Auburn eliminated by Southern Miss, winless Regional performance ends season
AUBURN — For only the third time in program history, Auburn baseball went 0-2 in the NCAA Tournament, and to make matters worse, the Tigers failed to win a game for the first time in six Regional host opportunities dating back to 1978.
No. 13 national seed Auburn’s season ended on Saturday afternoon with a 7-2 loss to Southern Miss. The defeat comes one day after losing the Regional opener 6-3 to Penn in 11 innings. It’s a disappointing end, as Auburn lost four straight tournament games to end the season after winning nine straight games to end the regular season.
Auburn joins only Florida (2021), Oregon State (2019) and Florida State (2018) as Regional hosts to go 0-2 in the last five NCAA Tournaments.
Friday winners Penn and Samford face off on Saturday evening in the winner’s bracket game. Southern Miss advances to play the loser of Penn and Samford in an elimination game on Sunday afternoon.
Auburn’s season ends with an overall record of 34-23-1.
- Auburn’s three runs and two runs scored in back-to-back Regional games is the first time the Tigers scored three runs or less in back-to-back games since scoring two runs and one run in Saturday and Sunday losses at Alabama in mid April.
- Auburn lost for just the third time in 17 games when Tommy Veil makes an appearance.
- Veil allowed four hits in 4.1 innings of work, three of which were home runs. Veil entered the game having allowed only three home runs all season.
- Konner Copeland relieved Veil, allowing four hits in one inning, giving up one earned run. Chase Isbell entered and threw 3.2 innings of one-hit and one-run ball.
- The Tigers’ pitching staff allowed five home runs in two games. Southern Miss hit four home runs on Saturday, three of which were solo shots.
- Auburn leadoff hitters went 0-9 in the season-ending loss.
- Auburn recorded six outs in the game on the first pitch of an at bat.
- The Tigers managed just 12 hits and five runs in two home Regional games. That’s quite the contrast to 49 hits and 51 runs in three home Regional wins last season.
- Auburn’s top five hitters in the lineup (Chris Stanfield, Cole Foster, Bryson Ware, Ike Irish and Bobby Peirce) went a combined 9-44 with one total RBI in two Regional losses.
- Auburn committed three errors in the two losses.
