Where does Auburn baseball stand in D1Baseball's Field of 64 before the Tennessee series?
Where does Auburn baseball stand in D1Baseball's Field of 64 before the Tennessee series? How much would Auburn benefit from a successful weekend in Knoxville?
The No. 11 Auburn Tigers will travel to Knoxville this weekend to face No. 6 Tennessee in what will be a crucial series for both SEC standings and NCAA Tournament seeding.
The Tigers are considered a host team for the upcoming NCAA Tournament, according to D1Baseball's latest "Field of 64" projection as a No. 14 seed. By D1Baseball's projections, Auburn will host Southern Miss, Miami (FL), and Ball State. Auburn's regional is paired with No. 3 Florida State, which is slated to host Troy, Florida, and Bethune-Cookman. Playing the hypothetical game, Auburn would travel to Tallahassee to face the Seminoles in the Super Regional round should both Auburn and Florida State win their respective regionals.
However, Auburn could boost its stock in the NCAA Tournament picture with a successful weekend in Knoxville. The Volunteers rank No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, and grabbed the No. 6 overall seed in D1Baseball's latest projection, paired with No. 11 Oregon State. Auburn owns series wins over top-25 programs such as Kentucky, Alabama, and LSU, and a series win over Tennessee in their home ballpark would surely shoot Auburn into a top-eight seed.
To achieve that goal, Auburn will need to limit Tennessee's ability to hit home runs and create more strikeout opportunities. The Volunteers are second in the SEC with 100 home runs heading into the series with 325 combined strikeouts. At the plate, Auburn needs to continue being patient and waiting for the right pitch to drive. The Tigers have struck out the fewest times in the SEC, with 307 total. Auburn is also among the SEC's best in extra-base hits with 91, which pairs with its 59 home runs.
Auburn's SEC showdown with Tennessee begins Friday at 5:30 p.m. CT.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
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