Auburn Daily

What We Learned From Auburn’s Texas-Sized “Sweep” in Arlington

The Auburn Tigers went out to Texas and picked up some big wins; here's what we learned in that time
Austin Walls|
Auburn's big weekend in Arlington is a strong sign things are turning around
Auburn's big weekend in Arlington is a strong sign things are turning around | Soobum Im-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers traveled to Arlington, Texas, for the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series.  Instead of a three-game series against a single team, the Tigers played three games against three different teams, three days in a row. The atmosphere at Globe Life Field resembled a mini-regional. 

Here’s what we learned during this min-tournament. 

They Can Handle Some Stiff Competition

The Tigers took on the Big Ten’s Ohio State Buckeyes, the Pac-12’s and No. 8 ranked team in the country, Oregon State and the Big 12’s Baylor Bears. The Tigers walked away with three more wins including a mercy-rule win against Ohio State. This group of games was the first time that the Tigers were playing away from their home field, Plainsman Park. 

The time away from home didn’t impact the team much. The Tigers drove in 28 runs on 33 hits over the three games including two home runs. The home runs were hit by freshman Chris Rembert and another from sophomore Cade Belyeu. The Tigers continued to manufacture runs by getting on-base through 19 walks and 5 hit-by-pitches. The Tigers’ discipline at the plate and on the basepaths has been the very reason they are winning games. 

The Tigers’ batters weren’t the only impressive unit. The bullpen made their money’s worth the entire weekend. While the Tigers barely needed them in the game against Ohio State, the bullpen came up huge against Oregon State and again, against Baylor. 

Patience is Needed for Fisher

Against the Beavers, the Tigers used five relief pitchers after Cade Fisher struggled in the second inning and was brought out of the game. Even then, the bleeding didn’t stop. It only stabilized the game enough for Auburn’s bats to take the lead and stay ahead. It was the Tigers' first real test this season and they passed, taking down a top-10 team. 

Another thing that was evident was Cade Fisher may need more time. That isn’t just regarding his minor injury. He pitched well in his first start before being pulled after just 50 pitches. Once he gets another start, we could see the full potential of the top transfer portal target in 2025. With Old Dominion visiting Plainsman Park next week, Fisher will have a great opportunity to build his confidence before the start of conference play the following week.  

Winning Streak Proves They’re a Whole New Team

Head coach Butch Thompson has the Tigers completely bought in as they are now on a 10-game win streak. With the Tigers now 11-1, they have now shown they can play and win in different ways. Against Ohio State, they won 13-0 in seven innings against a clearly inferior opponent, winning through their superb offense and stellar pitching. Against Oregon State, they won 8-7 through the bullpen backing up the offense. Lastly, they won 7-4 against Baylor with a great performance from the fielding which certainly saved multiple runs including a home run. 

The Tigers now have a legitimate case to be ranked considering that they are 11-1 with a win over a top-10 team. Their next opponent will be in-state school Alabama-Birmingham, in Birmingham, Ala. at Regions Field at 6 p.m. CST. 

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Austin Walls
AUSTIN WALLS

Austin Walls is a University of Florida Sports Journalism graduate. He has covered different sports, from motorsport, professional and college football, professional and college basketball, women's basketball and hockey among others. He has spent most of his time focusing on the SEC Conference, but has spent time covering the AAC, MWC and ACC.

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