How Auburn Baseball Rallied After Opening Loss, Won Four Straight to Win Regional

A young Auburn Tigers team defied the odds after being against them to open the weekend, getting one step closer to Omaha for the College World Series.

Auburn baseball took down Milwaukee for the second time in 24 hours to advance to the super regionals of the NCAA Tournament. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Friday afternoon, Plainsman Park was filled with frustration, disbelief and surprised looks as No. 4-seeded Milwaukee was in complete control over the Auburn Tigers, winning 13-8. 

Fast forward more than three days, and the stadium achieved a program record of 8,228 fans watching the Tigers win the regional crown at home, taking down the Panthers, 8-3. Auburn successfully got to the regional peak after needing four straight wins to keep the season alive. 

Especially for a group that didn’t have a single senior in the starting lineup with only two juniors, head coach Butch Thompson couldn’t be prouder of his team. 

“For this group to be so young and resilient and get punched in the mouth the way this awesome Milwaukee team did,” he said after the game, “and for us to absolutely do one step at a time, score a bunch of runs, win a double-header, be here for almost a day it felt like, and then to be able to hook it up.”

Similar narratives followed Thompson and his group, which were similar to those of Friday. Auburn’s ace Jake Marciano was on the mound, a rain delay occurred during the game and catcher Chase Fralick hit a home run in the contest. 

This time, all three of those actions ended up benefiting Auburn in the long run. 

Marciano struck out six Milwaukee batters in four innings pitched, with the only occurrence being a two-run home run in the fourth inning. The sophomore was able to bounce back following his worst outing of the season on Friday to help advance his team. 

While the game started three hours later than expected, Auburn coaches from different sports and athletic director John Cohen were paying for tickets for other fans. Hot dog and beer prices remained low from the previous night as well, setting up an optimistic night. 

WAR EAGLE 🦅

+100 @AuburnSoftball
+100 @AuburnFootball
+100 @AuburnMBB
+100 @AuburnWBB
+100 @JohnCohenAD
+500 @AuburnBaseball

No excuse not to be at Plainsman Park tonight! #WarEagle https://t.co/ALta6lcIem

— Auburn Tigers (@AuburnTigers) June 1, 2026

Fralick would be the catalyst of the Tigers’ offense in the sixth inning, starting the party with a solo home run into center field to break a 2-2 deadlock. After the catcher recorded his sixth home run of the regional, four runs would follow suit to put the home team up big. 

Bub Terrell, Brandon McCraine, Taylor Belza and Mason McCraine would all record an RBI after their slugger to score a five-run sixth inning. 

It was a historic jack for Fralick, who became the first Auburn catcher to record more than 20 home runs in a game. Monday night was the second time this season that he recorded a five-game homer streak, being the first player this decade to do so. 

HE DOES IT AGAIN!! 🔥

Second 5-game HR streak of the season!! pic.twitter.com/OzXqxPUzpk

— Auburn Baseball (@AuburnBaseball) June 2, 2026

Fralick would end up being the regional’s MVP when it was all said and done. 

“The whole team was locked in," he said after the game. "Nothing went as planned. I think today was the only game that we got through the whole nine innings without a delay."

Jackson Sanders picked up the win for the Tigers, pitching five innings and striking out eight batters to keep the Panthers at bay from being the third potential No. 4 seed to make the super regional round. 

In the first two games of the Auburn Regional, the Tigers allowed 26 runs, the most they’ve had in a two-game span all season. In the final three games, Thompson’s group flipped the script and played to its identity once again, and only seven runs were allowed. 

“The spirit of this club is absolutely amazing. This will be the most endearing, one of these regionals because of how we had to do it. The delays, with the play, with the grind of everything that it took.”

There’s more revenge to be had at Plainsman Park for Auburn, which lost in the super regional round at home to Coastal Carolina a season ago. This time, the only thing in the way of the Tigers and a trip to Omaha is Ole Miss, one of four SEC teams that Auburn didn’t play at any point this season. 

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