Auburn baseball is awarded a regional hosting spot for the postseason

The Tigers will host three teams for a double-elimination round beginning June 3rd

Three weeks ago, Auburn seemed poised to not only secure a regional host spot but was in the conversation for being a National Seed, a designation given to the eight highest-seeded teams in the entire postseason seed of 64 that would give them automatically hosting privileges for a super-regional, were they to advance. 

But after a close to the season that included losing two out of three at Kentucky, a series loss that dropped Auburn from the #4 seed in the SEC Tournament (giving them an automatic bye and skipping the single-elimination portion of the tournament), and then losing again to those same Wildcats to exit the SEC Tournament in the 1st round for the 2nd consecutive year, questions swirled about Auburn’s postseason seeding and where they’ll end up.

On Sunday night, the NCAA released the info for the 16 postseason hosts, and Auburn was selected to host their 23rd regional in school history, the first since 2010. The SEC received a surprising four spots, allowing the selection committee to punt on deciding between Florida and Auburn and giving them both #1 seeds. Auburn is believed to be a lower seed, paired with a National Seed so if Auburn wins in the regionals they would travel to the National Host for the super regionals, where both hosts advance.

The early exit from the SEC Tournament does allow Auburn to work on setting the pitching and lineup for the Regionals. It is expected that RHP Joseph Gonzalez, arguably Auburn's most reliable weekend starter with a 6-2 record and 2.74 ERA, would be in line to move up in the rotation for Regionals. 

AUBURN REGIONAL

HOST: @AuburnBaseball#RoadToOmaha pic.twitter.com/AH0w7qPRcB

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) May 30, 2022

LHP Carson Skipper, a key reliever this season who was asked to start game one of the SEC Tournament and gave Auburn three scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and only one hit, may continue starting in the postseason. Now that transfer lefty Tommy Sheehan has settled into a role as long man out of the pen, Skipper provides a lefty arm that could have an impact against a left-handed leaning lineup Auburn may face in a regional. He factors into a rotation that has righties Trace Bright and Mason Barnett both available as well; the double-elimination format of a regional means to win, you throw either three or four games in four days.

We’ve seen Auburn work on lineup changes over the final two weekends of the season, attempting to find lineup protection for SEC Co-Player of the Year Sonny DiChiara. DiChiara, who led the NCAA in walks per game with 62 in 52 games, good for a 1.19 per-game average, continues to get either pitched around or outright intentionally walked by opponents afraid of his .787 slugging percentage (tops in the SEC and 5th in the nation). 

The road to Omaha begins in Auburn!#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/JOgdI2YnO0

— Auburn Baseball (@AuburnBaseball) May 30, 2022

The return of switch-hitting Cole Foster, the 2nd baseman who injured his oblique in the Alabama series, may play a role in protecting DiChiara. The sophomore has a .309 in conference games, with five homers and fourteen RBIs. It’s possible either he or right fielder Bobby Pierce get moved up in the order in front of DiChiara to not only provide runners for DiChiara to drive in, but also lineup protection to make opposing pitchers pay for walking or pitching around DiChiara.

Auburn’s draw for the postseason will be announced on Monday, May 30th. You can tune into the broadcast on WatchESPN at 11:00 CST; the regionals will begin on Friday, June 3rd and are televised on the ESPN family of networks. 

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