27-05-2025
Auburn Regional: Scouting Central Connecticut
Auburn Regional: Scouting Central Connecticut Get to know the Central Connecticut Blue Devils before the Auburn Regional begins.
Auburn baseball experienced a major turnaround in 2025 and was rewarded with the opportunity to host in the 2025 NCAA Baseball Tournament, with a chance to host its first-ever Super Regional should they pass this weekend's tests.
Auburn sealed the No. 4 overall seed of the 2025 NCAA Baseball Tournament field, joining fellow SEC members Vanderbilt, Texas, and Arkansas in occupying the top-four slots. LSU and Georgia joined the mix by grabbing top-eight seeds, ensuring that six SEC squads will host Super Regionals should they win their respective regionals. For Auburn, they earned a top-four seed by performing well against its challenging slate. The Tigers won 15 games against quad-1 competition while boasting the nation's toughest schedule.
As time draws closer to the start of the Auburn Regional, we will break down the competition that Auburn will face on its quest for a College World Series title. First, we examine the Central Connecticut Blue Devils, Auburn's first opponent in the Auburn Regional. Here are six things you need to know about the Blue Devils before Friday's matchup.
How did the Central Connecticut Blue Devils get here?
The Blue Devils earned the automatic bid by winning the Northeast Conference Tournament, defeating Long Island in 12 innings on Sunday. The Blue Devils scored the game-winning run in the 12th inning on a dropped third strike that was deep enough to score Brady Short from 3rd base, pushing the Blue Devils to a 6-5 win. The Blue Devils tied Wagner, and finished one game behind Long Island for the top spot in the NEC regular-season standings at 23-7 in conference play.
The Blue Devils are not familiar with top-quality competition
Central Connecticut won an impressive 31 games this season. However, a bulk of their competition resided in the "quad-4" category according to the RPI. The Blue Devils went 28-12 against teams in quad-3 and quad-4 according to D1Baseball, and played four games total against teams in quad-1 and quad-2, going 0-2. Central Connecticut's toughest opponent to date is Northeastern (RPI No. 25), a game it lost 12-5 in April.
Central Connecticut makes its hits count
The Blue Devils' offense will keep Auburn and the rest of the field on notice this weekend. Central Connecticut is the NEC's highest-slugging team at .504, and 33% of their hits went for extra bases. Their .331 team average topped Wagner for No. 1 in the conference by 18 points, and they led the conference in RBI with 373.
Defense is key for the Blue Devils
Central Connecticut is not known for striking hitters out. They combined to sit down just 307 batters in the regular season to finish No. 9 in the NEC. However, their pitchers are strong at utilizing their resources. The Blue Devils boast the NEC's lowest ERA at 5.22 and have allowed the fewest hits (421) in the conference. Those quality numbers are due in part to their strong defensive play. Blue Devil defenders field at a .0970 clip and have committed the fewest errors in the NEC with 47.
Aidan Redahan will be a problem at the plate
Redahan will be the top weapon in the Central Connecticut lineup this weekend. The senior infielder leads the nation with a .460 batting average through 45 games and leads the NEC with 86 hits and 69 RBI, and has struck out just 11 times in 187 at-bats.
When will Auburn and Central Connecticut meet up?
The Tigers will open the Auburn Regional against Central Connecticut on Friday at 6 p.m. CT in a game streamed on ESPN+.
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