Precocious Power: Auburn freshman Ethin Bingaman enjoys 'unreal' achievement

AUBURN, Ala. – Traveling all the way from Southern California, Ethin Bingaman’s father and brother got to see the Auburn freshman hit a home run Sunday before leaving in third inning to catch their flight home.

By the time his family made it to the Atlanta airport, the SoCal Slugger had blasted two more homers, becoming the first Auburn freshman in recorded history to hit three home runs in a game.

“Unreal,” Ethin told reporters.

Dustin, Ethin’s dad, and Landin, his brother, barely got to see Ethin’s first homer. With a 3 p.m. “hard out” to leave campus, the Bingamans checked traffic and the incoming flight arrival, determining they could push back their Plainsman Park departure to 3:08 p.m. at the latest, in hopes of seeing Ethin’s second at-bat.

Auburn’s Alex Petrovic worked a one-two-three top of the third, and Ethin was the fifth batter due up in the bottom of the inning.

At 3:07 p.m., one minute before their wheels-up deadline, Ethin homered to give Auburn a 4-2 lead over Oklahoma, pointing to his dad, brother and family friend Mike Phelps cheering from behind home plate as he rounded third base.

“It was a pretty special moment when he made eye contact with us,” said Dustin Bingaman, who high-fived other players’ families and friends while exiting Plainsman Park. “I knew what a big deal it was for him to hit a home run in front of the home crowd.”

Listening to the broadcast on the way to Atlanta, the Bingamans heard Ethin’s three-run homer in the fourth inning, with friends texting videos from the ballpark.

In the bottom of the eighth, Dustin pulled into the rental car return lot just in time to watch Ethin end the game with a three-run homer.

The Bingamans briefly considered taking a Monday morning flight and returning to Auburn to celebrate in person, but Dustin’s wife, Amanda, reminded her husband that they would be traveling to College Station, Texas, five days later for No. 6 Auburn’s series at No. 7 Texas A&M.

“If we want to keep going to games, we still have to work,” Amanda jokingly reminded Dustin, who enjoyed a celebratory call with his slugging son before his plane took off.

It’s a 30-hour, 2,075-mile drive from Redlands, California to Auburn, Alabama.

Auburn benefits by being two hours from Atlanta, a destination for travel baseball teams, who frequently visit the Plains before and after tournaments. That’s how Ethin Bingaman’s Auburn story began.

“If somebody will come to this campus and see this place, it absolutely sells itself,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “They came to campus and we got to learn what they’re all about. He played in the best high school in America, so he was not a secret.”

Perhaps the only surprising aspect of Ethin’s emergence is his position, first base. At Corona High School in Corona, California, 45 miles southeast of Los Angeles, Bingaman was ranked as the nation’s No. 4 right-handed pitcher in the 2025 class.

“He really wanted to swing that bat,” Thompson said. “You never know once we start this journey how it’s going to play out.”

Drafted by Arizona in the 20^th round of the 2025 MLB Draft, Bingaman turned down the Diamondbacks’ offer.

“He’s pretty committed to Auburn,” Thompson said.

Why would a can’t-miss prospect delay professional baseball and decline a seven-figure signing bonus?

“The coaches,” Ethin said. “It sounded like a family, and it sounded like they were going to help me grow as a man. Ever since I showed up on campus, it’s all been true. It’s been really smooth to get down here.”

Playing first base and outfield, Bingaman debuted with a bang after showing power and plate discipline in the fall.

“Ethin has all those characteristics of confidence and toughness to allow his talent to show up,” Thompson said.

Bingaman’s talent showed up early. In Auburn’s seventh game of the season, he homered twice in the Tigers’ 10-6 victory over Louisville Feb. 22 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, a major league venue.

“This kid’s staying in the lineup,” Thompson said after that precocious power surge. “Very competitive. He believes he can play at this level.”

Through seven conference weekends, Bingaman leads Auburn and all SEC freshmen with 21 runs batted in.

While helping Auburn win four consecutive SEC series, he’s batting .395 with four home runs and 17 RBI in those 12 games.

Though his series-clinching hat trick vs. Oklahoma placed him squarely in the SEC and national spotlights, including SEC Co-Freshman of the Week, Baseball America National Team of the Week, NCAA Baseball Lineup of the Week and Perfect Game Co-Freshman of the Week honors, Bingaman prefers to keep the focus on the team.

“It shows we’re working together as a team,” he said. “That’s all we have to do. I feel that’s the simplest way to put it.”

With eight home runs in his first 40 college baseball games, Ethin “Dinger Man” is quickly making a case for Freshman All-America consideration while helping Auburn contend for an SEC championship and a possible NCAA Regional host site.

“I’m grateful for everyone that’s pouring into me, and I’m pouring into them,” he said. “It’s been a blessing.”

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