Auburn baseball is ready to "prove it" in the postseason

All season, Auburn heard what the naysayers were saying. Picked in the preseason to finish last in the West and seemingly always picked to lose whatever weekend series was about to start, Auburn players and coaches know that not everybody believes in their body of work.

Auburn head coach Butch Thompson understands. “‘Prove it’ is kind of our motto right now,” Thompson said. “Some people believe in our program, some people don’t. It’s always that way, no matter what stage you are." He can acknowledge that they've had success this season, but not enough to answer the questions from outsiders. "We finished the regular season tied for the third-most wins in the SEC. We finished tied for the most wins on the road in the SEC. We’ve done some nice things, but it’s time to win some part of a championship."

The first step to winning a championship starts with a matchup against Southeastern Louisiana at home in Plainsman Park, only the 3rd Regional hosted inside the storied venue since 1999.

Holding victories in the only two matchups between these programs, 12-4 and 15-3 in March of 1981 during SLU's first season at the D1 level, Auburn is facing a unique Lions squad that blitzed through the Southland Conference tournament with 83 runs and a record twenty stolen bases in seven games, setting or tying nineteen total conference tournament records in the process.

Dropping the opening game of both bracket play and the championship round, they were 6-0 in potential elimination games, defeating Houston Baptist, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, New Orleans, and McNeese State.

The most prominent fact that jumps off the stat sheet about the Lions is their steal totals - 113 successful stolen bases in 147 attempts. Thompson's aware of the uniqueness of what they do, "You start looking at all that the things you have to prepare for - fake breaks, antsy on the bases; they're going to be moving and jockeying for position all the time." Thompson's familiar with what this approach can do to the scoreboard. "The last time I competed against them, they stole home on us."

On offense, the Lions have a team .251 batting average, led by infielder Preston Faulkner. The 6-1, 230 pound fifth-year senior batted .343/.463/.685 with 17 home runs and 70 RBIs for the Lions. He was also a perfect 13-13 on stolen bases, one of six Lions to steal more than ten bases this season. As a team, the Lions have a 77% stolen base rate, only being caught 34 times in their 147 attempts.

It's a challenge that catcher Nate LaRue relishes. "I take it personally" he told AuburnTigers.com. "I hope you get a good jump. I want a competition. It makes my job more exciting."

It's a job that LaRue excels at. On the season, he's 10-15 in throwing out attempted basestealers, an absurd 66% CS rate. (The MLB average in 2022 is 32.5%) "Being able to shut that down is my contribution to us as a team," LaRue said. "That's the biggest part of my game."

Being able to touch 94 as a pitcher helps with developing the physical tools necessary to suppress a running game, but it's more than just physical with LaRue, it's cerebral. Setting up as the only player facing the defense has its advantages for LaRue. "You're looking at everybody constantly," he said.

"You start noticing everybody and every move, every prep step everyone makes. You know the pitchers, how they work, how their pitches work. You understand other hitters: up in the box, back in the box, off the plate, on the plate. A late swing vs. an early swing. You notice a lot more."

One of the things to notice about Lions hitters is their proclivity to, well, get hit. The Lions have a team on-base percentage of .372, having drawn 261 walks on the year in just over 1900 at-bats, but also an amazing 124 HBPs. Said Thompson, "They're gonna be on the plate, they're gonna crowd it and try to make us feel uncomfortable, more than any team that we've played this year."

Sophomore infielder Rhett Rosevear leads the team with 35 HBP, two away from the NCAA single-season record of 37. The aggressive, play-fast approach, dubbed "Stuck on Green" by head coach Matt Riser, combines a "fearless and relentless approach" to stealing bases with a fast-paced, strike-throwing approach on the mound to limit opposing offensive opportunities.

Throwing those strikes will initially be tasked to freshman lefty Adam Guth. From local Lake Charles, LA, the freshman has been a go-to pitcher for the Lions, throwing 59.2 innings on the season with a 4-1 record and 47 strikeouts, albeit with 31 walks and a 5.13 ERA. Facing a lefty has Thompson asking questions of his team.

"We haven't seen a lot of left-handed starting pitchers this year. It's a little bit softer. Can we stay in our crouch? Can we stay balanced once we load instead of leaking out like he's gonna want us to?" Compounding this issue is Guth's arsenal, without a dominant breaking pitch but instead relying on a changeup. "So, can we stay back and drive the ball back at him, middle of the field, the other way?"

Auburn will counter with RHP Trace Bright, 3-4 with a 4.63 ERA, to open game one. "We're trying to be more proactive with how to use Trace. We think he's a guy that can pitch in but not miss too much inside - their feet are going to be right on the chalk or as close to the plate as we've seen. We think he can command the ball and get in there."

Auburn's second starter of the Regionals will be righty Joseph Gonzalez, for obvious reasons. "I think we all know Joseph has been our most consistent starter the entire season.

You're looking at either: that 1-0 game is humongous to get you to the championship portion (of the weekend) or you're trying to extend the season. If you've ever competed in a NCAA regional, you know that (winning) game one and game two is huge to having a realistic opportunity of succeeding in a regional."

Injury update

Auburn scrimmaged three times since their SEC Tournament run abruptly ended - last Friday, Monday, and Wednesday night. 2B Cole Foster, out since the Alabama series with an oblique issue, was a full participant in all three scrimmages and will be active and in the lineup for Regionals. "We think he gives us a shot in the arm. We think he's a real threat in the box to do something, especially against some higher level pitching."

Starting pitcher Hayden Mullins, who was lifted during the Tennessee series with a forearm injury, is unavailable for the rest of the postseason. "He has thrown a couple of bullpens, but I don't think (competition) will happen this season like I initially reported." Sources have reported that Mullins will need Tommy John surgery once the postseason concludes.

Schedule

Friday (all times CST)

Game 1: (2) UCLA vs (3) Florida State - 11AM

Game 2: (1) Auburn vs (4) Southeastern Louisiana - 6PM

Saturday

Game 3 [elimination game]: GM1 loser vs GM2 loser: Noon

Game 4: GM1 winner vs GM2 winner: 6PM

Sunday

Game 5 [elimination game]: GM3 winner vs GM4 loser: 1PM

Game 6 [championship game]: GM4 winner vs GM5 winner: 6PM

Monday (if necessary)

Game 7 [championship game]: Same teams, 6PM

Broadcast

The 2022 Auburn Regional begins on Friday, June 3rd with two matchups in Plainsman Park. #2 seed UCLA is the home team vs #3 seed Florida State at 11AM, with host and #1 seed Auburn taking on #4 seed Southeastern Louisiana at 6PM. Both games will be available for streaming on ESPN+, and the radio call, with Voice of the Tigers Andy Burcham and producer Brad Law, can be heard locally on 93.9 FM and online on the Auburn Sports Network.