Butch Thompson credits scheduling for Auburn's improved seeding

Sunday’s news was positive for Auburn, hearing their name called as a regional host for the NCAA Tournament. The following day may have been better though, as Butch Thompson learned his team was the No. 4 overall seed. Auburn will not have to leave home during its journey to Omaha in hopes of another College World Series appearance.

Quick reactions on the national seed from Thompson led him to one thing — scheduling. He gave a lot of credit to how his staff has scheduled for the program in recent seasons, especially after missing out in previous years. Auburn played one of the toughest slates in college baseball this season and was rewarded in a big way.

“I think back to the schedule and 2018, 2019,” Thompson said. “Feeling like you’re supposed to see yourself as a regional host. And I think one of the biggest things we’ve done… is research and revamp our schedule. I think No. 1 strength of schedule now has held serve…. Hosted the last three years, it was a concerted effort to what you do with the nonconference schedule as far as being on the road, in-state, playing an ACC Champion like Georgia Tech, and drawing the toughest schedule in our own league. It propelled us.”

Thompson went one step further with Auburn’s SEC schedule. Of the five road trips they had, four of them wound up being national seeds and will host a regional.

From an RPI standpoint, D1 Baseball‘s metrics placed Auburn at No. 3 overall. The No. 1 SOS was there, just ahead of multiple other SEC teams. All formed due to a tough nonconference slate, in multiple different ways, as Thompson described.

Auburn will get things started on Friday at 6 p.m. CT against Central Connecticut State. Being heavily favored, the Tigers will presumably be waiting on the other side for the winner of the earlier game between NC State and Stetson.

Coastal Carolina is the national seed in the projected Super Regional, one Auburn would host if they were to advance. However, another SEC team is in the Conway Regional with something to say about that. An all-SEC showdown could take place with Florida.

Thompson knows his team will be ready for whatever challenge is thrown their way. He and his staff know the 2025 schedule brought the preparation required to make it to the promised land of college baseball.