Top-5 Auburn Baseball Set to Launch 2026 Campaign on the Plains

The Auburn Tigers are coming off a strong bounce back season and look to take that momentum in 2026

Auburn is back and looking to make the most of its high expectations | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Opening weekend has made landfall on the plains as the 5th-ranked Auburn Tigers host the Youngstown State Penguins for a three-game series at Plainsman Park to get the 2026 campaign started. First pitches are set for Friday at 5:30 p.m. CT, Saturday at 6 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. 

 The probable pitching starters for each squad were announced by the team and are as follows: 

Friday – (Auburn) So. LHP Jake Marciano (0-0, 0.00) vs. Sr. LHP Braden Gebhardt (0-0, 0.00)

Saturday – (Auburn) So. LHP Jackson Sanders (0-0, 0.00) vs. Sr. RHP Jack Messmore (0-0, 0.00)

Sunday - (Auburn) R-So. RHP Alex Petrovic (0-0, 0.00) vs. R-Sr. RHP Brandon Mikos (0-0, 0.00)

“It’s time. It’s time to go out and play another team,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “Our preparation has been great. From where I stand as the head coach, this team has been as endearing and enjoyable as any I can remember. I’ve never enjoyed being on the field more with a team, and I’m ready to see where we’re at. I’m excited to start that journey and start playing somebody else.”

Plainsman Park is the place to be👀

Baseball is BACK ⚾️🔥
# 5️⃣ @AuburnBaseball opens their season vs. Youngstown State, February 13–15 at Plainsman Park!#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/VxJRs6nAYM

— Auburn Tigers (@AuburnTigers) February 12, 2026

Auburn is 9-1 in season openers and 10-0 in home openers under Thompson. This season also marks the 11th for head coach Thompson, who is now the third-longest-tenured head coach in program history and the fourth-longest-tenured head coach in the SEC. 

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The Tigers are building on a solid foundation from last season, when they earned the honor of hosting a Super Regional tournament. With that foundation in place, Auburn enters the season a unanimous top-10 team in preseason polls, which includes No. 5 (Baseball America), No. 8 (NCBWA), No. 9 (D1 Baseball, Coaches) and No.10 (Perfect Game). 

The full Tigers roster consists of 39 players, which includes 21 returners and 18 newcomers (9 freshmen, 9 transfers). The quartet of Chase Fralick, Chris Rembert, Lucas Steele and Bub Terrell is the only returning quartet in the SEC to have each driven in 40 or more runs in 2025.

For the Penguins offensively in 2025, Youngstown State hit .279 as a team and scored 391 runs on 526 hits, including 110 doubles and 76 home runs. Senior outfielder Brayden Kuriger is a key returner in 2026, finishing last season batting .301, with 18 extra-base hits and 43 RBIs.

Opening weekend is more than just the first three games on the schedule; it’s the first step toward Omaha aspirations for a program that believes it belongs among college baseball’s elite. With experience in the lineup, depth on the mound and a top-10 ranking to defend, Auburn has the pieces in place. Now, it’s about turning preseason expectations into postseason reality.