Auburn Daily

What We Learned From Auburn Sweep of Wright State

The Auburn Tigers swept Wright State over the weekend, and here's a couple things we learned along the way

Austin Walls

Here's what we learned over the weekend
Here's what we learned over the weekend / Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

The No. 25 Auburn Tigers (7-1) broke out the brooms against the Wright State Raiders (2-3). The Tigers won the first two games via a mercy rule winning 11-0 and 11-1, respectively. In game three of the series, they were tested a bit more. However, they still managed to break the game open in the end and beat the Raiders,  9-4. 

Let’s look at a couple of things we learned in the dominant sweep of Wright State. 

There Are Few Weaknesses Throughout the Pitching Staff

Due to the Fisher injury, Auburn was forced to have a bullpen day in game two. Starting for the Tigers was Alex Petrovic. It was his first career start. He lasted 2 ⅔ innings, but struck out five batters in the process. 

He was replaced by freshman left-handed pitcher Jackson Sanders. Sanders was making just his third career appearance. He threw 21 pitches in the game, 20 for strikes before handing it over to the eventual closer. That’s over 95.2 % of his pitches being strikes. Sanders was tagged with the win, the first of his collegiate career. 

The fact that the two underclassmen handled the majority of the pitching during the game was impressive. It tells head coach Butch Thompson that he can rely on Petrovic and Sanders for more bullpen appearances as they continue to grow.

 “I think soon they'll just be guys that help us win instead of freshmen,” Thompson said.

Another thing to note is that whenever Christian Chatterton starts, Ike Irish needs to be behind the plate. The duo’s ability to be incredibly fast regardless of which base they choose to throw to is a deadly combo. Just in game three, the duo threw out four different base runners. 

The final pitching note is closer Hayden Murphy. He has made just two appearances so far. He should get many more before the start of the SEC schedule.

When Auburn Bats Are On, They’re On

The Tigers’ bats got going in the first inning of the first game and never flickered off for the entire series. Each game demonstrated a different way that the Tigers could beat their opponent. In game one, the Tigers used everything to win, recording 14 hits. In game two, they had 13 hits on the day, 12 of which were singles. That one hit wasn’t single? A solo shot to left center by shortstop Deric Fabian. 

“It’s just one of the many ways we can win, death by a thousand cuts today,” Ike Irish said. “Another day it might be the longball and the extra-base hits that help us win. Today, it was just singles and walks. We did our job.” 

The team as a whole can see the ball well, even when they aren’t swinging the bat. In game two. The Tigers forced seven walks, something they converted into runs. Their plate discipline may be in part due to bad pitching by the Raiders but the Tigers’ lineup was well-coached regardless of which of the five pitchers they saw. 

Next on the schedule for the Tigers, they will be hosting the Samford Bulldogs in Plainsman Park on Tuesday, Feb. 25. at 6 p.m. CST.

More From Auburn Tigers on SI:

Published
Austin Walls
AUSTIN WALLS

Austin Walls is a University of Florida Sports Journalism graduate. He has covered different sports, from motorsport, professional and college football, professional and college basketball, women's basketball and hockey among others. He has spent most of his time focusing on the SEC Conference, but has spent time covering the AAC, MWC and ACC.

Home/Baseball