or higher, headlined by sophomore first baseman Myles Bailey’s .625 clip (5-for-8) and .786 on-base percentage.
On the mound, the Seminoles have turned in a 3.38 staff ERA with 34 strikeouts and 12 walks in 24.0 innings. Junior right hander Bryson Moore will start against Auburn after allowing three runs in 1.2 innings Opening Weekend.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
Louisville enters the weekend 2-2 under 20th-year head coach Dan McDonnell after dropping two of three games against Michigan State Opening Weekend before responding in the midweek vs. Xavier.
Offensively, the Cardinals scored seven runs in the first two games of the season but have exploded for 32 runs in the last two wins, including 23 runs on 23 hits Tuesday. The team is hitting .368 and is led by junior outfielder Ben Slanker’s .500 (5-for-10) clip.
On the mound, Louisville has a 7.25 ERA with 39 strikeouts and 14 walks in 36.0 innings and has allowed double digit runs in two of the first four games. Auburn will faced senior lefty Wyatt Danilowicz, who was named the ACC Pitcher of the Week after strikeout out nine batters in 6.0 scoreless last weekend.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Fans can access the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series tournament central page here.