Auburn Switching Up Series Schedule as Severe Weather Looms

The Auburn Tigers have a chance to get their games in before some rough weather arrives, and they're taking it

Baseball will have to wait for Auburn | Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

AUBURN, Ala.- The Auburn Tigers’ game three matchup against the Youngstown State Penguins, which was originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon, has shifted to Saturday to create a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon for the Tigers.

Game one of the doubleheader will begin at 2 p.m. CT and game two will begin at 6 p.m., and both games will be nine innings. There will be a minimum of 45 minutes in between games, and the ballpark will not be cleared.

The news comes as no surprise, as on Thursday afternoon, Auburn head coach Butch Thompson knew the delay was likely coming with inclement weather on the radar for nearly the entire day on Sunday in Auburn. 

“My biggest plan for the weekend is figuring out what Sunday looks like,” Thompson said on Thursday afternoon during his weekly press conference. 

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“With Friday and Saturday being beautiful (weather), and Sunday we’re expecting thunderstorms, isolated tornadoes, gusts and things of that nature. So would we wind up having to play a double header on Saturday?” 

Thompson also mentioned that if the matchup were to switch to a doubleheader, sophomore catcher Chase Fralick would not be at the catcher position for consecutive games. 

“We got (Lucas) Steele and (Logan) Gregorio competing for that (backup catcher) spot,” Thompson stated. 

Thus far into the series, Auburn has pitched three pitchers. A trio of transfer pitchers in Jake Marciano, Drew Whalen and Garrett Brewer combined to go the distance. Marciano struck out a career-high 12 batters over five innings, while Whalen (1-0) earned his first win and Brewer earned his first save in an Auburn uniform.

Behind the most strikeouts in a game since 2022, the Auburn pitching staff surrendered just one run on two hits to lead the No. 5 Tigers to a 2-1 win over Youngstown State in the season opener Friday night at Plainsman Park. 

With the Tigers leading 2-1, the Penguins threatened in the top of the ninth as the first two batters reached and advanced into scoring position on a double steal. However, Brewer entered in relief of Whalen with a 2-2 count and needed one pitch for the strikeout. He then struck out another before a flyout to center ended the game with the tying run 90 feet from home.

Auburn sits at 1-0 entering the double header, and will look to defend its home field in back-to-back games on Saturday.