15-05-2025
From the first-base box to circling the bases: Auburn's Andrew Dutton delivers a movie moment
Andrew Dutton is no stranger to storybook moments. Last season, Dutton and his Birmingham-Southern teammates made an improbable run into the Division III College World Series shortly after the school announced it would be closing due to financial troubles. After transferring to Auburn as a graduate student, Dutton had carved a niche for himself on the Tigers this season as their first-base coach. But when Auburn took an 18-0 lead over Jacksonville State in their final regular-season game at Plainsman Park, Dutton finally got his chance in the batters' box. He didn't miss it.
Dutton took a 2-1 pitch well over the wall in right field in his first at-bat of the season, giving the Tigers a 19-0 lead and his teammates a chance to go wild.
Andrew Dutton played 4 years at Birmingham-Southern, leading them to the D3 College World Series before the school closed.
This year, he's been a graduate student/first base coach at Auburn. He homered in his first at-bat of the year. 👏 (🎥 : @ESPN)
— MLB (@MLB) May 14, 2025
'The crowd going crazy was a dream come true,' Dutton told the Auburn Athletic Department. 'It's what I've been waiting for. It was awesome. The guys have always been super supportive of just me and being the teammate that I am. That's the biggest thing is just having those 40 best friends who really care about you.'
Advertisement
Dutton, 23, is a Birmingham, Ala., native who hit .340/.445/.454 in his four seasons at Birmingham-Southern. Last season, he hit .342 with a career-high seven home runs.
'It was movie script stuff to me,' Auburn head coach Butch Thompson told the Auburn Athletic Department. 'That's what it is all about. That's the good stuff. You talk about capitalizing on a moment. We had a blast with that tonight. That was a special moment. He's got that for life, to run around these bases in an Auburn uniform. He's worked every day to be ready to play the game, and you're rewarded for stuff like that.'
The Tigers won the game on the run rule, 19-1, to move to 37-15 on the season. They have won five straight games. The Tigers are 16-11 in Southeastern Conference play and currently ranked No. 7 in the country in The Athletic's college baseball top 25. The SEC Tournament begins in Hoover, Ala., on May 20 and the postseason tournament field will be set on May 26.
(Photo of Dutton, right, as first-base coach talking with teammate Bub Terrell: Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
