Weekend Preview: Auburn
The unexpected series shapes up to be a good one as the Eagles and Tigers both have potent lineups, high-end starters, and bullpens off to strong starts.
After some last-minute scheduling, No. 18/22 Boston College baseball is heading down to Alabama for a three-game series with previously-ranked Auburn. The Eagles (6-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast) are making a rare foray into SEC play against the Tigers (6-2), who recently lost two of three at the Round Rock Classic. It should be quite the series as the two conferences are held in high esteem while both programs are in or around the Top 25.
Auburn’s offensive numbers are inflated by a two-game series with Alabama A&M in which the Tigers won by an aggregate of 51-2, but they’re still one of the more dangerous offensive teams in the country. Auburn was leading the country in batting average (.340) when the 2020 season was suspended and the team returned 79 percent of its hits.
First baseman Tyler Miller (1.245 OPS, 10.3 RC) has been a force for the Tigers thus far —he’s reached in his last eight plate appearances—and has moved up to fifth in the lineup after starting the year in the seven-hole. Head coach Butch Thompson has kept the top of his lineup pretty consistent with left fielder Judd Ward, shortstop Ryan Bliss, and right fielder Bryson Ware hitting 1-2-3. They’re all dangerous hitters, but Ware has impressed the most. A top-10 JUCO prospect, Ware is third on the team in runs created (9.9) and already has double-digit runs and hits. Another name to know is Steven Williams (.468 wOBA), a senior with a consistent career under his belt. Surprisingly, Rankin Woley—Auburn’s cleanup hitter—finds himself below the Mendoza Line (.192) and the worst regular.
This will be the biggest test yet for BC’s rotation, who have seen a mixed bag of results thus far. Emmet Sheehan, the Saturday starter, has turned in ace-like performances with back-to-back six inning starts. The junior has a 39 percent strikeout rate and the Eagles are 2-0 with him on the mound. Mason Pelio, meanwhile, coughed up six earned runs last weekend against Duke and uncharacteristically has a walk rate north of 15 percent. This will be a big test for the top draft prospect but BC will need him at his best to contain a dangerous lineup. As for Sunday, Joey Vetrano is listed as an opener, but he labored through a three-run, 28-pitch inning against Rhode Island on Wednesday. Maybe we’ll see him or a different opener before likely getting to Alex Stiegler, who is competing with Sheehan for the best start to the season on the mound. The transfer from Yale has a similarly high 34 percent strikeout rate while allowing just one earned run in 8 1/3 innings.
They’re up against a similarly-regarded rotation. Friday night pits Pelio, the preseason pick for ACC Pitcher of the Year, against Richards Fitts—the preseason No. 5 prospect in the loaded SEC. Fitts, like Pelio, was hit hard in his last start against Baylor. He surrendered a career-high seven runs on nine hits in a setback. Still, he was pegged as the No. 15 prospect in Keith Law’s last Big Board and is described as someone who “can pitch at 94-95 and touch 97 with a wipeout changeup with split-like action, and he has above-average control.” You can expect plenty of scouts at this one, though, as they’re two pitchers with elite stuff.
On Saturday, it’s Sheehan against a reliever-starter hybrid in the form of Mason Barnett. The sophomore struggled with command in his lone relief outing of the season, but was dialed in for four scoreless innings against Presbyterian in his only start. Sunday’s starter for the Tigers has been their best thus far, 6-foot-4 righthander Trace Bright. The reigning SEC Pitcher of the Week, Bright has been equally dominant as Sheehan out of the gate. The sophomore—who gave up nine earned runs in eight innings last spring—has allowed just one run in 10 innings and held Texas A&M to three hits over six scoreless in his last start.
Bright & Co. will have their hands full with a BC lineup that’s scored at least five runs in six of its seven games. Sal Frelick has been among the nation’s best in runs created (11.7) and wOBA (.505), while other standouts include Jack Cunningham, Luke Gold, and surprise No. 9 hitter Dante Baldelli. This will be important weekend to see the best out of highly-regarded third baseman Cody Morissette, as he’s 5-for-27 (albeit with 10 walks) to start the year. Brian Dempsey is also 1-for-13 over his last three games so he’ll be looking to bounce back in the middle of the order.
With strong starting pitching, bullpen performances have a big chance to make or break a series. Both head coaches have a good group of arms to turn to but the edge likely goes to the Tigers. Junior lefty Carson Skipper (5 IP, 0 R, 5 K) and sophomore righthander Seb Thomas (5.1 IP, 1 ER) have been most frequently called upon in the early going of the season, and they’ve been lights out. The Auburn bullpen as a whole is fanning 26 percent of the batters they face and walking just nine percent. The Eagles, meanwhile, have used 12 different arms and two of those are rotation pieces in Vetrano and Stiegler. When he’s not spot starting, Joey Walsh (4 IP, 1.60 FIP out of the bullpen) is BC’s top choice in the closer role. Max Gieg (4.1 IP, 4.72 FIP) has been a bit wild with a walk in each of his outings but his three appearances are the most of any exclusive reliever. The Eagles’ young core of freshman relievers pitched well in the midweek win over Rhode Island, so keep an eye on them.
This series could go any any different direction. Will we see a Friday night pitcher’s duel or will the lineups carry the day? Does Sheehan outclass Auburn’s spot starter or does it turn into a slugfest? Will Bright continue his dominant streak or will the Eagles be the first team to break through against him? Whatever the answers to those questions turn out to be, this should be a high-quality series loaded with top-end talent as the ACC and the SEC are the two premier conferences in college baseball.
Images courtesy of Boston College and Auburn Athletics.