#19 Auburn baseball travels to #1 Tennessee for a challenging three-game set

If Auburn baseball is nervous or intimidated by the prospect of playing at #1 Tennessee this weekend, they’re sure not showing it publicly. “This is why you come play at Auburn - to play in huge SEC series, and Tennessee has earned the right to be called the best team in the country so far this year.” said hitting coach Gabe Gross before the team left for Knoxville on Thursday morning.

“Why wouldn’t you want that? You want to challenge yourself every day? We pride ourselves on that. We’re going to go play the #1 team in their place. It’s awesome.”

Tennessee’s consensus #1 ranking is warranted. Their 17-1 start in conference play is the best start in SEC history, outpacing another Tennessee team, the 1951 squad, that started 16-1. They have won seven straight series here in 2022, and 14 of their last 16 series dating back to 2021.

Tennessee has become infamous this season for its prolific offense, which easily outpaces the rest of the SEC in many offensive categories. Their offense is first in the entire nation in total home runs (94), and leads the SEC in numerous categories, including batting average (.308), on-base percentage (.427), slugging (.613), doubles (101), triples (20), and stolen bases (58). It’ll be the toughest test to date for an Auburn pitching staff that sports the 4th best team ERA in the SEC at 4.05. Containing the long ball will be key, as Tennessee thrives on quality contact, with their 215 extra-base hits being one of the best marks in the entire country.

But for as dominant as their offense has been, the pitching staff has been just as overpowering, a fact that Gross made clear to the team in meetings this week.

“The offense gets a lot of pub, but I think the better part of their team is the pitching staff. They’re, I think, a full run ahead of everyone else in ERA (ed. Tennessee has a team ERA of 2.00, Vanderbilt is 2nd at 2.92). It’s funny: to have so many power arms, but you get into the back end of the bullpen and it turns into soft lefties. I think that’s a great combination to have.”

Gross went on to explain how the mix is particularly lethal owing to Tennessee’s deployment of those arms. “You think about, on Friday night you may face 97-98 early in the game, and when the game’s on the line if it’s close at the end, you’ve got a lefty that throws 85-86 and spotting and (throwing) changeups and all of that good stuff.”

The key matchup of the weekend will come down to the bullpens - Tennessee's is deep and experienced, while Auburn's is very top-heavy with lefty Carson Skipper and closer Blake Burkhalter as the two preferred options out of the pen. The pair combined for eleven innings last week, with four hits, no runs, and a combined 18 strikeouts. Auburn's starting rotation will need to go deeper into games to minimize exposure of the back half of the bullpen to the deep and powerful Tennessee lineup - eight of Tennessee's eleven most frequently used position players all have over 5 home runs with three in the double digits and the team, as a whole, has an OPS over 1.040. Tennessee's offense is led by senior infielder Trey Lipscomb, batting .361 on the year with 16 home runs and 61 runs batted in.

But Auburn’s not daunted by the challenge, and not changing their preparation for this series, according to Gross. “I don’t think our guys are approaching this much differently. It’s not something that is different, for our guys to walk into a really good baseball team and have to try and beat them. That’s something you do every weekend. You’re used to playing great teams on the weekend for ten straight weeks in the SEC, and this is no different.”

Offensively, this team continues to be carried by the stellar play of 1B Sonny DiChiara. The "Thicc King", as he's affectionately known to the fanbase, leads the country in batting average (.448) and on-base percentage (.601) while ranking third in slugging percentage (.852). DiChiara has reached base in all 38 games this season, totaling 107 times via a hit (56), walk (45) or hit-by-pitch (six). He has reached multiple times in 35 games, including 17 of 18 in Southeastern Conference play, and has reached at least three times on 24 occasions, including seven straight. He leads Auburn in nearly every offensive category including doubles (15), home runs (12) and RBI (38).

PROBABLE STARTERS

Friday – Jr. LHP Hayden Mullins (2-1, 3.55) vs. Fr. RHP Chase Burns (7-1, 2.12)

Saturday – Jr. RHP Trace Bright (2-4, 4.24) vs. So. RHP Blade Tidwell (1-0, 1.59)

Sunday – So. RHP Joseph Gonzalez (6-0, 1.71) vs. Fr. RHP Drew Beam (8-0, 1..86)

PROBABLE LINEUP

3B Blake Rambusch

CF Kason Howell

1B Sonny DiChiara

LF Brooks Carlson

DH Cam Hill

SS Brody Moore

RF Bobby Pierce

C Nate LaRue

2B Cole Foster

STATS THAT EXIST BUT DO NOT MATTER

Auburn catcher Nate LaRue leads the SEC in caught stealing percentage, having thrown out five of the six attempted base stealers against him in conference play since being inserted against Texas A&M. Tennessee leads the SEC with 58 stolen bases in 78 attempts, both league highs.

It’s a challenge LaRue relishes: “I’ve always loved the whole aspect of baserunning and catching and, y’know, I’m always looking for them to steal whenever I’m catching. I think the anticipation and getting good pitches to throw on is really a reason for that (success).” Expect a steady diet of fastballs when there’s runners on base.

Interestingly, Tennessee leads the conference in stolen bases allowed, with 46. Auburn doesn't have many prolific base stealers on the team, with leadoff man Blake Rambusch (11 for 16) and Kason Howell (8 for 9) the only players that have more than four on the team.

Schedule

Friday’s Game one is scheduled for 6PM, with Saturday’s game 2 starting at 6PM and the series finale on Sunday having a 1PMfirst pitch. All three games will be broadcast on the Auburn Sports Network and can be heard locally on 93.9 FM. Games one and two will air nationally on SEC Network and the series finale will be streamed on SEC Network+.