'Much work to do' for Auburn baseball

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'Much work to do' for Auburn baseball following first fall exhibition

Jason Caldwell

5-6 minutes

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AUBURN, Alabama—Prior to last Saturday’s exhibition game, Auburn baseball coach Butch Thompson made the remark that his hitting was well ahead of his pitching early in fall practice. Facing a veteran Louisiana Tech team at Plainsman Park, the Tigers fell behind early 11-1 with issues on the mound and at the plate. Making a comeback with several newcomers excelling in both areas, Auburn wound up winning 12-11 in the 12-inning game, but Thompson said it showed them what they already knew about the issues on the mound.

“My first impression is that three weeks isn’t long enough to revamp our pitching,” Thompson said of having to replace guys like Mason Barnett, Trace Bright, Carson Skipper and Blake Burkhalter from last year’s team. “It has our undivided attention. We only walked one guy in 12 innings. Last year’s staff would have been hard-pressed to do that, but we just don’t have enough installed, especially with our young pitchers.

“We’ve got much work to do, but we got to see some guys. Like I said, we don’t have to wait until February to get indoctrinated. That’s what was so good about playing Louisiana Tech, a good team with veteran hitters that could do some stuff.”

Trailing late, Auburn turned to some older pitchers to handle business and they got the job done. The combination of junior college left-hander Tanner Bauman, John Armstrong, TCU grad transfer Tommy Vail and projected closer Chase Isbell didn’t allow a baserunner the final five innings while striking out six batters. 

“Some of the new guys really impressed us,” Thompson said. “The game turned when Bauman got into the ballgame, the junior college lefty. Two quick innings and showed good stuff. Tommy Vail, the other left-hander threw great. Chase Isbell, the ball came out of his hand better than it has ever come out. 

“We still have a lot of pitchers that didn’t participate. Our depth is good, but we’ve still got so much work to do on the mound. Now we’re going to have to learn to texture and keep installing stuff to take the sting out of the swing and create some gamesmanship to navigate innings at the Division I level.”

Offensively, shortstop Cole Foster had a pair of hits as one of the veterans that continues to pay well for the Tigers, but on Saturday it was the new faces that showed out with the bats. West Georgia grad transfer Brody Wortham went 2-2 with a home run, a double and three runs batted in to lead the way. Kansas transfer Cooper McMurray also had a pair of hits for the Tigers as he looks to try to win the starting job at first base.

Auburn’s talented freshman class was also well represented with catcher Ike Irish going 2-4 with a home run and two runs scored. Third baseman Gavin Miller added two hits and a walk in his day as well, a performance that will earn him a start against Alabama.

“Ike Irish, we’ve been talking about him and even his foul balls the other way were impressive,” Thompson said. “Every pitch he’s evaluating. He hit a home run to the pull side. When Gavin Miller got in the ballgame, he had a couple of big hits and played third base great. He had a laser hit to him and navigated it so well. We had a couple of great at-bats by Cooper McMurray, but he’s been having great at-bats.”

With two weeks to get ready for another game with Alabama coming to Plainsman Park, Thompson said the focus is going to be on the two-strike approach, both on the mound and at the plate.

“Our hitting slowed down because we haven’t been making good pitches in two strike counts,” Thompson said. “Louisiana Tech did, and it slowed our hitting down. Iron is supposed to sharpen iron. We’ve got some work to do there.  

“If you ask what the focus is between now and Alabama, how is our execution with two strikes? We really need our hitters and pitchers competing against each other and getting better for this next exhibition. The only way I know how to do that is to create a focus on it. Our competition is all going to be centered around two strikes.”

News and notes:

9COMMENTS

Auburn junior RHP Joseph Gonzalez pitched a pair of innings against Louisiana Tech and could get around 20 pitches against Alabama in the second exhibition game of the fall on the night before the Auburn-Arkansas football game. Thompson said until then they plan to limit his usage to a couple of bullpens, essentially shutting him down for the rest of the fall to get him rested and ready for the season following a long year.

Senior center fielder Kason Howell was held out of Saturday’s game with an oblique strain. It’s not an injury that is expected to keep him out long-term.

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