Auburn baseball vs USC preview: A big non-con series for the Tigers

Auburn unexpectedly gets another home series, and a chance to enhance their non-conference resume.

Auburn baseball sits at 3-1 after an opening weekend series win against Indiana and a midweek thrashing of UNA, and unexpectedly gets to sleep in their own beds for a weather-related relocation of a three-game series against Southern California (3-1). Here's what you need to know for the matchup:

Probable Starters

Friday: RHP Chase Allsup (0-0, 9.00 ERA) vs RHP Tyler Stromsborg (0-0, 5.06 ERA)

Saturday: RHP Joseph Gonzalez (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP Jaden Agassi (1-0, 1.42 ERA)

Sunday: TBA vs RHP Eric Hammond (0-0, 3.00 ERA)

Statistical Leaders - Auburn

Auburn's offense is currently led by 3B Bryson Ware, currently 10-15 with four doubles, a home run, 5 RBIs, and no walks to two strikeouts. A former junior college shortstop, the senior is now solidified at third base after two seasons in the outfield as a part-time starter and key defensive replacement. Ware batted only .234/.336/.394 last season, his second on The Plains, and was occasionally plagued offensively by poor performance against offspeed and breaking pitches. 

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Ware attributed at least part of that success to a simpler approach, "Yeah, like Coach (Gabe) Gross says, I'm trying to be an athlete and kinda get lost in playing the game - not trying to hit, just trying to do all the things I can do to put our team in a position to win."

I asked Ware specifically what he did to work on consistency at the plate, and he talked about the virtues of the Josh Donaldson Hitting Lab, "We're fortunate enough to have some 'spinball' machines down in the cage, so that's a huge benefit for us. That's as close as you're going to get to getting live looks without seeing an actual live arm. Also, we have Jason Selk, our mental coach, talk to us. So I've been trying to do my - we call them mental workouts, which is just kind of trying to visualize some things before they even happen. And another thing, trying to not do too much and cut down on my swings a little bit - be as short as possible and try to stay within myself."  

(The Spinball Pitching Machines are advanced pitching machines that can simulate not only a traditional fastball, but also impart spin to mimic sliders, curveballs, etc. The top of the line model, the iPitch Smart Pitching Machine, is controlled by a tablet and can take inputs of specific spin measurements to exactly recreate any pitcher's arsenal that there is Trackman/Rapsodo data for and then throw either pre-planned sequences, based on that pitcher's real-life usage, or random sequences. It has the ability to target nine different points of the strike zone and throw at velocities from 50mph all the way up to 100mph. It retails for a base price of $14,000, plus shipping and included options.)   

Head coach Butch Thompson couldn't be happier about the progress the senior from Mississippi has made: "I see comfort, I see confidence," Thompson told 247's Jason Caldwell. "At the plate it’s becoming more believable every game we play because that slider that’s two balls off the plate, the barrel’s not moving."

Thompson reiterated the offensive contributions of Ware were a welcome sight for the coaching staff. "We have seen him play enough and be in the program enough that when he doesn’t recognize and goes for that pitch, it makes it more difficult for him to put at-bats together. He’s taking that pitch and seeing it and evaluating it. I think that has put him in much better counts and given him a chance to get balls over the plate to be able to perform.” 

Other statistical leaders of note: 

DH Ike Irish: 9-16 with three doubles, four RBIs, and two walks

LF Bobby Pierce: 7-18 with one homerun, one double, six RBIs.

RF Justin Kirby: 2-11 with two homeruns, three RBIs, and seven walks

Statistical Leaders - Southern California 

Senior infielder Nick Lopez led the Trojans offensively through the opening week, 1st on the team in hits (9), home runs (3), and doubles (3), and tied for the team lead in runs (7) and RBI (7). His 3 homers are 5th in the NCAA and his 21 total bases are the 4th most in the NCAA.

Senior outfielder Cole Gabrielson posted the first two-homer game of the season for USC on Sunday against Marist.

Senior righty Blake Sodersten, entering in the 4th on Sunday against Marist, struck out nine batters in 5.0 innings.

Redshirt freshman infielder Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek, a transfer from UCLA that did not appear in a game last year, had an immediate impact on this Trojans lineup with seven RBI on two doubles and a homer through his first four collegiate games. Martin-Grudzielanek hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the 6th inning of USC's season opener against Marist.

Junior infielder Ryann Jackson is tied for the team lead with a .500 batting average, going 6-for-12 at the plate so far. Jackson has also drawn seven walks (15th in the NCAA) and owns a .700 OBP (25th in the NCAA).

As a team, Southern California sports a .609 slugging percentage, tops in the Pac-12 and 17th in the NCAA. Their 29 walks through four games have them in the top 20 nationally for 2023. Thompson brought attention to their walks in comments to the media on Thursday: "A very patient-oriented ball club. [...] They're evaluating pitches very well. We need guys to shove it in the strike zone like we've been preaching to start this season." 

Expected Starters 

C  Nate LaRue

1B Cooper McMurray OR Brody Wortham OR Cam Hill

2B Caden Green

SS Cole Foster

3B Bryson Ware

LF Bobby Pierce

CF Kason Howell

RF Justin Kirby

DH Ike Irish

Game Times and How to Watch 

Game times are 6PM on Friday, 2PM on Saturday, and noon on Sunday. Limited chairback and Tiger Terrace seating is still available - more information can be found at aubtix.com. Game one will not be available for broadcast owing to a previously scheduled women's gymnastics meet at Neville Arena, but games two and three will be available on SEC Network+. The radio call, with Brad Law and Paul Ellen (games one and two) and Andy Burcham (game three) will be available locally on 95.9FM and online at AuburnTigers.com. 

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