Auburn Tigers
Overall Rank: #33
Conference Rank: #9 SEC
Auburn has turned a corner under Coach Butch Thompson. The Tigers won a couple games in the NCAA Tournament last year and head into 2018 with higher expectations. Once again Coach Thompson has brought in a stellar recruiting class and they will make an impact right away. Pitchers Tanner Burns, Ryan Hoerter, Cody Greenhill and Peyton Glavine all have the potential to earn quality playing time as freshmen. Burns is one to watch. In the field, Steven Williams and Edouard Julien have the talent to add another dynamic to an already potent lineup.
2017: 37-26, 16-14
2017 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Butch Thompson
Key Departed Players:
Jonah Todd, OF, .376 BA, 0 HR, 37 RBI
Daniel Robert, UTL, .290 BA, 5 HR, 42 RBI
Keegan Thompson, P, 2.41 ERA, 93.1 IP, 75 SO
Key Returning Players:
Conor Davis, IF, .282 BA, 1 HR, 29 RBI
Jay Estes, IF, .276 BA, 1 HR, 29 RBI
Luke Jarvis, IF, .276 BA, 5 HR, 27 RBI
Josh Anthony, IF, .266 BA, 2 HR, 39 RBI
Dylan Ingram, IF, .258 BA, 8 HR, 39 RBI
Casey Mize, P, 2.04 ERA, 83.2 IP, 109 SO
Davis Daniel, P, 5.89 ERA, 70.1 IP, 61 SO
Projection:
The newcomers will make a big impact on this team, but Auburn has plenty of talent returning. On the mound, Casey Mize went 8-2 with a 2.04 ERA. He started a dozen games and struck out 109 batters in 83.2 innings of work. The 6-3 junior could be in for another big year. Davis Daniel is also back after starting 16 games as a freshman. He had some rough outings and ended the season with a 5.89 ERA, but Daniel should benefit from his year of experience. Without Jonah Todd and his .376 batting average, Auburn does not return anybody who hit over .282 last year. However, there are quite a few good hitters who have already proven that they can get the job done. Conor Davis, Jay Estes, Luke Jarvis, Josh Anthony and Dylan Ingram all tallied at least 27 RBIs and reached double digits in the doubles column. Auburn may not overwhelm their opposition with their power hitting, but the lineup is quite dangerous top to bottom.
Projected Postseason: NCAA Baseball Tournament
