AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers (24-5, 5-4) visit the Auburn Tigers (17-11, 1-8) for a three-game series starting Friday, April 5, at Plainsman Park. It’s art of a busy weekend on the Plains that also includes the War Eagle Classic softball invitational and the football team’s A-Day spring game.
The Tigers have had a rough start to SEC play, going 1-8 in series at Vanderbilt, versus Arkansas, and at Texas A&M, three of the conference’s best teams. Things do not slow down this weekend against a talented Volunteers squad looking to compete deep into the postseason.
Auburn came into the year with high expectations, and the offense has mostly met those. Auburn is hitting .286 as a team and have a unique combination of speed and power that has led to 55 stolen bases and 53 home runs through 28 games. The offense has performed.
The issues have come from the mound. The Tigers’ pitching staff has a combine ERA of 5.19 and have allowed opponents to hit .269 against them. Even opposite a great offense, that is not a recipe for success, especially in the loaded SEC. Injuries have compounded these struggles, and it has been quite noticeable through their abysmal start to SEC play.
As good as Auburn’s bats have been. Tennessee’s have been better. The Vols are hitting .332 as a team, and they have a staggering 80 home runs through just 29 games. Junior first baseman Blake Burke and Sophomore outfielder Dylan Dreiling have led the way for the Volunteers’ offense. They have a combined 26 home runs to go along with 62 RBI, and they are slugging .838 and .831 respectively.
Tennessee’s pitching has not been as electric as their offense, but it has absolutely gotten the job done. The Vols’ staff has a combined ERA of 3.73 and is holding opponents to a .233 average. Starters Nate Snead and AJ Causey each have five wins to their name. Causey has a K/9 just upward of 12. In other words, he is a strikeout machine.
Tennessee’s one “weakness” this season has been their play on the road. In just three road games, they are 1-2, losing the series to Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Auburn has a solid home-field advantage at Plainsman Park, one that was seen in the Arkansas series. Despite the series loss, the Tigers took all three games down to the wire against the nation’s best team. They will be looking for some of that energy in this series.
Winning this series is key for both teams. A win for Auburn would restore confidence and put them right back in the thick of things in the SEC West. A win for Tennessee could take the Vols to first place in the East.
SEC baseball is in full swing, and this series features some of the conference’s best. It all starts Friday, April 5, at 6 p.m. Watch on SEC Network + or listen on the Auburn Sports Network.
