March 2017

Lyle's Corner

Friday, March 31st, 2017

Nobody saw this coming. Auburn softball associate head coach and pitching coach Corey Myers announced last night that he was resigning from the program on the eve of Auburn's weekend series at Georgia. Myers came to Auburn with his father, head coach Clint Myers, in 2014. Corey Myers cited family considerations as his reason for stepping down.

"It is with great sadness today that I announce that I will be stepping down as associate head coach of the Auburn University softball team," Myers said in a statement. "It became clear to me that my relationship with my family needs to be my top priority right now and therefore felt that I must step away. I thank the Auburn family for everything they have done for my family and myself. We absolutely love living on the Plains and will forever feel like Auburn is our home."

I'm sure that most people are stunned by this. I certainly am. Some may feel that Myers should have waited until the end of the season to leave. Nonetheless, all we can do is respect his decision and move forward. Good luck in the future, Corey. Don't forget that the team starts its series with the Bulldogs tonight in Athens at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be available online at SECN+.

In other news....

- Auburn football defensive lineman Tashawn Manning, a 3-star recruit from the Tigers' 2016 class, has traveled a rocky road to college football. After pledging to Auburn before last season, he was diagnosed with cancer and had to fight back from the disease, missing the whole season as a result. However, to start spring practice this year, he was cancer-free and ready to return to the field.

Now, though, he's facing another (though far less serious) setback - an undisclosed foot injury. According to AL.com, defensive line coach Rodney Garner thinks it could cost the young defensive tackle the rest of the spring session. "The problem is this is Day 9 and Saturday will be Day 11, so there's a probability (that he won't return this spring)," Garner said Tuesday.

As Manning recovers from his injury, his goal will be to lose some weight. Garner said he wants to see him shed 15-20 pounds before the 2017 season begins. "He's a big, body-quick guy and we probably need to trim him down a little bit," Garner said. "I think he was in the 320-ish (pound) range, and I'd like to see him more around 300, 305. I think that's what our goal is, but I was pleased with him while he was out there."

The Tigers have only five practice sessions left this spring, so it wouldn't be a good idea to rush Manning back if he's not ready. If he can't return, he'll strive to be ready for summer practices in a couple of months (although, as any loyal Auburn athletics follower should know, those sessions will involve the players working with each other independently without the coaches' guidance).

In closing, I'll point out the baseball team's next game one final time. They will host South Carolina tonight at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be available online at SECN+.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Thursday, March 30th, 2017

It's one and done for an assistant on Auburn's basketball staff. Word came out yesterday that Chad Dollar is leaving Bruce Pearl's staff. Dollar has been hired to Brian Gregory's staff at South Florida. Dollar came to Auburn after five seasons on Gregory's staff at Georgia Tech. After Gregory was fired from Tech last year, Dollar bolted for The Plains.

This move shouldn't come as a total shock. Dollar was a longtime assistant for Gregory and also played at USF from 1990-1993. Dollar has coached at the college level for two decades. He previously worked at Wichita State when the Shockers won the NIT in 2011, and he also coached for John Brady at LSU and Arkansas State from 2007-2010.

"There are only a few schools in the country where I always dreamed of coaching, and Auburn is one of them," Dollar stated in a press release in 2016. "Growing up, I watched Auburn basketball and spent a lot of time at Auburn through the years with my dad being a high school coach and having a few of his former players play at Auburn. It is like a dream come true to coach at Auburn and coach with one of the best coaches in the country in coach Pearl. I am very excited about this opportunity, and I am looking forward to the success that lies ahead for Auburn basketball."

Now, here's hoping that Dollar finds success at USF as he enters this new chapter of his life.

In other news....

- I wrote about these yesterday, but I'll reiterate. First off, the baseball team kicks off a three-game series against South Carolina at Plainsman Park tomorrow night at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be available online at SECN+. Second, the softball team begins its own three-game series tomorrow night at 6 p.m. CT against No. 16 Georgia in Athens. That game will also be available online at SECN+.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Wednesday, March 29th, 2017

Sorry that I've been away for three days, but I've been VERY busy with other things. But now, I have a chance to write about the baseball team.

Three relief pitchers combined to toss 4.2 innings without an earned run as No. 17 Auburn edged Alabama 4-3 in the ninth annual MAX Capital City Classic at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Alabama yesterday evening. Tigers head coach Butch Thompson was certainly proud of their performances. "(Corey) Herndon did a great job, Ryan Watson. I look at the first three guys that got in the ballgame. I've got a freshman. I've got a first-year junior - a junior college player. It was his first time to ever play in the game, then I've got another freshman, Ryan Watson, that gets us all the way to the point," he stated. "I wanted Andrew (Mitchell) to throw the ninth, but we brought him in to finish the eighth inning. Just to see those guys, and see how much they are going to grow from that is neat for us to see. You can't put our players, especially new players on our team, in a better environment."

After starter Christian Camacho was pulled with one out in the fourth, Herndon, Watson and Mitchell worked together to stymie the Crimson Tide and give up just one hit for the rest of the night. Herndon (1-0) pocketed his first career victory in 1.2 innings of action. Meanwhile, Watson equaled his career high with 2.2 innings thrown and three strikeouts. Mitchell notched his first save of the season with the last 1.1 scoreless.

With the win, Auburn earned its third straight in this event, and its eighth in the last nine contests.

The Tigers went up 3-0 in the third, largely thanks to a 2-run single by Daniel Robert. Soon after that, they also scored a run on an error when Will Holland smacked a bunt single and an error enabled Josh Anthony to prance home. The Tide, however, bounced back in the bottom of the frame on a RBI single by Cobie Vance. Alabama then used sac flies in both the fourth and fifth innings to even the score at 3-all. Vance finished the game 2-for-3 with a walk and a RBI.

Josh Anthony, who led Auburn with two hits, drove home Daniel Robert in the sixth to give the Tigers the lead back at 4-3. Camacho gave up two earned in 4.1 innings of action with three strikeouts. On Alabama's side, Sam Finnerty took the loss with one run allowed in 2.1 relief innings. Starter Garret Rukes gave up three runs with five strikeouts in three innings. Auburn improved to 21-6 on the season, while the Tide fell to 12-13.

The Tigers return to action on Friday at 6 p.m. CT when they begin a three-game SEC series against South Carolina. The game will be available online at SECN+.

In other news....

- The softball team topped Florida 1-0 on Monday night to improve to 28-5 overall, 3-3 in the conference. The victory also gave head coach Clint Myers his 1,500th career win. The team will return to the field on Friday, March 31st when they travel to Athens to begin a three-game series against 16th-ranked Georgia. The first game is set for 6 p.m. CT, and will be available online at SECN+.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Saturday, March 25th, 2017

Auburn wasn't flawless by any means, but when the game was on the line, it found a way to win against Georgia last night at Foley Field in Athens. Daniel Robert smacked the game-winning hit and pitched 1.1 innings for his first collegiate win as the 16th-ranked Tigers fought back for a thrilling 2-1 win over the Bulldogs.

Auburn head coach Butch Thompson was especially relieved about the comeback. "I'm as happy with this win as any this season," he said. "We couldn't get anything going. It's so easy to defend pop-ups and strikeouts. I give (pitcher Andrew) Gist all the credit. We struggled to have good at-bats." The victory gave the Tigers their ninth straight, improving them to 19-5 overall and 4-0 in the SEC. It's been 41 years (1976) since Auburn started the season 4-0 in that category. On the flip side, the Bulldogs fell to 9-14 overall, 0-4 in the conference.

The game was generally uneventful until Georgia went up 1-0 in the fifth. There wouldn't be another score....until the never-say-die Tigers came alive in the eighth stanza. Luke Jarvis tripled to begin that inning and tied the match via an error by UGA catcher Austin Biggar. Following a strikeout and an intentional walk by Jay Estes, Robert plated Will Holland on a RBI single to give Auburn a 2-1 edge. In the pitching department, Robert, a Hoover, Ala. native, got a key strikeout in the seventh to muff a Georgia threat and followed that up with a scoreless eighth. He finished the night with three strikeouts.

Cole Lipscomb pitched the ninth for his fifth save, the most by an Auburn pitcher since Terrance Dedrick posted 10 in 2013. Starter Keegan Thompson was pulled as a precaution after four innings pitched and 49 tosses. He struck out three with just three hits allowed and no walks. Backups Ryan Watson, Calvin Coker, Corey Herndon, Robert and Lipscomb pitched a combined five innings while only giving up one run.

Jarvis got two hits and a team-leading fourth stolen base. Jonah Todd added two hits himself. Andrew Gist pitched seven-plus innings for the Bulldogs and only surrendered one unearned run. He racked up a career-best seven strikeouts with only four hits allowed. Kevin Smith took the loss to fall to 1-3. In the batting category, Keegan McGovern and Michael Curry had two hits apiece for UGA.

Auburn and Georgia continued their series today with game two. As I write this, it appears that the game has just ended, although I don't know the final score. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I'll write about that game tomorrow. However, I can tell you that the teams will close out the series tomorrow at noon CT. The game can be seen online at SECN+ and on the WatchESPN app.

In other news....

- The softball team will play at Florida tonight at 5 p.m. CT, with the game being televised by ESPN2. This is a rare instance when softball is televised, so I strongly advise you to tune in or, if need be, set your DVR.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Thursday, March 23rd, 2017

The list of transfers just never seems to stop growing, does it? Yet another Tiger is leaving Auburn behind him. Only this time, it's in the basketball program. Rising senior T.J. Lang will transfer to another school. He made the announcement yesterday via his Twitter account.

The 6-feet-7, 210-pound Lang averaged 4.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in 16.4 minutes of game action as a junior. He played in 29 games and started in nine for Auburn, which finished 18-14 overall. Lang nailed 39.8 percent of his shots. His totals diminished as a junior due to the arrival of freshman Jared Harper and transfer Ronnie Johnson in the backcourt. Lang averaged 7.1 points and 2.1 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per game as a sophomore in 2015-16. In his freshman campaign, he started in five of the last seven contests.

The McGrill-Toolen (Mobile, Ala.) icon averaged 19 points and eight rebounds as a senior in high school. His father, Antonio Lang, played at Duke, where he won national championships in 1991 and 1992.

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl will likely increase the graduate transfer circuit to raise depth and experience in the Tigers' backcourt over the spring and summer. Auburn will not return any seniors in the backcourt next season. However, the Tigers will return three guards - Harper, Bryce Brown and Mustapha Heron - while adding four-star signee Davion Mitchell and Presbyterian College transfer DeSean Murray to the roster next season. Murray sat out during the 2016-17 season at Auburn after scoring 20.2 points and snatching 7.4 rebounds per match at Presbyterian in 2015-16.

Personally, I was relatively surprised by Lang's departure. I always thought he was a solid contributor to the team. Evidently, however, he didn't quite feel like one of the guys due to lack of playing time. Whatever the case, I wish him well in the future, and am confident that he will be able to showcase his skills wherever he ends up.

In other news....

- The baseball team returns to action tomorrow at Georgia. The first pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT. The game can be seen online at SECN+ and at the WatchESPN app.

- The softball team begins a series with Florida in Gainesville on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT. This game will be televised on ESPN2, and can also be seen on the WatchESPN app.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Wednesday, March 22nd, 2017

Sixteenth-ranked Auburn tallied six doubles in a 7-4 victory over Georgia Tech yesterday at Russ Chandler Stadium in Atlanta. It was the Tigers' eighth straight win, marking their longest winning streak since 2009. "Once we got up and worked and played good baseball and got up seven runs, they hit three home runs," Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. "No lead is safe here. It's a very offensive ballpark. This was probably the best offensive club we have faced thus far. You never felt like any lead was safe. Then Cole (Lipscomb) came in and did a good job there in the ninth."

The Tigers improved to 18-5 on the year, while Tech fell to 12-7. Jonah Todd, who finished the day with two doubles, scored the game's first run in the third to give Auburn a 1-0 lead. Later, Connor Davis scored a RBI and another came in to score via an error in left field as the Tigers raised their advantage to 3-0 in the fourth stanza. Todd and Davis each had two hits apiece for the game. Also, Jay Estes posted two of his own. Auburn mounted the score to 5-0 in the fifth on a two-run double by Estes, his eighth double of the year. In the sixth frame, Will Holland got a RBI double and Bowen McGuffin drove in a RBI single to extend the Tiger lead to 7-1.

Holland finished the contest with two hits, two runs and a RBI to his name. Daniel Robert had two hits himself. Auburn tied its season high with six doubles. The Tigers have accumulated 15 doubles over their last four contests. The Yellow Jackets, meanwhile, tallied three homers on the day, including a 2-run score in the seventh to narrow Auburn's advantage to 7-4. In the circle, Auburn starter Christian Camacho only gave up one run in 4.1 innings pitched. Calvin Coker got the win after getting the last two outs in the fifth. He improved to 1-1 on the season. Also, Cole Lipscomb pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save.

On the opposing side, Ben Schniederjans took the loss for Tech with two earned in four innings pitched. He fell to 0-1 on the year. Auburn returns to action on Friday at 6 p.m. CT when it kicks off a three-game series at Georgia. The game can be viewed online at SECN+, as well as with the WatchESPN app. Let's hope the Tigers can pull off the same result against the Bulldogs that they did against the Yellow Jackets.

In other news.....

- In the football department, sophomore receiver Kyle Davis has missed all of spring practice up to this point due to what head coach Gus Malzahn described as "personal business." Although he predicted that Davis would be back after spring break, that wasn't the case, so now he believes that Davis will be back on the field in the fall for the 2017 season. We can only hope so, because I strongly believe that he is emerging as a go-to guy for our passing game. Remember that incredible catch he made last season against Arkansas State?

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Tuesday, March 21st, 2017

Just when I thought I wouldn't have anything to write about today, news broke this afternoon that a quarterback is leaving Auburn behind him. Backup signal-caller Tyler Queen is opting out of the race to become Auburn's starter and transferring. Queen made the announcement on his Twitter account today.

The decision ends two frustrating seasons on The Plains for Queen, who underwent two surgeries since arriving on campus in 2015. The former baseball pitcher had surgery on his right elbow in September 2015 and underwent another surgery to repair an injured AC joint in his right throwing shoulder the following April.

Queen was on a pitch count in practices in the spring and fall of last year and was limited to just 50 throws before hurting his shoulder. "I think he was getting better as spring went on," then-Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee stated in April 2016. "He wasn't where he wanted to be but he was getting better. It's a run of bad luck for him. It's a different injury and it's hopefully not nearly as severe. I know he was disappointed."

Queen was rated as a three-star prospect out of North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia by the 247Sports Composite and was ranked No. 15 among pro-style quarterbacks in the class of 2015. He played against Louisiana-Monroe and Alabama A&M last season but did not throw a pass. However, he did run once for a gain of 11 yards. Queen faced a harrowing battle in the race to become Auburn's next starting quarterback. Baylor transfer Jarrett Stidham is widely considered the favorite against incumbent starter Sean White, who has started the majority of the last two seasons, senior John Franklin III (who is open to a switch to wide receiver if need be), redshirt freshman Woody Barrett and freshman Malik Willis.

Given the difficult times Tyler has gone through during his time on The Plains, I certainly can't blame him for wanting to move on. I wish him nothing but the best in the future. And just for the record, Auburn isn't the only SEC team that's gotten a bit thinner at quarterback. Georgia has had two quarterbacks leave the program in recent days (namely Brice Ramsey and today, walk-on Parker McLeod).

In other news....

- Don't forget that the baseball team plays at Georgia Tech tonight at 5 p.m. CT. The game can be viewed online on ESPN3 or with the WatchAuburn app.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Monday, March 20th, 2017

My recap of yesterday's baseball game over Florida will be briefer than I planned, as I had a VERY busy day today. Pinch runner J.J. Shaffer scored via a sac bunt by Jonah Todd and a throwing error to give Auburn a 6-5 walk-off victory over fifth-ranked Florida and complete a weekend sweep of the Gators. This marks the Tigers' seventh straight win, as well as their first weekend sweep of Florida since 1987. Auburn improved to 17-5 overall, 3-0 in the conference. This is its first 3-0 start in league action since 2010, as well as its first walk-off win since a contest against Xavier in 2015.

You can read about this game in more detail at www.auburntigers.com by highlighting "Teams" on the drop-down list, finding the "Baseball" link at the top of the team list, and clicking the "News" button under that list. The game article is entitled "Auburn baseball walks off with sweep of No. 5 Florida."

In other news.....

- Auburn has selected its new president. Iowa State president Steven Leath is set to become the 19th president in Auburn University history, as confirmed today at the university's board of trustees meeting. Leath will succeed Dr. Jay Gogue, who will retire from his post in the summer. He has served as Auburn's president since 2007.

Leath has been at Iowa State since 2012. He recently came under fire regarding the private use of university planes at Iowa State, but that university's board of trustees subsequently cleared him of any wrongdoing. Auburn, meanwhile, remained silent during its six-month search for a new president and didn't accept public opinion. Reportedly, Leath was actively involved in Iowa State athletics and played a role in hiring Steve Prohm as the basketball coach. He also attended Iowa State's second-round game in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday and declined to comment on rumors that he would be Auburn University's next president.

Iowa State achieved its highest student graduation rate, lowered student debt, raised research expenditures, set fundraising records and secured the school's largest private gift for an academic facility during Leath's tenure, according to an Auburn University news release. Prior to his tenure at Iowa State, Leath served as a plant pathologist at the University of Illinois and later became vice president for research at the University of North Carolina System.

Leach will start his new job at Auburn on July 15. I, like all Auburn fans, wish him nothing but the best in this new endeavor. I'm confident that he'll do a wonderful job.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Sunday, March 19th, 2017

The fourth-ranked softball team used six extra-base hits to pocket a 9-4 victory over LIU (Long Island University) Brooklyn this morning. The win capped a perfect weekend for the Tigers (27-3), who won all five of their matches. Associate head coach Corey Myers was particularly proud of the accomplishment. "I think any time you can come away with five victories, it's a good weekend," he said. "We definitely have some work to do. It's going to be nice to be back home, get back to work and get ready for Florida."

Auburn's six extra-base hits were one short of matching a season-high. However, its two triples were the most in a game this season. Courtney Shea, Carlee Wallace and Morgan Podany led the offense with two hits each, while Wallace tallied a team-high two extra-base hits, including a double and her first triple of the season. Elsewhere, Haley Fagan and Kendall Veach each recorded a home run and combined for five RBI. Kasey Cooper clinched the second triple of her career and later scored a run herself. Also, Podany added a double.

In the pitching category, Makayla Martin posted her 12th win of the season largely thanks to tossing four scoreless innings and four strikeouts while only allowing one hit. Jenna Abbott and Ashlee Swindle also saw action out of the bullpen. Auburn broke on top in the second inning after a two-out rally. Veach was hit by a pitch and moved to third when Casey McCrackin smacked a single to center. Then, Podany took a two-strike pitch and slammed it back up the middle for the RBI. LIU Brooklyn took a 3-1 lead in the top of the third when it hit a three-run homer.

The Tigers, however, retaliated in a big way with a seven-run bonanza in the home half of the stanza to take an 8-3 advantage. Cooper started the onslaught with a triple to right field and crossed the plate when Fagan nailed a two-run shot off the scoreboard in right-center field. After a Shea single reached the grass, Veach smacked her seventh homer of the season on the first pitch she got in the contest. Soon after, Podany reached base via a walk and Victoria Draper beat out an infield single with two outs. Wallace then drilled a triple to right field and scored on an errant toss by the right fielder. When the inning was over, Auburn had built its 8-3 lead.

The Blackbirds cut the margin to four after scoring a run in the fourth, but Fagan's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth restored the Tigers' five-run cushion at 9-4. Martin pitched a perfect seventh to allow Auburn to bring home the win. LIU Brooklyn fell to 12-16 on the year. The Tigers won't return to action until next weekend on a trip to Gainesville for a conference series with Florida, March 25-27. The series will begin on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

In other news....

- The baseball team topped Florida 2-1 yesterday at Plainsman Park. The Tigers improved to 16-5 on the year, while the Gators fell to 13-7. The teams conclude the series today at 1 p.m. CT at Plainsman Park. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I'll write about that game tomorrow.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Saturday, March 18th, 2017

Auburn baseball opened SEC play yesterday in a dominating fashion. Junior right-handed pitcher Keegan Thompson recorded a season-best eight strikeouts as the Tigers smashed No. 5 Florida 14-3 at Plainsman Park. The 14 runs stand as the most the Tigers have scored in a league match since April 18, 2015 against Ole Miss, the most scored against Florida since 1997, and the most scored against the Gators at Plainsman Park since 1972.

Auburn head coach Butch Thompson was proud of Thompson's showing. "Keegan just battles and it was good," he said. "I just thought that Keegan was himself, if not in his moments a little bit better. He pitched around a mistake early and later on (Jonathan) India, man, he had a great approach. He hit a line drive back to Keegan and wound up hitting a home run. Keegan is just steady and loves to compete. He was great today. Our lineup, you talk about where to start. I think for me in an SEC game, if I can remember back, I think this is as much as I have seen our club in 20 ballgames compete for each and every individual pitch, offensively and defensively."

Thompson (4-0) heaved a season-high 99 pitches over 6.1 innings, giving up just one earned run on three hits and two walks. He improved his career record at Plainsman Park to 11-2. He openly commended Florida's team. "They have a good lineup, they have a bunch of guys that can hit the ball well," he said. "They don't have a whole lot to show for it now, but I think as the year goes on they are going to be able to put some runs and hits together. Trying to keep them on the corners and not in the middle of the plate and let them get themselves out. Going against (Florida pitcher Alex) Faedo, he's a great pitcher and a great arm. You just try to limit your mistakes."

With the score tied at 1-all in the fourth, freshman Will Holland smacked a 2-run homer to left field, his second of the year, to put Auburn up 3-1. He finished the day with four RBI on two hits, making him the first Tiger batter to record four RBI this season. In the fifth frame, Auburn opened the flood gates, tallying eight runs to increase its lead to 11-1. That tied their season-high for runs scored in an inning. Blake Logan started the rout with an RBI single to left. Jay Estes was hit by a pitch and Holland walked, both with the bases loaded for two more runs. Jonah Todd then scored two more on a double to left and Bowen McGuffin singled up the middle to allow Holland to score. Finally, Todd scored on a passed ball and Josh Anthony singled the last run of the inning home.

Luke Jarvis and Holland each posted an RBI single in the sixth to mount the Tigers' advantage to 13-2, and Dylan Ingram tacked on the game's final run with an RBI double to right center in the seventh. When this one was in the books, eight Tigers had recorded an RBI. Estes was a perfect 3-of-3, with two hits and two RBI, including an RBI double in the second. Meanwhile, McGuffin scored three runs in as many hits and Ingram had two hits.

Ryan Watson took over for Thompson in the seventh and closed out the game for the Tigers, allowing just two hits and one run while striking out two over 2.2 innings. Meanwhile, the Gators used four pitchers with starter Alex Faedo (3-1) taking his first loss of the season. He completed 4.1 innings and allowed four hits, six runs and walked a career-best six batters. Jonathan India hit a solo homer and Christian Hicks had two RBI to lead Florida. As I write this, the Tigers and Gators are in the midst of game two of the series at Plainsman Park.

In other news....

- The women's basketball team's season came to a disappointing end yesterday, as the 11th-seeded Tigers fell to sixth-seeded NC State, 62-48. Auburn ends its season at 17-15.

- The softball team swept a doubleheader yesterday with a 2-1 squeaker over North Dakota State and a 4-0 shutout of South Florida. Auburn improved to 24-3 on the season. Today, they're playing another doubleheader against Big Ten foes Illinois and Ohio State at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex in Clearwater, Fla. If all goes as planned, I'll write about the results of those games tomorrow.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Friday, March 17th, 2017

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Auburn fans! I'm going to make this post a relatively brief one.

First and foremost, the women's basketball team will square off against No. 6 seed North Carolina State today in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. The tipoff is set for 11 a.m. CT. Depending on the coverage in your area, it may or may not be televised on ESPN2. If not, you'll just have to listen on the radio, either online, with your Smartphone app, or the old-fashioned way.

Second, the baseball team crushed Jacksonville State 10-1 on Wednesday. The Tigers are now 14-5 on the season. Tonight, at 6 p.m. CT, they will open SEC play against No. 5 Florida. Auburn is currently riding a four-game winning streak. This game can be viewed online at SECN+.

Last but not least, the softball team kicks off a five-game weekend tournament today in Tampa, Fla. with a doubleheader against North Dakota State at 10 a.m. CT, followed by South Florida at 12:30 p.m. CT. (Incidentally, Auburn's scheduled game against Middle Tennessee State on Wednesday was canceled due to frigid temperatures and will not be made up. This marks the second game cancellation in two days due to weather. We know that we can't control those situations, but still, you have to admit that it's mighty frustrating when you know that you've basically wasted an entire trip.)

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Wednesday, March 15th, 2017

Figuratively speaking, pitcher Gabe Klobosits had a field day against UAB yesterday. He threw six scoreless innings as the Tigers shutout the Blazers 4-0 at Plainsman Park Tuesday afternoon. However, Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said it didn't come easily.

"Gabe's first inning was kind of like his stat sheet where he had thrown like seven innings, had 15 hits and there were four hard-hit barrels," he explained. "He got out of it and I said, 'We need to make an adjustment.' He started throwing a little bit across his body to right-handers. He had an eight right-handed hitting lineup today and he really started getting some ground ball action. To throw six innings is huge for him."

Klobosits trotted into action at the start of the second inning after designated starter Andrew Mitchell wrapped up a scoreless first. By rule, Mitchell got the victory to improve to 3-0 on the season. Klobosits ended the afternoon with three strikeouts while only giving up six hits. Ryan Watson tossed the final two innings in relief as Auburn recorded its NCAA-leading seventh shutout of this season.

The Tigers cashed in on two double plays and have turned 10 over their last seven. Auburn's pitching staff has not surrendered an earned run over the last 27 innings. In this contest, Blake Logan gave the Tigers an early spark as his two-run double gave them a 2-0 first-inning advantage. From then on, the game turned uneventful until the sixth when Luke Jarvis smacked a run-scoring double and Conor Davis complemented that with a pinch-hit RBI single to increase Auburn's lead to 4-0.

Jarvis ended the day 2-for-3 with a walk and RBI. Bowen McGuffin had two hits to his name. On UAB's side, Stephen Dobbs tallied two hits. Tanner Graham started and took the loss to fall to 1-1 on the year. The Tigers improved to 13-5 on the season, while the Blazers slipped to 11-6.

Auburn returns to action at 3 p.m. CT this afternoon when it hosts Jacksonville State. The game can be seen online at SECN+.

In other news....

- The softball team's neutral-site game against Tennessee that was scheduled for yesterday evening was canceled due to inclement weather and will not be made up as it was previously scheduled as a non-conference match. However, the team will be back in action this afternoon at 4 p.m. CT against Middle Tennessee State in Murfreesboro, Tenn. It won't be televised, but fans can listen online at auburntigers.com or at the official Auburn app.

- The football program has added yet another opponent to its future schedules. The Tigers will host Western Kentucky on Sept. 24, 2022. The news broke yesterday, coming only a few days after Auburn added Tulane to its 2019 slate.

"It is great for WKU to add an opponent of Auburn's caliber and tradition to our future non-conference football schedule," WKU athletics director Todd Stewart said in a statement. "The goal of our football program in scheduling is to play appealing regional opponents that enable our fans to travel to the game and see us compete against the best competition in the country. Traveling to play a prominent Auburn program in a fantastic setting will be exciting for everyone associated with our program."

Auburn has scheduled 18 non-conference games between 2017 and 2024. On a personal note, I've seen Auburn play WKU at least twice in my lifetime. The more notorious game, in my opinion, came in 2003. My Mom and I were at Jordan-Hare that day. The Tigers soundly defeated the Hilltoppers 48-3. The one play that I can still see from that day is kicker Phillip Yost nailing a 57-yard field goal on the final play of the first half. As soon as the kick went through, I turned to Mom and said, "I believe he may have just broken or tied a record." Within seconds, my instinct was confirmed when then-public address announcer Carl Stephens announced that Yost had tied Neil O'Dongohue's record of a 57-yarder against Tennessee in 1976.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Tuesday, March 14th, 2017

The Auburn women's basketball team has its second straight NCAA Tournament bid in the cards. In the 64-team field that was released last night, the Tigers (17-14) were named the No. 11 seed in the Lexington Regional and will face No. 6 North Carolina State (22-8) in the first round Friday in Austin, Texas. Game time is set for 11 a.m. CT in the Frank Erwin Center. It will be televised on ESPN2.

Auburn was among the final teams announced in the bracket in ESPN's unveiling yesterday, adding even more excitement to an already thrilling moment since the Tigers had missed the Big Dance for six straight years prior to this. Last season, the Tigers reached the second round as a No. 9 seed, beating eighth-seeded St. John's before losing to top-seeded Baylor in Waco, Texas.

"The wait this year was a little bit tougher because of the way we felt ourselves," head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy stated. "We felt so much disappointment in ourselves because of the way that we (finished the season). You look at the things we accomplished this year - being ranked in the top 25, beating Tennessee for the first time since 2009. Our RPI and our strength of schedule were unbelievable, we went out there and we played some of the toughest teams in the country. We were just doing everything (right), then at the end of the season, it was like, 'Oh, no. This is not supposed to happen.'

"I think the committee rewarded us for doing exactly what they want teams to do. And that's kudos to Meredith Jenkins as well. Meredith kept emphasizing playing a tough schedule. You want to be in the mix at the end, you've got to play a tough schedule. Some we won, some we didn't. You look at our non-conference, Drake has not lost since they lost to us. West Virginia goes through and wins the whole Big 12. We played some tough teams."

Senior Katie Frerking has similar feelings. "I had a feeling it was going to come down to the last region," she said. "We've prepared like we're going to the NCAA Tournament. We believed we were an NCAA team, and you've got to prepare for what's coming your way. The thing about the NCAA Tournament is, it's a big stage, but at the end of the day, you're still playing a basketball game. I think we'll be able to focus on that considering the experience we have from last year."

Senior Brandy Montgomery could hardly bear the tension last night. "I was shaking," she said of the lengthy wait to hear Auburn's name called. "I kept looking at my teammates, my stomach was in knots. But what a great feeling it was when I saw 'Auburn' come up on that screen. That was an amazing feeling. It was worth the wait."

Third-seeded Texas (23-8) is the host and will face 14th-seeded Central Arkansas (26-4), the Southland Conference champion, at 1:30 p.m. CT in Friday's second game. The winners of the two first-round games will meet on Sunday at a time to be announced. For Auburn, this marks its 20th appearance in the NCAA field in program history. The Tigers have made three previous trips to the Final Four, finishing as national runner-up in 1988, 1989 and 1990. Auburn is 30-19 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers are 2-1 all-time against NC State. The two teams met in the 2004 NCAA Tournament first round, in which Auburn defeated the Wolfpack 79-59 in Bridgeport, Conn. The last match came on NC State's home court in 2012, an 85-71 Wolfpack victory in Coach Flo's second game as Auburn's head coach. Elsewhere, the Tigers are 1-0 against the Longhorns and have never played the Sugar Bears.

This is only Auburn's second all-time trip to Austin. On their previous visit to the Erwin Center, the Tigers lost to Ole Miss in overtime, 56-55, in the NCAA Tournament Regional semifinal on March 20, 1986. Tickets are available for sale at TexasSports.com. Reserved all-session tickets are $32 and general admission is $20. Student tickets are $16 for all sessions. Single-session tickets are $18 for reserved seats, $12 for general admission and $10 for students.

I'm every bit as excited to witness this as you would expect, but there's only one question: How long will it be before we see the men's team reach this plateau....or even come close, for that matter? Only time will tell.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Monday, March 13th, 2017

The second-ranked softball team won its SEC opening series by splitting outcomes with LSU in a doubleheader yesterday afternoon. Auburn was shut out by LSU 8-0 in the first match, but rebounded to win 5-4 in the series finale at Jane B. Moore Field. In the process, the Orange and Blue improved to 22-3 overall, 2-1 in the conference, while the Bayou Bengals fell to 19-6 and 1-2, respectively.

"You put the pressure on the other team to go out and make plays," Auburn head coach Clint Myers explained. "If you put the ball on the ground, they've got to field it, they've got to throw it and they've got to catch it, and you've got a chance at beating it out. We came out and talked about what we needed to do. They listened and they responded well."

Carlee Wallace led at the plate, tallying four hits on the day. Meanwhile, Morgan Podany, Haley Fagan and Kendall Veach each had two base knocks, and Kasey Cooper reached base five times by means of four walks and a hit by pitch. Kaylee Carlson improved her season pitching record to 13-0, while Makayla Martin and Ashlee Swindle also got time in the circle.

The first game quickly turned sour. LSU scored five runs in the first three innings, including three by RBI singles. Auburn tried to fight back, putting runners on by way of three hits, including two by Podany, and three walks, but went a dismal 0-for-10 with runners on base in the game. The visiting Tigers upped their lead to 8-0 on a three-run homer in the top of the sixth. Auburn couldn't plate a run and the game ended with the road team tying the series at one game apiece. Martin was the starting pitcher, recording one strikeout in four innings. Also, Swindle made her conference debut and struck out one of her own through two periods.

After a short intermission, Auburn fans had plenty to cheer about in game two. The Tigers quickly loaded the bases via a Wallace double, Cooper walk and Fagan single, respectively. Veach then stepped to the plate and slammed a two-run single to left field, giving Auburn a 2-0 advantage. Carlson was equally superb in pitching, retiring nine of LSU's first 11 batters, including the first seven in a row, and that enabled Auburn to hold on to its 2-0 lead through three frames. In the top of the fifth, however, LSU snatched the lead away in a three-run, four-hit period that included two extra-base hits. Their lead would not last, however, as Auburn got a two-run double by Fagan on a full count that scored Cooper and Bree Fornis. Fornis was pinch-running for Wallace after a single. LSU evened the score at 4-all in the top of the seventh thanks to a single that scored a run. In Auburn's half, though, the home team went to work. Wallace smacked a single through right field to start the action. Then Cooper drew a walk and advanced to second via a fielder's choice that got the lead out at third base with two outs.

Then came the difference-maker. Veach tossed a one-strike pitch into play that was thrown away by LSU's third baseman. Cooper alertly cashed in on the flub and scored to give Auburn the 5-4 victory and the series win. Now, with its longest homestand in program history in the books, the Tigers will have to prepare for 14 road games. The string begins on Tuesday night with a clash against Tennessee in Columbia, Tenn. The first pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT.

In other news....

- The baseball team defeated Presbyterian on Saturday and Sunday by respective scores of 7-5 and 8-0. Auburn is now 12-5 on the season, while the Blue Hose is 9-9. The Tigers will return to action tomorrow afternoon when they host UAB at 3 p.m. CT. The game will be available online at SECN+.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Saturday, March 11th, 2017

The Auburn softball team opened its SEC play in dramatic fashion with a tight 5-4 seven-inning victory over LSU at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn last night. The home-standing Tigers improved to 21-2 overall, 1-0 in the conference. Auburn recorded five crucial hits in the game, including two doubles. Head coach Clint Myers was very proud of his team. "(The win) shows character," he said. "We're a young ball club and the character we showed tonight was awesome. The ability to go out there and answer every time they'd score was huge. We were very proud of how they played tonight, the way they answered and the way they battled all night long."

Victoria Draper led Auburn's offense, going 2-for-3 at the plate and scoring one run. Meanwhile, Kendall Veach had a team-best two RBI and a double. Also, Haley Fagan and Courtney Shea combined to bring in two. In the pitching department, Kaylee Carlson clinched her 12th straight win this season by throwing for seven innings and striking out three.

LSU (18-5, 0-1) drew first blood in the top of the first on a two-run homer - only the second Auburn had given up all season. But in the bottom of the third, Auburn retaliated and grabbed the lead in scoring three runs on as many hits. Draper opened the frame with an infield single and was moved to second by Carlee Wallace. Following a walk by Kasey Cooper - who posted three on the night - Fagan smacked a first-pitch fastball over the right fielder's head for a big RBI double.

Veach then grounded out to the shortstop, but it was enough to allow Cooper to score and even the game at 2-all. Shea then slammed a run-scoring single to center field to put the Orange and Blue in front, 3-2. The lead would be short-lived, though, as LSU drilled a solo home run and then scored on an error in the fourth and fifth stanzas, respectively, to grab a 4-3 advantage.

However, Auburn bounced back in its half of the fifth. Fagan recorded a leadoff walk on four pitches and later scored when Veach smacked a double down the line that tied the score. Two batters later, Morgan Podany added insurance by putting a two-strike pitch in play that was bobbled by LSU's second baseman. It allowed Veach to score and give Auburn a 5-4 lead that it would never relinquish. Carlson would subsequently sent the last six hitters down, and that allowed the Tigers to hold on for a hard-fought win.

Auburn and LSU will square off again tonight at 7:30 p.m. CT in the second match of the three-game series. The game will be televised on the SEC Network (yes, on television, and not online). It will also be available on the official Auburn app.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Friday, March 10th, 2017

Auburn football has added a non-conference opponent to its 2019 schedule. Word came out today that the Tigers will host Tulane on Sept. 7, 2019. Auburn and Tulane were once charter members of the SEC. Some people (myself included) may be a bit surprised to know that the Green Wave leads the all-time series against the Tigers, 17-14-6.

The two teams have only faced off once since 1955: a 38-13 Auburn win on Nov. 21, 2006. While on the subject of the future, here's a look at the Tigers' future schedules (or at least what we know about them at the present time).

2017

Sept. 2: Georgia Southern
Sept. 9: at Clemson
Sept. 16: Mercer
Sept. 23: at Missouri
Sept. 30: Mississippi State
Oct. 7: Ole Miss
Oct. 14: at LSU
Oct. 21: at Arkansas
Nov. 4: at Texas A&M
Nov. 11: Georgia
Nov. 18: Louisiana-Monroe
Nov. 25: Alabama

2018
Sept. 1: Washington (Atlanta)
Sept. 29: Southern Miss
Nov. 17: Alabama State

2019
Aug. 31: Oregon (Arlington, Texas)
Sept. 7: Tulane

2020
Sept. 26: Southern Miss
Nov. 21: Alabama A&M

2021
Sept. 18: at Penn State
Sept. 25: Georgia State
Nov. 20: Alabama State

2022
Sept. 17: Penn State

2023
Sept. 9: at Cal

2024
Sept. 7: Cal

Most of these should make for intriguing match-ups.

In other news....

- The softball team begins a three-game series with LSU tonight at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn at 6 p.m. CT. The game can be viewed online at SECN+.

- The baseball team fell to Presbyterian today by a score of 11-8. The teams will face off again tomorrow at Plainsman Park at noon CT. The game will be available online at SECN+.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Wednesday, March 8th, 2017

With the Auburn basketball team's rematch with Missouri less than an hour away, I have enough time to squeeze in a bit of recruiting news that broke this afternoon. Auburn football landed one of the top offensive linemen in Georgia.

Four-star guard/center Jalil Irvin of Stephenson High pledged to the Tigers today, just four days after attending a junior day on the Plains. Irvin, 6-feet-4 and 280 pounds, ranks as the No. 18 guard in the country in the 247Sports Composite.

When asked by the aforementioned source what drew him in to Auburn, he replied, "It's just the family vibe there. And it just feels like home." Irvin is the Tigers' fourth commitment, joining quarterback Joey Gatewood, all-purpose back Shaun Shivers and junior college defensive end Daquan Newkirk. Gatewood also attended junior day last Saturday.

Irvin, a Michigan native, committed to the Michigan Wolverines last June only to back out two months later. Auburn offered Oct. 17 and immediately rose toward the top of his list. As things turned out, Irvin's fondness of the vibe at Auburn and his relationships with the coaching staff, particularly offensive line coach Herb Hand, won out. He was equally endeared by the Tiger offense.

"I feel like I fit in good," Irvin stated. "I remember after one of the games, Coach (Gus) Malzahn said I'm the type of player they like. He said I fit into their offense. I like to run block, so that fits in." Irvin visited Auburn last Saturday with his mother. "My mom likes Auburn, too," he said bluntly. The Auburn coaches weren't alone in recruiting him. Carlito Gonzalez, a 2017 Tigers safety signee and Irvin's former high school teammate, played a part in the process as well. "He wants me to come up there, too," Irvin pointed out. Gonzalez's wish will now become a reality.

With Irvin coming aboard, the Tigers still hope to land three more offensive linemen in the class.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Sunday, March 5th, 2017

Auburn men's basketball topped Missouri 89-78 in Auburn Arena yesterday afternoon in the regular-season finale. The home-standing Tigers will now aim to duplicate that feat in the first round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. Auburn stands as the No. 11 seed, while Mizzou ranks as the No. 14 seed.

"It's good to get this one and play better," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl lamented. "Defensively, I thought we were pretty engaged." Mustapha Heron, who led the Tigers with 20 points, agreed. "We were moving the ball. We were getting good looks. We were hitting," he said. "Everything was going right."

His teammates certainly helped him out. T.J. Dunans scored 16 in his final home game to go along with five rebounds, four steals and three assists. Also, Danjel Purifoy scored 13. With the victory, the Tigers improved to 18-13 overall with a 7-11 mark in league play, their highest conference win total since 2009.

Auburn has been prone to blowing big leads throughout the season, but not this time. It used a 12-0 run to take command in the early going. Heron, who canned his first six shots, broke an 8-8 tie with a 3-pointer. The Tigers never trailed the rest of the day. Dunans complemented that with a steal and slam dunk. Bryce Brown had two dunks of his own, and Anfernee McLemore had a dazzling alley-oop. Sandwiched between those and a no-look pass to Austin Wiley, Brown nailed a trey. Shortly thereafter, Dunans made a driving basket as the shot clock expired to give Auburn a 40-25 lead.

With 2:26 left in the first half, Auburn broke the half-century plateau with Purifoy's 3-pointer to increase the Tigers' cushion to 50-30. Mizzou, however, managed to narrow the margin to 54-40 at the break.

In the second half, however, Auburn locked this one up. An 8-0 run, including treys by Dunans and Heron helped the Tigers hold a double-digit advantage. "I just came out and just tried to have fun," Dunans pointed out. "Play my best game, my last home game. I was just trying to have fun." Auburn mounted its lead to 75-60 on another 3-pointer by Brown and an acrobatic drive by Purifoy.

"It was great to see our seniors lead us to victory," Pearl said. "I thought all three of them were engaged, particularly T.J. Dunans demonstrating what he can do, the impact he can have on a game." As requested by the Tigers' underclassmen, Pearl started graduate transfers LaRon Smith and Ronnie Johnson, along with Heron, Dunans and Wiley. Smith recorded two blocked shots and two rebounds. Johnson, meanwhile, had six points, six rebounds and three assists. Auburn had a 41-32 lead in rebounds, and an overwhelming 44-16 advantage in points in the paint. Wiley and McLemore were a combined 7-for-7 from the floor. Auburn shot a solid 56.1 percent in that category.

Kevin Puryear led Missouri (7-23, 2-16) with 19. Auburn hopes to beat them for the third time this season on Wednesday in Music City. However, Heron realizes that it won't be an easy task. "For them to just come out hard," he said. "We've got to come harder. Can't be lax when we go out there. We're going to prepare."

Dunans has that same view. "It's not what they're going to do, it's what we're going to do," he said. "Are we going to play defense? Are we going to play defense consistently? Is everybody going to come down and rebound, help the bigs out?"

Three days from today, all of those questions will be answered.

In other news....

- The baseball team defeated Lipscomb for two games in a row on Friday and Saturday by respective scores of 8-0 and 5-4. The Tigers will hope to sweep the series this afternoon.

- The softball team dominated Liberty 9-1 on Friday, and swept yesterday's doubleheader with a 14-0 shutout of the College of Charleston and an 8-1 thrashing of Texas State. The Tigers will return to action on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. CT when they host Alabama State. The game will be available online at SECN+.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Friday, March 3rd, 2017

We've all heard the saying, "A good change is always nice." That can certainly hold true for athletes who rarely get realistic chances to showcase their skills. In his two years with the Tigers, Auburn defensive end Byron Cowart, a 5-star recruit from the class of 2015, has had a not-so-storybook career.

However, defensive coordinator Kevin Steele reported yesterday that Auburn isn't ready to give up on him quite yet. Rather, the Tigers will switch him to the interior of the defensive line this spring. Coming out of high school, Cowart was ranked as the No. 1 defensive end in the class of 2015 and the No. 3 overall recruit in the nation, according to 247Sports.

Now, as he gets ready for his junior campaign, precious time is ticking away for him to make the most of the potential he had when Auburn recruited him. Since the Tigers are obviously in desperate need to replace defensive tackle Montravius Adams and defensive end Carl Lawson along the defensive front, Steele and Auburn will need plenty more production from Cowart this fall. Only time will tell if that turns into a reality.

In other news....

- The baseball team kicks off a three-game series against Lipscomb this afternoon at 2 p.m. CT at Plainsman Park. The game can be seen online at SECN+.

- The women's basketball team lost to Georgia yesterday in the second round of the SEC Tournament by a score of 56-52. Auburn ends its season at 17-14.

- The men's basketball team hosts Missouri tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 p.m. CT in the regular-season finale at Auburn Arena. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

- The softball team crushed Liberty 15-0 in five innings yesterday in a game that ended early due to the run-rule. The Tigers are now 15-2 on the season. The two teams are scheduled to meet again tonight at 6 p.m. CT at Jane B. Moore Field as they kick off the Wilson/DeMarini Classic.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Thursday, March 2nd, 2017

Once again, the Auburn men's basketball team jumped out to a sizable lead, and let it disappear. They lost a heartbreaking 79-78 decision to Georgia in Athens last night. As a result, the Tigers are now 17-13 overall, 6-11 in SEC play, while the Bulldogs improved to 18-12 and 9-8, respectively.

Auburn swiftly jumped out to a 9-4 lead behind six points from Austin Wiley, then extended the count to 17-6 on T.J. Lang's second 3-pointer with 12:25 left in the first half. Later, Lang nailed another trey after a steal to make it a 25-12 Tiger cushion. Then, Bryce Brown's trey increased the count to 28-12 with 7:44 remaining.

That's when the momentum began to take a turn. Four straight Auburn turnovers led to 12 straight Bulldog points allowing Georgia to narrow the lead to 28-24. But the Tigers countered with a 9-6 run capped by Brown's third 3-pointer to give Auburn a 37-30 advantage at the break. By then, Lang had amassed an SEC season-high 10 points.

The see-saw action carried over into the second half. Georgia deadlocked it at 40 and again at 43 on its third trey in five tries, while Mustapha Heron drained two in a row for the Tigers. The Bulldogs then scored seven unanswered points to go on top for the first time, 56-52 with 12:08 left to play. Georgia canned its first six 3-pointers in the second half, and 7-of-8 to take a 69-65 lead with 7:20 to go. But Auburn snatched the lead right back at 73-71 with 3:51 left on T.J. Dunans' driving layup.

With just 1:08 to go, the Tigers trailed again, 79-73. That's when they went to work, scoring five straight points to close to within one. A Danjel Purifoy trey made it 79-76. Auburn then forced a J.J. Frazier air ball, and Purifoy rebounded, was fouled and nailed a pair of free throws with 37 seconds left. Now, Auburn had a real chance, and they tried to make the most of it. They forced another Bulldog turnover on Purifoy's steal, and called timeout with 7.5 seconds left to draw up one last do-or-die effort. As the final seconds ticked away, Jared Harper was the last Tiger to touch the ball. He arched up a desperation trey from beyond the right of the top of the key. It bounced off the front rim, and the Bulldogs rebounded to secure the win.

"No apologies tonight," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "We played a very good game and came up just short." Six Tigers scored in double figures. Brown tallied 15 on 5-of-7 treys, while Heron had 13 points and nine rebounds. Purifoy recorded 12 points, four rebounds and three assists. Meanwhile, Wiley, Dunans and Lang all had 10 points apiece, and Wiley had eight rebounds and four blocks.

On the Georgia side, Frazier had a game-high 31 points on 5-of-9 treys with six rebounds, five assists and three steals. Auburn led the Bulldogs 44.3 percent to 42.2 percent in shooting from the floor, but Georgia led in 3-point attempts, going 10-of-22 to the Tigers' 12-of-27 in that category. In the free throw department, both teams had 16 tries, with Georgia sinking 15 to Auburn's 12. The Bulldogs also outrebounded the Tigers 39-36, and had a 16-8 lead in second chance points.

Auburn returns home for Senior Day for Devin Waddell, T.J. Dunans, Ronnie Johnson and LaRon Smith against Missouri on Saturday for the regular-season finale. The game is set for 2:30 p.m. CT, and will be televised on the SEC Network.

In other news....

- The baseball team lost a tough 7-6 slip against Samford on Tuesday to fall to 7-2 on the season. They will begin a three-game series against Lipscomb tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. CT. The game can be seen online at SECN+.

- The softball team hosts Liberty tonight at 6 p.m. CT. That game can also be viewed at SECN+.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!