COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 5 Auburn (14-2, 0-0 SEC) starts its 10-week slate of Southeastern Conference play by looking to snap Missouri’s (15-2, 0-0 SEC) 13-game win streak this weekend in Columbia, Missouri.
First pitches at Taylor Stadium are scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. CT, Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m.
“I know (Missouri) has won 13 in a row now, so we’ll all respect that,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “Me and the players, we just have to try to stay consistent and stay in the moment. We’re playing tough, playing hard and playing together.”
The games will be broadcast on the Auburn Sports Network and can be heard locally on Wings 94.3 FM or ESPN 106.7 FM. The series will also be broadcast digitally on SEC Network+.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday – So. LHP Jake Marciano (2-0, 1.23) vs. Gr. LHP Javyn Pimental (2-0, 4.76)
Saturday – So. LHP Jackson Sanders (2-0, 3.22) vs. Jr. RHP Josh McDevitt (3-0, 2.37)
Sunday – R-So. RHP Alex Petrovic (3-0, 2.37) vs. So. LHP Brady Kehlenbrink (3-0, 4.29)
QUICK HITTERS
Auburn is looking to win its SEC road opener for the third time in the last five seasons.
The team has won seven straight games, outscoring the opponents 74-12 during the span.
The Tigers are hitting .352 with a .488 on-base percentage to go along with a 1.26 ERA during the win streak.
Auburn hasn’t allowed more than two runs in five straight games, including one total run allowed in three games against Winthrop last weekend, marking the fewest in a series since 2018.
The program has won 17 of 20 regular season series dating back to the final two series of the 2024 season, good for the second most in the league (Texas, 18) during the span.
The pitching staff has struck out 186 batters and issued 32 walks through 16 games.
The 186 strikeouts are the third most through 16 games in the stat crew era (1993-pres) and the 32 walks allowed are the fewest through 16 games during that time period.
Starting pitchers have turned in 5.0 or more innings in 13 of 16 games this season and are 9-1 with a 2.06 ERA and 118 strikeouts compared to 13 walks in 83.0 innings pitched this season.
Auburn is 13-14 all-time against Missouri but has won three straight series dating back to 2021, going 8-2 overall during the span.
The weekend marks Auburn’s first true road games of the season, but the Tigers are 3-0 away from Plainsman Park.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Missouri enters SEC opening weekend with a 15-2 overall record while riding a 13-game win streak, good for the third longest in the country.
The Tigers wrapped up a four-game sweep of UIC last weekend by scoring 29 unanswered runs in the last two-plus games of the series.
Offensively, Missouri is hitting .334 as a team, good for the 14th best mark in the country, and are led by Tyler Macon’s SEC-best .476 clip. Jase Woita leads the team with four home runs and 27 RBI.
On the mound, the Tigers have turned in a 3.99 staff ERA with 170 strikeouts and 81 walks in 142.0 innings pitched. The weekend rotation is a combined 8-0 with 77 strikeouts in 57.0 innings pitched.