True freshman slugger Ike Irish really is this good, yeah

You'd never know that Ike Irish was a true freshman getting his first taste of college baseball.

Batting in the 3-hole for Auburn, the 6'2, 202-lb Irish strikes an intimidating profile as he steps into the box.

Starting with a wide base, Irish keeps his hands close over his back shoulder before uncoiling a compact, quick swing with great bat speed that absolutely launches balls off the bat and all over the yard.

And the production is there, too: In his first seven games, he's 17-29 (.586 batting average) with five extra base-hits, eight runs scored, six RBIs, four walks to one strikeout, and a stolen base.

17-for-29 at the plate.

2-for-2 at @SEC Freshman of the Week.

📰 » https://t.co/6MwEx4JX9b #WarEagle | @ikeirish18 pic.twitter.com/CklNsyGPrj
— Auburn Baseball (@AuburnBaseball) February 27, 2023

One of the first things that stood out to head coach Butch Thompson was how Irish could hit the ball to all fields.

"I think he has the ability to blast the ball to every quadrant of the field - whether it be the other way, both gaps, and the pull side. The whole field's open to him."

The ability to tap into the power from foul pole to foul pole isn't something that comes naturally to most hitters. "The worse the hitter, the less the acreage that they can hit to, y'know? Those guys that are dead-pull hitters, they've got about a quarter of an acre to work with. He's allowed all three acres."

It's a sign of maturity with Irish's offensive approach and natural skill.

"It's his ability to evaluate pitches - there's a high level of something going on." said Thompson, when asked about what made Irish able to step into the #3 spot in the lineup so quickly and succeed. "Just overall evaluation of the strike zone, what a guy's trying to do (on the mound). I see him visually breaking down a pitcher - 'this is what he's going to do, it's moving like this.' [...] I hear the talk that all he's thinking about is what he's most likely to get and what he's trying to get done in this at-bat."

Assistant coach (and recruiting coordinator) Karl Nonemaker agrees with the assessment of Irish's vision. "He's got the vision, he sees the ball really well."

Part of what makes Irish special for a freshman isn't just his mental preparation, but his physical readiness for competition at the highest level of amateur baseball, as Thompson refers to the SEC.

"A lot of times, guys come to school and it's like 'man, they need to grow and fill out - get in the weight room, get a little stronger.' Those boxes are already checked. He's physical, he's confident - that's another one that sometimes is not readily available with a first-year player. So he's got a couple of things there."

The biggest surprise seems to be his competitiveness. "To this point, I haven't seen him give a single at-bat away."

As amazing as Irish has been for Auburn baseball this season, it wasn't anywhere close to a given that he'd be here this spring.

You see, the MLB Draft is unique in that both college players and high-schoolers are eligible. And Irish was a hot commodity in this draft. Rated in the Top 50 on most prep recruiting rankings, he had numerous teams reach out to inquire about what his bonus demands would be to forgo his college commitment and sign with MLB if they were to take him.

But he was committed to Auburn, and had been since his sophomore year. It was an easy decision for him to come to college. "When I got on campus, this place felt like home. Ever since then, I wanted to be here."

The group of top prep recruits in that class, OF Chris Stanfield and pitchers Hayden Murphy and Zach Crotchfelt, bonded over the summer and decided that Auburn was the place for them. They deliberately set high bonus demands for MLB teams, because they wanted to play together at Auburn. As Irish told Adam Cole of the OA News, "At the end of the day, it was like, ‘I’m not going to go down on my number to leave this place. [...] To win a National Championship in front of thousands of fans is way better than sitting in a Single-A game and having 50 people at the game."

Achieving that goal takes growth and development, which is something that this staff is working on. Despite only playing in games this season as a DH, the catcher by trade is getting reps both behind the plate and at 1st base.

Said Nonemaker, "Ike's got a bright future. We all believe in Ike as a catcher, but we feel as coaches a responsibility to develop another tool in his toolbox. What's another position he could play at the division one level down the road? [...] Catchers aren't going to (be able to) play 65 games, but there's some catchers you're going to want their bat in the lineup."

And when Irish is behind the plate, the reviews have been positive. The MLB Draft scouting reports for Ike Irish unanimously lauded his defense at catcher, with some evaluators having his defense even ahead of the bat heading into the fall.

Said Prospects Live: "Irish was one of the more advanced prep, defensive catchers in the 2022 class. His plus arm strength is his carrying tool defensively, as it is accurate and on the line throwing arm with plenty of carry through the bag. He presents pitches well with subtle glove movements around the edges, and his athleticism translates behind the dish."

MLB.com discussed Irish's skill at receiving, a product of playing with MLB fourth-round pick RHP Brock Porter, now a member of the Texas Rangers organization.

"Irish is more advanced than most prep receivers, a byproduct of having to handle Porter's high-octane stuff on a regular basis. He moves well for a catcher, blocks and frames pitches well and shows the leadership clubs want at his position. He has at least plus arm strength, gets rid of the ball quickly and makes accurate throws."

But with such a deep catching room right now, with Nate LaRue the primary starter as well as Carter Wright and Ryan Dyal in the room, Irish is thriving in the DH role.

Despite the fact taht Irish hasn't hit a homerun for Auburn yet, his skill at the plate is real. And as much as the mechanics and growing strength play into it, Irish understands the hardest part of hitting and seems to be focused.

"I think hitting's all mental, and so it's just being able to use my thoughts in a positive way."

Auburn football's projected 2023 depth chart

Auburn baseball sets opening weekend rotation, makes roster cuts

Should Lior Berman be getting more opportunities to shoot the ball?

Hugh Freeze on playing Georgia and Alabama: 'The expectation is we're walking out there to win it'

Engage with Auburn Daily on Socials!

Join the Discord

Follow Auburn Daily on Twitter

Like Auburn Daily on Facebook

Subscribe to Locked On Auburn on YouTube

Buy Auburn Daily Merch