AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn baseball travels across the state to take on archrival Alabama in a three-game series at Sewell-Thomas Stadium this weekend.
First pitches in Tuscaloosa are scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. CT, Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m.
“We’re in a stretch here of nine games in two weeks,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “Hopefully we can start playing with some momentum a little bit better and the outcome will be in our favor a little more often to have two good weeks.”
All three games will be broadcast on the Auburn Sports Network. Thursday’s game will air nationally on SEC Network and Friday and Saturday’s contests will be available digitally on SEC Network+.
AUBURN HEAD COACH BUTCH THOMPSON AND SENIOR STEVEN WILLIAMS
PROBABLE STARTERS
Thursday – Sr. RHP Cody Greenhill (3-0, 1.83) vs. Jr. RHP Tyler Ras (5-1, 3.45)
Friday – Sr. LHP Jack Owen (0-2, 9.53) vs. Jr. RHP Dylan Smith (0-3, 2.58)
Saturday – Fr. RHP Joseph Gonzalez (0-3, 8.57) vs. So. LHP Connor Prielipp (1-0, 0.00)
QUICK HITTERS
Auburn is 5-1 and has outscored the Crimson Tide 72-25 in its last two series.
The Tigers swept Alabama for the first time since 1976 in its last trip to Tuscaloosa in 2018.
Cody Greenhill is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA and .173 average against in his last five starts.
The Tigers will use the same starting rotation for the third straight weekend for the first time.
Auburn has homered in seven straight games with two or more home runs in five contests.
The seven-game home run streak is the team’s longest since homering in nine straight in 2018.
Ryan Bliss has a hit in 11 of the first 12 SEC games, including multiple hits in eight contests.
Auburn leads the country with 35 double plays and has turned a double play in eight straight contests, including two or more in five games during the span.
The Tigers are 13-3 when outhitting opponents and 0-11 when allowing more hits this season.
Auburn trails the all-time series, 134-163, against Alabama but is 9-7 against the Crimson Tide under head coach Butch Thompson.
SCOUTING THE CRIMSON TIDE
Alabama enters the weekend with a 20-12 overall record and 5-7 mark in the SEC.
The Crimson Tide enter the series on a four-game winning streak after sweeping a series at Texas A&M and defeating Samford, 19-3, in the midweek.
Alabama is hitting .273 as a team and is led by trio Zane Denton, Peyton Wilson and Williams Hamiter, who are each hitting over .340.
Sam Praytor and Owen Diodati lead the way from a power and run production standpoint with eight home runs apiece and 27 and 26 RBI, respectively.
The Crimson Tide have turned in a 3.91 staff ERA, which ranks ninth in the SEC. Sophomore lefty Connor Prielipp is set to make his first appearance since opening weekend Saturday.
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