What We Learned from Auburn’s Midweek Game Against UT-Martin

The Auburn Tigers get one last tune up heading into the heat of SEC play this season

Here's what he learned ahead of the start of SEC play for Auburn / Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers beat the UT-Martin Skyhawks 6-1 at Toyota Park in Madison, Ala. They improve to 14-3 on the season. The Tigers used this game as a tune-up for their final ahead of a difficult SEC schedule. While it was just one game, there are still notes to take away from it.

Alex Petrovic Can Be Trusted As a Starter

Head coach Butch Thompson has traditionally gone with Andreas Alvarez in the weekday starter role so far this season. However, with it being the final game before the Tigers host the Vanderbilt Commodores this upcoming weekend, Thompson had something else in mind. His original plan was to have a bullpen night and get as many guys throwing throughout the game. Instead, he gave Alex Petrovic the ball. Petrovic had started before when the Tigers had multiple weekday games. 

Petrovic threw 5 ⅓ innings, allowing just one run on one hit. He needed 61 pitches to get through his outing. This is the deepest he has gone into a game. Those 61 pitches are the most he has tossed in a single appearance.   

The Tigers now have that much more starting depth on their hands. Going forward, it’s going to be a much easier decision to send him out there for a weeknight start.

The Tigers’ Offense Enters Conference Play With Confidence

The Tigers once again eclipsed the double-digit hits mark with 11. They’re seeing the ball well, and this should bode well entering conference play. 

Third baseman Eric Guevara returned for the first time since the opening series against Holy Cross. He seemed to be in fantastic shape coming off an injury. He went 2-for-4 and tallied an extra-base hit on Tuesday night. 

The outfielders also seem to be in a constant mix as Chris Rembert moved to right field after Guevara’s return. He then would be pulled for Bristol Carter who saw some action late in the game. Lucas Steele also was the designated hitter until Cole Edwards replaced him in the later innings. It seems that Thompson gave playing time to all that he is expecting to give during the SEC portion of the schedule. 

Ultimately, there hasn’t been a game that one could say the offense let down the team since the Tigers' first loss of the season. In that game, the Tigers mustered just two runs on five hits. Since then, it has been smooth sailing for the Tigers offense. Have they lost? Yes. But by no means is it because the Tigers didn’t up enough runs that day. 

The Tigers’ next matchup is a series against the Vanderbilt Commodores starting this Friday, March 14 at 6 p.m. CDT. 

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