Auburn's Plainsman Park: Jackson Sanders’ Field of Dreams

A longtime commitment to the Auburn Tigers finally made his debut over the weekend and had a statement debut

Plainsman Park became the long-awaited home of Jackson Sanders over the weekend | John Blackie/Pensacola News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Left-handed pitcher Jackson Sanders always knew he was going to be a Tiger. He had his eyes set on Auburn so early that committed to them as an eighth grader. After waiting several years, Sanders finally signed on to play baseball at Auburn and made his debut. 

Sanders’ First Appearance 

The freshman’s first appearance came in relief of starting pitcher Samuel Dutton on Saturday, Feb. 15 in a losing effort, 4-2. Sanders pitched two scoreless innings in his debut. He also had two strikeouts and two walks in the six batters he faced. Overall, the freshman had a very successful debut, despite the loss. 

It is believed that Sanders could see some midweek action as well with No. 24 Troy coming to town on Tuesday and North Alabama visiting the next day. It may be the reason why he saw so few pitches against Holy Cross.

Why Auburn Went After Sanders So Early

Sanders was rated the No. 159-best player nationally by PerfectGame. He also had a 1.84 ERA and 121 strikeouts as a senior at Valley High School in Alabama. He also was on some MLB draft boards as the No. 286 overall prospect.  

“It’s been a dream school since I was a little kid growing up and going to games,” Sanders said. “It’s been a great support staff, it’s been an honor.” 

When describing himself, he said, “Auburn is getting a high IQ player. A guy that knows baseball. A guy that has a competitive edge against everybody and that won’t quit.” 

If that is the case, the future is bright for Auburn pitching as Sanders is just getting started at the Plains. As head coach Butch Thompson continues to revitalize the Tigers pitching staff, expect to see younger names like Sanders get different chances over the season.