AUBURN, Ala. – Coming off its best postseason finish since going to the 1997 College World Series, Auburn baseball and head coach Butch Thompson announced the team’s 2019 schedule Thursday.
The Tigers, who finished the 2018 season with a 43-23 record and won its first super regional game in program history, return nine of 14 pitchers who saw action last season and four position players who started 45 or more games. Included in those groups is junior right-hander Davis Daniel, All-SEC shortstop Will Holland and a quartet of Freshmen All-Americans in Tanner Burns, Cody Greenhill, Edouard Julien and Steven Williams.
Auburn will play 33 regular-season games at Plainsman Park next spring, including 16 of the team’s first 20 contests. Fifteen of the Tigers’ opponents are coming off 30-win seasons and eight are coming off NCAA Regional appearances, including four super regional teams and a pair of College World Series participants.
Opening Day in 2019 will feature Auburn and Georgia Southern in the first of a three-game series on Friday, Feb. 15. The Tigers will play a pair of midweek contests against Alabama A&M (Feb. 19-20) before closing out the month on the road with a three-game series at UCF (Feb. 22-24).
Auburn opens March by welcoming Cincinnati (Mar. 1-3) and UTSA (Mar. 8-10) to Plainsman Park for a pair three-game sets and also hosts UT Martin (Mar. 5-6) in the midweek. The Tigers then travel to South Alabama (Mar. 12) for its final contest before beginning conference play.
Auburn begins Southeastern Conference action with a three-game series versus Tennessee (Mar. 15-17) followed by a three-game set at Mississippi State (Mar. 22-24). The Tigers close the month on the road against South Carolina (Mar. 29-31).
Auburn has three non-conference games away from home during March, playing at South Alabama on March 12, facing UAB at Regions Field on March 19, and finishing with the annual Capital City Classic against Alabama on March 27 at Montgomery’s Riverwalk Stadium.
The Tigers return home for five straight games to begin April, welcoming Arkansas for a weekend set (Apr. 5-7) with a pair of non-conference matchups against Georgia Tech (Apr. 2) and Jacksonville State (Apr. 9) bookending the series against the Razorbacks.
The rest of April features a trio of conference series at Texas A&M (Apr. 12-14), against Ole Miss (Apr. 19-21), and at Vanderbilt (Apr. 26-28). The Tigers travel for a pair of midweek games against Georgia Tech (Apr. 16) and Jacksonville State (Apr. 23) before ending the month at home against Alabama State (Apr. 30).
Auburn opens May with eight straight home games featuring series against Alabama (May 3-5) and Georgia (May 10-12) before wrapping up the regular season at LSU (May 16-18). The Tigers have a pair of home midweek contests in between the trio of conference series with games against UAB (May 7) and North Alabama (May 14) to conclude non-conference play.
The SEC Tournament is scheduled to take place May 21-26 in Hoover, Ala., with NCAA Regionals being played May 31-June 3, Super Regionals June 7-10 and the College World Series June 15-26.
