GALLERY: The best shots from Auburn baseball's Saturday action

Take a look at the best shots from Auburn baseball's action this weekend.

Lindsay Crosby | Feb 5, 2023

GALLERY: The best shots from Auburn baseball's Saturday action /

Auburn continued their fall scrimmages with another Orange vs Blue matchup on Saturday afternoon. Blue saw expected #2 starter Chase Isbell on the bump, flashing his premium velocity to confound Orange's hitters. Grad student Tommy Sheehan, now in his 2nd year with the Auburn program after transferring in from Notre Dame and recovering from a partial Tommy John procedure, took the start for Orange. The crafty lefty works with fastball velocity in the mid-to-upper 80s but makes quality use of both a curveball and a slider to induce weak groundball contact. He'll need to be in midseason form if ace Joseph Gonzalez's nagging shoulder injury leaves him behind schedule to start on opening day in two weeks.

Many of the position battles on this team have seemingly been settled, but not every single one. While there are some "locked-in" starters, like C Nate LaRue, SS Cole Foster, 1B Cooper McMurray, and outfielders Kason Howell (centerfield) & Bobby Pierce (right field), there are still multiple options at several positions around the diamond.

Veteran INF/OF Bryson Ware is expected to be the first man up at third base - being a former junior college shortstop, his veteran defense is highly valued by a head coach in Butch Thompson that wants to "dominate the routine plays". He may be a pinch hit candidate late in games, but the defense absolutely plays. Second base is expected to go to Caden Green, junior transfer from Seminole State. The left field job, penciled in for Justin Kirby, appears to be closer to being confirmed than initially thought. Auburn's second-string outfield of (from left to right) Mike Bello, Chris Stanfield, and Josh Hall is probably as good of a defensive outfield as the first string, and outfield has quickly gone from a position of questionable depth last season (infielder Brooks Carlson and catcher Ryan Dyal both got starts in left field last season) to absolutely a strength, in both depth and potential.

Casey Mize addresses the Diamond Club banquet — Photo courtesy of Auburn Athletics

Joseph Gonzalez poses for a picture with a young fan during Diamond Club banquet — Photo courtesy of Auburn Athletics

Butch Thompson speaking at Diamond Club banquet — Photo courtesy of Auburn Athletics

Chris Stanfield (foreground), Josh Hall (background) — Eric Starling/ Auburn Daily

Chris Stanfield — Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Auburn opens the 2023 season against Indiana at home on Friday, February 17th. Individual tickets are still available for certain matchups on auburntigers.com.

Published Feb 5, 2023

LINDSAY CROSBY

Senior Writer, covering Auburn Tigers baseball Also: Host of Locked on MLB Prospects (on twitter at @LockedOnFarm), Managing Editor of @Braves_Today, member of the National College Baseball Writers Association and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America