What We Learned from Auburn’s Dominant Win Over Samford
The Auburn Tigers (8-1) only had one weekday game scheduled this week before they headed off to Arlington, Texas, to play in a tournament. However, we learned a lot from their encounter with the in-state Samford Bulldogs. The Tigers have not been tested this much since their game with Troy which ended with a walk-off hit from captain Ike Irish. So, after their 15-8 win against Samford, what did we learn?
Auburn’s Bats Didn’t Miss a Beat
Despite playing a different team, the Tigers’ offense looked like they were in the middle of batting practice. By the end of the game, seven of the nine Auburn batters had an RBI and eight of the nine had scored in a run. It’s no surprise that they managed to put 15 up on the scoreboard. Because of this, the Tigers were able to win the ballgame.
Relief pitcher Jackson Sanders said just a few days ago, “Like I said about the hitters, producing so many runs right now is really big to us. Obviously, there’s going to come a game where they don’t score 11 runs.”
Luckily for Sanders and the rest of the Tigers’ pitching staff, that wasn’t tonight.
While mainstays in the lineup such as Ike Irish and Cade Belyeu had quieter days, it was more than made up for by everyone else behind them. The Tigers once again used the long ball to their advantage, hitting four home runs in the game. The best part is that outside of first baseman Cooper McMurray, the rest of the home runs came from freshmen or players who don’t usually hit homers (Eric Snow, Bub Terrell and Chris Rembert). Should they continue this, they could easily win the next two of the next three in Arlington. The only struggle may come from No. 8 Oregon State. However, if the bats continue to fly, the Tigers could also win that.
Auburn’s Weekday Starter Troubles
While the Tigers pretty much have their three weekend starters in Cade Fisher, Samuel Dutton and Christian Chatterton (at least for the moment), their weekday pitching is far from set. So far, freshman Andreas Alvarez has made appearances in both of the weeks.
However, in his first appearance, he took a few innings to settle in. Of course, that is natural when you are making your first appearance. In his second appearance, there was more of the same and the Tigers fell behind 2-0 early. Alvarez likely will just need more experience in that role, but it is something to be watched.
Luckily, the bullpen did pick up Alvarez. After a poor day from John Armstrong, who allowed the game to become tied after inheriting a 7-3 lead, the Tigers turned to the combination of Parker Carlson, Jackson Sanders and Dylan Watts to shut down the Bulldogs and keep the game in check. It was a win for Carlson and another great showing for the bullpen.
What’s Next
The Tigers head to Arlington, Texas where they have a mini-tournament and play Ohio State, No.8 Oregon State and Baylor over the weekend. It will be the first road trip for Auburn after playing their first nine games in Plainsman Park.
