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It's unlikely Auburn baseball has a better opportunity to move up in the SEC standings the rest of the season than what it has this weekend.
After a four-game home stand saw the 11th-ranked Tigers get another ranked victory and SEC series win, they'll head back on the road for a three-game series against No. 6 Tennessee this weekend, starting Friday (5:30 p.m. CT) in Knoxville.
It's another vital juncture in the back half of SEC play, as Auburn (31-14, 11-10 SEC) sits in fringe territory. Currently tied for ninth in the league, the Tigers are still projected as a top-16 seed in this year's NCAA Tournament. However, following their sweep of then-No. 3 LSU, they were widely considered a top-eight seed, which would give them a chance to host a Super Regional for the first time ever.
Now, they're widely listed somewhere between the No. 9 and 16 seeds, but with a big weekend at Tennessee (36-9, 13-8), their outlook could change mightily.
Ahead of a pivotal series, here are three things to know about the Volutneers.
When Tennessee came into its own under head coach Tony Vitello, it was by way of the long ball, and this year's Volunteers haven't let up in that regard.
Currently, Tennessee has the third-best team batting average in the SEC, as well as a league-leading slugging percentage. It's also one of two SEC squads with 100 or more home runs. The Volunteers are led in that mark by Andrew Fischer, (16) but they have four other players with at least 10 homers this season.
Like Fischer, Doyle is another Ole Miss transfer who has dazzled in his first season in Knoxville. All 11 of his appearances have been starts, and just two of them have lasted fewer than five innings.
He's far and away the best starting pitching in the SEC, leading the league in ERA (2.23), opponent batting average (.144) and strikeouts. (110)
While Auburn will have its hands full with the likes of Tennessee's Doyle and Fischer, there's some reason to believe the Tigers could leave Knoxville with a series win. Seven of Tennessee's eight SEC losses have come in the past four weekends, and three of those weekends have been in Knoxville.
The Volunteers lost a home series to an unranked-but-surging Texas A&M before heading to Ole Miss for a series win. After that, they came home for another series loss, this time to unranked Kentucky, before heading to Baton Rouge this past weekend for a series loss at LSU.
Auburn's NCAA Tournament resume is in good standing, but what would vault it to another level would be quality road wins. It'll very much have its shot at those this weekend.
Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at [email protected] or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn baseball: Three things to know ahead of series at No. 6 Tennessee
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After a four-game home stand saw the 11th-ranked Tigers get another ranked victory and SEC series win, they'll head back on the road for a three-game series against No. 6 Tennessee this weekend, starting Friday (5:30 p.m. CT) in Knoxville.
It's another vital juncture in the back half of SEC play, as Auburn (31-14, 11-10 SEC) sits in fringe territory. Currently tied for ninth in the league, the Tigers are still projected as a top-16 seed in this year's NCAA Tournament. However, following their sweep of then-No. 3 LSU, they were widely considered a top-eight seed, which would give them a chance to host a Super Regional for the first time ever.
Now, they're widely listed somewhere between the No. 9 and 16 seeds, but with a big weekend at Tennessee (36-9, 13-8), their outlook could change mightily.
Ahead of a pivotal series, here are three things to know about the Volutneers.
Auburn baseball will face one of the best slugging offenses in the SEC
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When Tennessee came into its own under head coach Tony Vitello, it was by way of the long ball, and this year's Volunteers haven't let up in that regard.
Currently, Tennessee has the third-best team batting average in the SEC, as well as a league-leading slugging percentage. It's also one of two SEC squads with 100 or more home runs. The Volunteers are led in that mark by Andrew Fischer, (16) but they have four other players with at least 10 homers this season.
Liam Doyle the star of Auburn baseball's opponent's pitching staff
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Like Fischer, Doyle is another Ole Miss transfer who has dazzled in his first season in Knoxville. All 11 of his appearances have been starts, and just two of them have lasted fewer than five innings.
He's far and away the best starting pitching in the SEC, leading the league in ERA (2.23), opponent batting average (.144) and strikeouts. (110)
Tennessee may have some stars. But with Auburn baseball incoming, it may be vulnerable
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While Auburn will have its hands full with the likes of Tennessee's Doyle and Fischer, there's some reason to believe the Tigers could leave Knoxville with a series win. Seven of Tennessee's eight SEC losses have come in the past four weekends, and three of those weekends have been in Knoxville.
The Volunteers lost a home series to an unranked-but-surging Texas A&M before heading to Ole Miss for a series win. After that, they came home for another series loss, this time to unranked Kentucky, before heading to Baton Rouge this past weekend for a series loss at LSU.
Auburn's NCAA Tournament resume is in good standing, but what would vault it to another level would be quality road wins. It'll very much have its shot at those this weekend.
Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at [email protected] or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn baseball: Three things to know ahead of series at No. 6 Tennessee
Continue reading...
