May 2016

Lyle's Corner

Tuesday, May 31st, 2016

I hope you all had a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend. I certainly did! Most importantly, I hope you remembered to salute the troops overseas who fight so diligently for our country's freedom, and those who have already sacrificed their lives in doing so.

My last post for this month will primarily focus on dual-threat quarterback Woody Barrett.

Although Barrett is not a primary topic of discussion in who will get the starting quarterback job this season, the Tigers are still eager to get their first taste of what the true freshman can do in an Auburn uniform. While his academics still need to get in line for him to join the team, it appears that Barrett will get a chance to get the nod later this summer.

SEC Country's Brandon Marcello reports that Barrett's high school coach, Bob Head, has indicated that his former West Orange High quarterback will arrive "later this summer" to The Plains. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound signal-caller is still awaiting the necessary SAT score to enroll at Auburn, the Orlando Sentinel reported in January, but Head remains confident that his former player will make the grades in time to arrive at Auburn.

Barrett was ranked as the country's No. 5 dual-threat quarterback and the No. 247 overall recruit for 2016 by 247Sports. He was also an Under Armour All-American last season.

With senior Jeremy Johnson, junior college transfer John Franklin III, and redshirt sophomore Sean White still fiercely battling it out to see who will take the snaps, if none of them prove to stand out and the Tigers duplicate their early-season struggles from last year, don't be shocked if Gus Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee put Barrett in action.

Though most recruiting analysts believe that a redshirt season may be his best option, Barrett may very well be the quarterback who has the best combination of passing and running abilities that the Auburn offense needs to have maximum impact. Only time will tell if he gets an opportunity to show what he's made of.

Moving on from the talk about quarterbacks, the women's softball team has earned a trip to the College World Series. They defeated Arizona in back-to-back games in the NCAA Super Regional on Sunday afternoon. Yes, I watched both of those games on ESPN, and I was mighty impressed with the team's determination.

The College World Series gets under way on Thursday when the Tigers will take on UCLA in Oklahoma City at 1:30 p.m. CT. It's unclear if the game will be televised or not. If it is, I'll be sure to make note of it. I sincerely hope that this valiant bunch can bring home the title.

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

Friday, May 27th, 2016

Auburn has yet to play Alabama State, but the Tigers have already penciled in a second match with the Hornets.

ASU, located in Montgomery, Ala., announced today that it will square off against Auburn on Nov. 20, 2021. The two schools are already set for Nov. 17, 2018.

The Hornets occupy one of the Tigers' four spots for non-conference action on the 2021 schedule. Auburn is also scheduled to play Cal in Berkley that season as part of a home-and-home season.

Per Tom Green of AL.com, Auburn's future non-conference schedule is as follows:

"Auburn's non-conference football schedule is set through the 2017 season, when the Tigers have games against Georgia Southern at home, Clemson on the road, Mercer at home and ULM (Louisiana-Monroe) at home. The Alabama State game in 2018 is Auburn's lone scheduled non-conference game that season, while the Tigers will face Oregon in 2019 and host Cal in 2020. For each of those three seasons, Auburn has space to schedule three more non-conference games."

The Tigers went up against one in-state FCS team, Jacksonville State, last season. Auburn narrowly escaped with a 27-20 win in overtime.

A quick personal view on one of these opponents: Assuming the scheduled games against Cal stay in place, I hope that Cal doesn't end up pulling off a sequel of "The Play" (from 1982 against Stanford) against us. Heh, heh.

As a closing reminder, don't forget that the softball team hosts Arizona tomorrow for the Super Regional. The first pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. CT, with the game being televised by ESPN2.

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

Thursday, May 26th, 2016

While nothing definitive has come from any source about this, it appears to be true for all practical purposes.
According to a report from Rivals' Jay G. Tate, junior running back Roc Thomas has decided to transfer to Jacksonville State.

Thomas, a former five-star prospect from the recruiting class of 2014, rushed for 465 yards and three scores on 86 carries (5.4 yards per touch) in his first two years on The Plains. Apparently, Thomas had hinted at wanting to transfer last December, though head coach Gus Malzahn dismissed any such speculation.

Currently listed as third-string on the depth chart behind senior Jovon Robinson and sophomore Kerryon Johnson, Thomas was expected to vie for playing time this summer heading into the 2016 campaign.

However, as it turns out, he will have two years of eligibility at Jacksonville State, and will be able to compete for a starting job immediately due to the NCAA's FBS-to-FCS transfer rules.

Thomas is the second player to transfer from Auburn in two days, joining sophomore defensive back Tim Irvin, who announced his decision via Twitter on Monday.

Thomas' departure only adds to a blizzard of uncertainty that has surrounded Auburn this offseason. The Tigers struggled to a 7-6 finish last season. Even an impressive Birmingham Bowl win over Memphis wasn't enough to hide the team's 2-6 mark in SEC play, including an 0-4 slate in conference home games.

There's also the burning question of who will get the nod to start at quarterback, a new defensive coordinator, the loss of three players (running back Peyton Barber and offensive linemen Shon Coleman and Avery Young) to the NFL, the arrests of four players earlier this month on marijuana possession charges....gosh darn it, the list is long!

If Thomas had stayed with the Tigers, he most likely wouldn't have gained the advantage over Johnson and Robinson on the depth chart. Still, he would have been able to contribute mostly as a slot receiver, since he already had 17 catches for 227 yards and a TD to his name at that position.

With only 100 days to go until the 2016 opener when Auburn hosts Clemson, only time will tell if the team - and Malzahn - can make it through this maze of mystery.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!
Wednesday, May 25th, 2016

The news that this post focuses on broke yesterday, but I didn't come across it until a few minutes ago.

The football team is losing sophomore defensive back Tim Irvin to transfer after just one season with the Tigers.

"I want to thank Auburn University for the time I was here and I want to thank the coaches and the fans," Irvin wrote on his personal Twitter account Tuesday. "It was a great journey but it will be better for me to pursue my career elsewhere."

An Auburn spokesman confirmed Irvin's transfer to Auburn Undercover.

Irvin played in 10 games last season, with one start in the opener against Louisville. He totaled 18 tackles, along with two pass breakups and two quarterback hurries. His career-high for single-game tackles was four, which he accomplished in three games: against Louisville, Jacksonville State and Idaho, respectively.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Irvin was a 4-star signee in the Tigers' 2016 class.

Based on his stats, I can gather that the most likely reason for Irvin's decision was lack of substantial playing time. I wish him the best of luck in wherever he chooses to go next, and hope that his skills will not go unnoticed.

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

Tuesday, May 24th, 2016

Yes, I intended to write about Sunday's win over Jacksonville State yesterday, but I ended up having a busier day than I anticipated. But never fear, because here I am.

It only took five innings for Auburn to put the Gamecocks away in this one. The Tigers won 14-2 to earn a trip to this coming weekend's Super Regionals against Arizona. The fourth-ranked Tigers (53-9) and the 18th-ranked Wildcats (39-19) will square off at Jane B. Moore Field in a best-of-three series Saturday and Sunday.

Tiffany Howard put an exclamation point on the victory with a grand slam in the third inning. It was only her second career home run, but her second in just eight days. Howard didn't smack a homer in her first 677 college at-bats, but she has now done so in the SEC Tournament and the NCAAs.

"What happened? I don't know," Howard said, smiling.

"Me and (Kasey) Cooper," said Emily Carosone, "both hit the wall. Tiff's our power hitter now."

Auburn was on fire, banging out a total of 12 hits and scoring the 14 runs in the first four innings. The game was called after five stanzas due to the run-rule. Auburn pitchers cruised through three games in the regional, only giving up three earned runs in as many contests. Marcy Harper went to 7-2 on the season after entering the game for one inning in relief duty, during which she didn't allow a hit.

This blowout win was quite the contrary to last Friday, when Auburn squeaked by the Gamecocks, 2-1. This time, the Tigers doubled their run total in the first frame and never looked back.

"It's a good feeling to put a lot of runs up, play Auburn softball, especially going to the Supers," Cooper stated.

The Super Regional between Auburn and Arizona will start at 5:30 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN2. The second match will be played at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN. A third game, if necessary, will be played at 4 p.m. CT on ESPNU.

After Sunday's rout, the Tigers quickly turned their attention to the next task at hand.

"It's our expectation now," Carosone said. "We expect to make it to the Supers, we expect to make it to the World Series, we expect to play Auburn softball. Our softball puts us 10, 12 runs ahead. That's not really an exciting game, but we did our jobs."

The fans, however, did find it thrilling. Head coach Clint Myers felt the same way.

"I thought we played extremely well," he stated. "I thought we got some very good pitching in the circle, we played good defense, the bats really woke up. We're moving in the right direction and we're going to get ready for the Supers. We're real excited that the Super Regionals are here because the fans today...it was packed, they were loud, it was boisterous. You could just feel the energy coming down, and the girls just love playing in front of them."

Courtney Shea drove in one and Madi Gipson two more in the four-run first. Auburn scored one in the second on a wild pitch. Then came Howard's grand slam, and RBIs from Jenna Abbott and Kasey Cooper in the third. Carosone cashed in two in the fourth to put the final nail in the Gamecocks' coffin.

Jacksonville State coach Jana McGinnis openly praised the Tigers. "If we're going to lose, lose to the best," she said. "Auburn will possibly be World Series champs."

Beginning on Saturday, we'll all find out if that possibility turns into reality.

In other news...

- I'm sad to report that legendary former Auburn running back Tommy Lorino, a member of Auburn's 1957 national championship team and the undefeated 1958 squad, passed away on Sunday, according to a press release from the university.

Lorino averaged 8.44 yards per carry in the 1956 campaign, which remains one of the SEC's best marks. In three seasons with the Tigers, he rushed for 1,486 yards on 227 carries. However, he was equally dominant on defense. One of his biggest plays I've seen footage of came on a 79-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Tigers' 40-0 romp over Alabama that wrapped up the '57 national title.

He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1999 not only for his play at Auburn, but also at Bessemer (Ala.) High School, as well as for his work as an SEC football official for more than 25 years.

Lorino attended Auburn's A-Day game in April when Auburn gathered more than 100 former football captains in one spot. Unsurprisingly, he was among the most recognized.

He and his teammates were also introduced for a 1957 National Championship team reunion prior to the Tigers' game against Mississippi State this past season.

"It really has gotten more special as the years have passed," Lorino told Phillip Marshall of Auburn Undercover. "When we were doing it, unlike the way they do things today, there wasn't a race to see if we were second, third, fourth or fifth during the season, whether we were going to get there or not get there.
We didn't really realize that we actually even had a chance until we played Georgia."

"I don't think anybody on our team said, 'We have to win the national championship.' That just wasn't our mindset. The first time Coach Jordan ever mentioned it was right before we went on the field to play Alabama."

Lorino also played as an outfielder on Auburn's 1958 SEC Champion baseball team.

He was living in Panama City, Fla., at the time of his death. Funeral arrangements were pending yesterday.

God Bless You, Tommy! Your contributions to Auburn athletics will never be forgotten. I'm sure you're in a happy place now!

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

Sunday, May 22nd, 2016

Today, I'm going to write about the softball team's victory over USC Upstate, and then write about today's game against Jacksonville State tomorrow. In fact, I'm listening to today's regional championship online as I write.

Auburn defeated USC Upstate 6-1 yesterday to qualify for today's regional title game.

Team MVP Emily Carosone gave Auburn momentum. With a full count and an RBI opportunity, she smacked a double to the wall to break a scoreless tie and give the Tigers their first two runs.

Prior to the play, Carosone looked back at head coach Clint Myers to make certain that she saw what she saw.

"I thought he had given me the take sign. I said, 'Coach, I have 3-2.'"

Myers said that he was blunt in his message to Carosone. "I told her to hit a double," he stated.

With the victory, Auburn earned the right to face Jacksonville State, which beat Oregon State 5-4 in 14 innings and Upstate 3-2 in back-to-back elimination matches yesterday. The Tigers can win this regional with a victory in today's scheduled match.

The situation is simple: If Auburn wins today, it will host next weekend's Super Regional. However, a loss means that a winner-take-all showdown will immediately follow the scheduled game.

The Tigers topped Jacksonville State 2-1 in its regional opener on Friday.

Auburn went to 51-9 on the season, partly due to three victories en route to the SEC Tournament title last week and two wins in this regional this weekend. If they do enough things right, they obviously could climb even higher up the cliff.

Kaylee Carlson got the win for the Tigers, giving up just three hits to improve to 16-1 on the year. The Tigers have only surrendered six hits and one earned run, and have recorded 13 strikeouts so far in the regional.

Carosone believes that Auburn's deep pitching of Carlson, Makayla Martin, Marcy Harper, Lexi Davis and Rachael Walters has played a large role in the team's success to this point.

"I really do think we feed off of our pitching," she lamented. "I think years before, we were considered a hitting team. I think we're a pitching team this year because of the depth that we have with our pitching. We've got Kaylee and we've got Makayla and we can shut people out. And we still got Marcy, Rachael and Lexi."

Nine walks by Upstate and the 82nd hit by pitch in Carosone's career helped the Tigers tremendously. Auburn went in front 2-0 in the second on Carosone's hit, then mounted its lead to 4-1 in the fourth on bases-loaded walks by Carlee Wallace and Kasey Cooper. Haley Fagan, who missed the entire regular season due to knee surgery, cashed in her first run of the season in the seventh. That was followed by an RBI groundout by Whitney Jordan.

"I thought the seventh inning was the best example of Auburn softball," Myers said. "Doubled, moved her over, and scored on a ground ball. We're moving in the right direction. Last year, the score of this game was 1-0. Haley hits a home run against South Alabama and we win 1-0, so we got five more runs today. And again, we're taking advantage of the opposition's mistakes. One more win, that's what we're after."

As I write this, Auburn leads the Gamecocks 11-1 in the bottom of the third. Things appear promising right now. Let's hope it stays that way.

In other news...

- Former Auburn running back James Brooks was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in Birmingham yesterday, along with other members of the 2016 class.

Brooks, who played for the Tigers from 1977-80, rushed for 3,523 yards and 24 touchdowns in his tenure on The Plains. He finished as the school's record holder for rushing yardage until it was eclipsed by Bo Jackson in 1985 (which hardly surprises me). Brooks also caught four touchdown passes, a school record for running backs at the time of his departure. (Although I wasn't alive at the time of this game, I can tell you from reading about it that one of his TD receptions came in the 1980 Iron Bowl on a 6-yard toss from Joe Sullivan. The score was set up by a fumble by Alabama's Billy Jackson on the first play from scrimmage. However, the Tide stormed back to win 34-18.)

There are still two categories in Auburn's record books in which Brooks owns the top spot: all-purpose yards in a career (5,596) and kickoff return yards (1,726).

Brooks then went on to enjoy a 13-year stint in the NFL, playing for San Diego, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Tampa Bay. A four-time Pro Bowl pick, Brooks tallied 7,962 rushing yards and 49 touchdowns, as well as 3,621 receiving yards and 30 scores.

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

Friday, May 20th, 2016

I'm sure that every Auburn fan can vividly recall how the football team needed overtime to avoid an upset of gargantuan proportions at the hands of Jacksonville State last fall.

Well, this afternoon's regional opening softball game against that exact same opponent was equally suspenseful, if not more so.

But in the seventh inning, Carlee Wallace hit a sacrifice fly, and fear turned to relief as the Tigers clinched a crucial 2-1 victory that allowed them to advance to a 1:30 p.m. CT game tomorrow against USC Upstate, which defeated Oregon State 5-2 in today's other regional match. Jacksonville State and Oregon State face off in an elimination game at 4. The loser of Auburn-USC Upstate and the winner of the second game will play at 6:30. The regional champion will be decided on Sunday.

Today, Rachel Walters came out of the bullpen in the third inning to get Auburn out of a major dilemma. With runners on second and third and one out, she came to the rescue, striking out the next two hitters, and then struck out the side in the next inning.

"I didn't focus too much on strikeouts," she said.

Regardless of her mindset, she ended the afternoon with 10 of those to her name.

Auburn pitching coach Corey Myers firmly thinks that Walters showed coolness under pressure. "For me, Rachael's best performance was coming in with people in scoring position and just stopping their rally right there. Big pitchers want the ball all the time. As of late, when she's had her opportunities, she's made the most of it."

Wallace said that she is all too familiar with the difficulty of going up against Walters.

"I know the struggle because we hit off them in practice," she stated. "I'm like, 'Are you serious? How many times is she going to keep throwing me the curve ball and I'm just going to keep missing the ball?'"

Auburn went to 50-9 on the season. This is only the third time in program history that they have reached that number of victories. The Gamecocks, meanwhile, fell to 41-16.

The Tigers had the bases loaded and nobody out in the seventh when Dothan, Ala., native and SEC Player of the Year Kasey Cooper was at bat. A force out at home kept the bases loaded with one out and Wallace coming in to pitch.

"I just knew I had to be ready no matter what," she said. "I have all the faith in the world in Coop. I knew she was hungry. I knew it was part of my job to be locked in and focused no matter what."

Auburn blazed through the Southeastern Conference Tournament last weekend, beating the No. 1, No. 4, and 12th-ranked squads. Jacksonville State proved to be just as challenging. The Tigers' only scores came on an RBI single by Emily Carosone in the third and Wallace's game-winner in the seventh.

The Tigers were limited to just three hits off of Whitney Gillespie. But Auburn's pitchers held the Gamecocks to only three hits of their own. Walters only gave up one hit in 4 2/3 innings, striking out 10 of the 16 batters she encountered.

"As well as we played last week, it almost looked like we were nervous. And why?" wondered Auburn head coach Clint Myers. "We played the 1, 4 and 12, and were magnificent. The key thing is to go out and be ourselves."

From my point of view, it's going to take far more than that if the Tigers expect to have any more success in what has already been a monumental season. Hopefully, this game served as a HUGE wake-up call.

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

Wednesday, May 18th, 2016

This is going to be a relatively brief post, but it regards some quarterback-related news that I find pertinent enough to share.

Auburn is hoping to sign at least one quarterback in the 2017 class. Its primary targets for quite some time have been Lowell Narcisse, who recently committed to LSU, and Baylor commit Kellen Mond.

The Tigers are expected to visit Mond, who plays at Bradenton (Fla.) IMA Academy this week - possibly today. Mond visited Auburn last month with his IMA teammates and is expected to return to the campus soon with his parents. Assuming he makes it, this will be his third trip to the school. However, Ohio State and Texas A&M are also in the mix.

Auburn will stop by Bartram Trail (Fla.) this week to check on four-star 2018 quarterback commit Joey Gatewood, he told AuburnUndercover. He believes that the Tigers (likely offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Rhett Lashlee) will attend his spring game Friday against Clay. Gatewood remains solidly committed to Auburn.

While on this subject, I don't editorialize very often on this blog, but at this point in time, I can't help but have a gut feeling that John Franklin III will gain the starting job for Auburn this season. The most recent reports seemed to indicate that he had the upper hand above the others. If he indeed gets the nod, perhaps he'll have a great shot to become the next Nick Marshall. Of course, the players are working on their own at this point, and won't be back with the coaches until preseason camp begins in August. I'll bet we get a definitive decision then. Only time will tell.

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

Tuesday, May 17th, 2016

While I don't have any game stories to write today, I do have a couple of significant bits of news to tell you about.

First and foremost, the kickoff time for Auburn football's 2016 season opener with Clemson has been set. The teams will face each other at 8 p.m. CT in Jordan-Hare Stadium on ESPN on Sept. 3rd. That will be a busy day for the ESPN/ABC football package. It starts with Georgia Tech taking on Boston College at 6:30 a.m. CT (yes, apparently, "a.m." is not a typo), and ends with the late Auburn-Clemson match.

If you're a true college football junkie, the ESPN/ABC schedule for the first weekend features quite a few high-stakes contests:

Thursday, Sept. 1st

South Carolina at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. CT, ESPN

Saturday, Sept. 3rd

Georgia Tech vs. Boston College, 6:30 a.m. CT, ESPN2

Oklahoma vs. Houston, 11 a.m. CT, ABC

Hawaii at Michigan, 11 a.m. CT, ESPN

LSU vs. Wisconsin, 2:30 p.m. CT, ABC

Georgia vs. North Carolina, 4:30 p.m. CT, ESPN

USC vs. Alabama, 7 p.m. CT, ABC

Auburn vs. Clemson, 8 p.m. CT, ESPN

Sunday, Sept. 4th

Notre Dame at Texas, 6:30 p.m. CT, ABC

Monday, Sept. 5th

Ole Miss vs. Florida State, 7 p.m. CT, ESPN

For me, the late kickoff time of our game against Clemson takes me right back to our 2002 match against Syracuse. My Mom and I went to that game together. We were living in southwest Georgia at the time, and the game started at 9 p.m. ET. Not the most convenient time for everyone in attendance, obviously. On top of that, the game went into triple OT after regulation ended with the teams tied at 24-all. In the first OT, both teams had field goal tries go astray. In the second extra period, the teams traded touchdowns and PATs to knot the score at 31 and force a third extra session. We held Syracuse to a Colin Barber field goal that gave them the lead. Finally, we managed to end it when Carnell Williams scooted in from eight yards out for the score. At long last, we emerged a 37-34 winner. It was 1:30 in the morning by the time Mom and I were walking back to the parking lot. Plus, we didn't get back to our motel where we were staying until about an hour and a half later.

Now, nearly 14 years after that, I'm not sure whether I'll be going to this game or not, but one thing's for sure: I HOPE that this game doesn't require OT to determine the winner, thereby putting me in a situation similar to that Sept. 28th.

Moving on from football, here's the other big news. DeSean Murray, a 6-4, 225-pound transfer from Presbyterian College, officially signed with the Tigers' basketball team yesterday. Murray, a two-time all-conference selection, committed to Auburn on May 1st. He will have two years of eligibility left after redshirting in the coming season, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl announced.

Murray started all 31 games last season, averaging 20.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.7 assists in 29.1 minutes. He shot 54.3 percent from the field and 77.3 percent from the free throw line. He was third in the league in steals and tied for fourth in rebounding and steals.

Murray joins consensus 5-star Mustapha Heron, a 6-5, 210-pound guard from Waterbury, Conn., and Sacred Heart High School; four-star Jared Harper, a 5-10, 160-pound guard from Mableton, Ga., and Pebblebrook High School; and four-star Anfernee McLemore, a 6-7, 210-pound forward from Warwick, Ga., and Worth County High School, who have signed with the Tigers.

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

Sunday, May 15th, 2016

Tiffany Howard assured that she wasn't intending to hit a home run to begin with.

Yet, after 676 at-bats, she finally did just that. It was the icing on the cake in Auburn's 7-1 win over LSU in the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship at Nusz Park on the Mississippi State campus, and gave the Tigers their second straight conference crown.

"I wasn't really swinging for the fences," Howard insisted. "The slap swing wasn't working. Try something new. Try something different."

In Layman's terms, smack a homer.

"I knew it felt good," said Howard, Auburn's senior leadoff hitter.

Emily Carosone, who earned Tournament MVP honors and was waiting to hit next, was especially amazed. "You can't really top Tiffany Howard hitting a home run," she said.

The two-run homer was an exclamation point on a memorable two days for Auburn, which defeated top-ranked Florida, fourth-ranked Alabama and No. 13 LSU to clinch its second straight league title.

The Tigers were further inspired by teammate Kelsey Boggards, who flew in to watch the game a week after her second knee surgery knocked her out of action for the season after an arduous comeback from her first knee surgery dwindled her season down to two games.

Auburn improved to 49-9 in stamping itself as a legitimate contender to host both a regional and Super Regional in the NCAA Tournament, as was the case last year when it earned a trip to its first-ever College World Series. The NCAA will announce the tournament pairings and sites this evening.

Carosone, who finished the tournament having gone 5-for-11 with three RBIs, tallied two of Auburn's four runs in the second inning, setting the tone for the game. The other two runs in the frame came courtesy of errors. Jade Rhodes drove in a run in the fifth.

Howard's big moment, however, came in the sixth.

Auburn head coach Clint Myers especially soaked in the moment. "I'm jumping up and down when that ball left the yard," he said. "Her college first one, in that situation, especially against this team, it couldn't have been scripted any better."

It was a fitting finish to a weekend that included victories over two Top 4 teams Friday. Yesterday, Makayla Martin and Rachel Walters handled pitching duties. Martin improved to 12-3 on the year, while Walters pitched two no-hit innings to close the contest out.

"We're very excited," Myers said. "I'm very proud of the team. I couldn't be prouder. They exemplify what we try to stand for: Good softball, great character, and I'm just elated. We knew this was a special group of young ladies. We say we want to play our best softball at the end of the season. We're heading in that direction."

Very much so.

In other news...

- Today marks the 13th anniversary of the day that I lost one of my heroes. Former Auburn play-by-play broadcaster Jim Fyffe died all too soon and suddenly of a brain aneurysm at the age of 57. At the time, I had just finished regular classes for my senior year of high school. Two days earlier, I had lost another one of my dear friends when one of the coaches at my school had died at his home from an apparent heart attack. He and I were Auburn buddies, so losing Jim added salt to the wound.

That day, I stayed home while my parents attended the coach's funeral. (I had been to the visitation the night before, and that was enough for me.) Early that afternoon, one of my uncles, who is an Alabama fan, called me to say that Jim had passed away. I can't begin to describe what I felt when the words came through the receiver. In my mind, I was thinking, "No! This can't be happening!" Shortly after I hung up, I went to auburn tigers.com, and sure enough, the news was on the home page. I was shocked and devastated beyond words.

Jim and I were on a first-name basis from the first time I met him in person at the Tiger Tailgate Show in 2000 before Auburn's football season opener against Wyoming. I had my picture taken with him, and he complimented me by saying that I had the voice for broadcasting.

The following year, in November of 2001, Jim spoke at a banquet at the Henry County Chamber of Commerce. This was shortly before we played Georgia in Athens, so when I spoke to him after the event, I told him, "We need to lock those Dawgs up in the pound!" He replied, "We'll do it!" (And we did, by a score of 24-17.) Little did I know that that would be the last time I saw him alive.

In the years since his untimely death, Rod Bramblett, his successor, has done a very admirable job in succeeding him. But nobody will ever take Jim's place in my books. His boundless passion for Auburn was unmistakable, and the words "TOUCHDOWN, AUBURN!" will echo in my ears forever. I live each day with sadness knowing that he left us so soon, yet great comfort in the fact that I have countless video and audio cassettes with his famous calls that will keep his voice alive for years to come.

A couple of years or so ago, some close friends of mine told Jim's family about my admiration for him, and they sent me numerous mementos that had belonged to him, such as watches, and visors. They even sent me a picture of him. I'll always be profoundly grateful for them.

God only knows how Jim would have reacted in seeing Auburn's undefeated 2004 season, the 2010 national championship season, the Prayer at Jordan-Hare, and the Kick Six! WAR EAGLE, Jim! I'm confident that we are making you proud as you look down from Heaven, and I hope we can make the 2016 football season one to cherish. Most importantly, I eagerly await the day when I will see you again.

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

Saturday, May 14th, 2016

The softball team knocked off top-ranked Florida 2-1 yesterday afternoon to put the finishing touch on a historic sweep over an eight-hour period on the campus of Mississippi State.

The Tigers, who started the day by beating Alabama in the quarterfinals, will now have a chance to play LSU for the tournament championship at 4 p.m. CT this afternoon on ESPN.

Carlee Wallace and Kaylee Carlson were the key factors in Auburn's victory over the Gators.

Wallace supplied Auburn's only score in a 2-run homer in the first, while Carlson didn't allow an earned run in seven innings.

"I live for games like these," Wallace said. "Against the best teams in the nation - lose and go home if you don't win. I love this time of the year."

Carlson was equally elated. "This is exactly why I came here," she said. "I wanted to play in these big moments and I wanted to compete against the top teams in the nation."

Head coach Clint Myers was also sure to marvel in the moment. "I've been doing this for 40 years, and this has to rank at the top as far as the two caliber teams we play in a single day and come out on top." he said.

Carlson had a shutout until the Gators got an unearned run with two outs in the seventh. No sweat. She cooly struck out the next batter in three pitches. Game over.

"I've been trying to trust myself when I go out there," she stated. "That's been my goal the last two weekends, and it has been working."

True. Carlson improved to 15-1 on the year, while Auburn went to 48-9. Meanwhile, Florida starter Kelly Barnhill slipped to 15-1, and the Gators fell to 53-5. Two of their defeats were at the hands of the Tigers.

Auburn continued to make a statement that they are destined for one of the coveted eight Super Regional sites that will be awarded tomorrow night. First-round regional play kicks off next weekend, and Auburn is certain to host in the first weekend.

For the time being, however, the Tigers will savor a joyful Friday at the SEC Tournament.

"It was a great day," Myers lamented. "Not very often do you get the chance to play the No. 4 and No. 1 team in the country and come out on top. The kids did a phenomenal job. They did everything we talk about. You saw, especially in the second game, as close to Auburn softball as it should be. It was phenomenal pitching, great defense, and timely hitting."

Auburn continued to stress the importance of a strong defense during its postseason play, preventing sixth-inning trouble with crucial plays. Florida had runners on second and third with nobody out, but didn't score thanks to a quick first out and then a double play.

"If we can go out and have that type of pitching, that type of defense and that type of hitting, we're going to be tough in the postseason," Myers predicted.

Tune in to ESPN at 4 p.m. CT today to see if Auburn can clinch its second straight conference crown.

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

Friday, May 13th, 2016

This morning, the softball team secured a bid to win their second straight Southeastern Conference championship, this time against their arch-rival.

Eighth-ranked Auburn defeated No. 4 Alabama 6-4 in a quarterfinal game played at Nusz Park on Mississippi State's campus to advance to a semifinal contest against top-ranked Florida at 4 p.m. CT this afternoon.

"It's nice to have our own little Iron Bowl in the SEC Tournament," Auburn's Emily Carosone lamented.

The victory also let the NCAA Selection Committee know that the Tigers should be considered for a spot in one of the eight Super Regional sites.

Auburn head coach Clint Myers brought a touch of humor to the moment, quipping, "I think we're a Top 8 team, but, then again, I'm an old, fat guy."

The winner of the Auburn-Florida game, as well as of the semifinal match between LSU and Tennessee, will play for the title tomorrow.

The Tigers improved to 47-5 on the season, while the Tide fell to 46-12.

Carosone, who is already Auburn's all-time leader in hits, tied the school's run record with 261. Dothan native Kasey Cooper also tied a school record, walking Alabama four times.

The victory is twice as nice when you consider that Auburn beat Alabama in the SEC Tournament last season as well. The two squads didn't play each other during the regular season this year. This year, however, Lady Fate stepped in, and seeding warranted a match.

Auburn quickly went to work in the first, scoring four runs on a 2-run double by Carlee Wallace, an RBI groundout by Jade Rhodes, and an Alabama error.

The Tide trimmed that advantage to 4-1 in the second, only to see the Tigers respond with an RBI single by Rhodes. The teams exchanged runs again in the fourth frame. Alabama struck with a double by Chandler Dare. Auburn got that back with an RBI single by Carosone to make it a 6-2 Tiger cushion after four innings.

The confrontation with the Gators lay ahead, but the Tigers already took care of one piece of business.

"A doubleheader doesn't mean anything until we win the first game," Carosone pointed out.

So true.

The game against Florida is in progress as of this writing. It's not on television, but you can listen to the Auburn Network's coverage online at www.auburntigers.com.

In other news...

- For the second time in a week, a linebacker has committed to the football team. Three-star linebacker Chandler Wooten of North Cobb High publicly pledged to the Tigers this afternoon during his team's spring scrimmage, exactly one week after four-star backer Tadarian Moultry of Alabama committed to the Tigers. Wooten chose Auburn over Tennessee.

What was the biggest factor in his decision?

"Really, just education and where I feel most comfortable at as far as how I fit in the defense - and just where I fit in at the college," he said.

The 6-foot-2.5, 227-pound Wooten is the No. 30 outside linebacker in the 247Sports Composite. Among the major schools that also pursued him: Florida, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and South Carolina.

Wooten is the fifth commitment for the Tigers, which jumped from No. 40 to No.36 in the 247Sports recruiting team rankings.

He was seen as a high recruiting priority by the Auburn staff, which views him as a versatile player who can play in space and come after the quarterback. Given his length and size, he could certainly have potential to line up at the line of scrimmage.

Wooten has visited Auburn twice in the past six weeks. He attended the A-Day game in April and said afterward that Auburn and Tennessee were his co-leaders after previously having the Vols at the top. Last weekend, he returned to the campus to spend time with friends. While there, however, he met privately with the Auburn staff.

He added, "This is a place where I've been a couple times, so I definitely feel comfortable with the coaching staff and the situation I would be going into with the possibility of playing early, and me graduating early, as well. Just everything falls into place right about now, so that's where I feel comfortable at."

Despite his pledge to Auburn today, Wooten's recruitment probably isn't over. Schools have told him they plan to continue efforts to land him. He also pointed out that multiple official visits are not out of the question.

But as for now, he's all Auburn. Let's all hope he remains so.

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

Monday, May 9th, 2016

The Auburn baseball team handily defeated Alabama 8-1 in Tuscaloosa yesterday afternoon to prevent a series sweep by the Tide. In doing so, the Tigers improved to 21-26 overall, 8-16 in league action. Alabama, meanwhile, fell to 27-21 overall, 12-12 in the SEC.

"This was a good, solid win," Auburn head coach Butch Thompson stated. "This was a big one as our guys just kept battling. The resiliency of our team has been tremendous. I thought the runs we scored in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings were the difference. We kept scoring and that was huge for us. I'm really pleased with how we came out and battled for a win."

The biggest highlight was Niko Buentello, who tied his career highs with three hits and four RBI. His RBIs came in the first, third and ninth stanzas as he increased his season RBI total to 47, the most for a Tiger since 2011.

Ben Braymer got the win for Auburn, improving to 4-4 on the year. He pitched a career-best 6.0 innings, with five strikeouts and no walks. He only gave up one run in seven hits in a season-high 108 pitches.

The Tigers went up 2-0 in the first on a sac fly by Buentello and an RBI double by Melvin Gray. They increased the count to 4-0 in the third as Buentello got his fourth double of the weekend and drove in a pair.

Soon after that, on a called play, Buentello headed for home on a delayed move after Damon Haecker dashed for second to give Auburn a 5-0 advantage.

Jackson Burgreen followed that up with a walk, hence boosting his career-best reached base streak to 17 games.

Anfernee Grier also got in on the action with two hits and a stolen base for the contest.

The Tide got its only score of the day in the fifth when Chance Vincent came home on a wild pitch.

Daniel Robert (2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R 0) and Daniel Sprinkle (1.0 IP, 0 R 0) closed out the game with pitching duties.

Auburn got a couple more runs in the seventh and eighth on RBI singles by Kyler Deese and Melvin Gray. Deese was 3-for-4 on the afternoon, while Gray had two hits, two RBI and a stolen base.

Alabama's Nick Eicholtz took the loss and fell to 3-3. He surrendered six runs on six hits in 6.1 innings.

The Tigers return to action on Tuesday when they host Troy at Plainsman Park. The first pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT, with the game available on SECN+ (Internet).

In other news...

- Former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville's older son, Tucker, celebrated his graduation yesterday, receiving his finance diploma from the university.

".@tuckertubs did it!" Tommy tweeted from his personal Twitter account, mentioning Tucker's handle in the process. "So proud of my son, who graduated with honors from Auburn today."

Tucker's mother, Suzanne, and his younger brother, Troy, were also in attendance for the occasion.

In three seasons on The Plains, Tucker Tuberville appeared in just one game. It came last season against Idaho, as Tuberville, a walk-on quarterback, entered the contest in the fourth quarter.

While he didn't throw a pass, he did carry the ball twice for 14 yards in Auburn's 56-34 victory.

"It's surreal," he said after the game. "Like I said, I didn't expect to at all, and I really appreciate getting the chance to do that. I've been to this stadium a lot of times, to be out on the field for once, it was something different. It was fun."

And one of his biggest fans was in the stands that night: His father, Tommy, who served as the Tigers' head coach from 1999-2008, and now holds the same position at Cincinnati.

Now, as you've just read from this story, Tucker has another milestone to celebrate.

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

Sunday, May 8th, 2016

As I begin to type this, it's after 8:00 in my area, and Mother's Day has come to an end. I hope you all had a great one.

I'm happy to report that both the softball and baseball teams won their games today. However, due to the late hour, I'll write about the softball game tonight, and the baseball game tomorrow.

Auburn's softball squad defeated Texas A&M this afternoon by a score of 5-4 in the regular-season finale, securing a spot in next week's SEC Tournament in Starkville, Mississippi.

However, as the Tigers forge into postseason play, Kasey Cooper says that the team will play with even more courage than usual. Shortstop Kelsey Bogaards will be first and foremost in their minds.

Cooper smacked two clutch home runs in this contest, and Emily Carosone had one herself. But the Tigers' thoughts also centered around Bogaards, who spent countless hours rehabbing her surgically-repaired right knee so that she could return to action at the end of the season.

She played for the first time yesterday. Today, she injured her left knee starting a double play, ending her afternoon on crutches, as well as her season.

"You can look at the negative and say, 'She's down. She's out.' Or you can say, 'Play like she did.' She came back and gave it her all." Cooper said. "She played for one game. She possibly saved that game with that one double play. She saved it. Ever since then, we said, 'Play for Turtle, play like it's your last' because for her, it was. Play for her."

"That's going to be the mantra. We have to do that. If we don't give it everything that we have every game, it could be our last. We're playing with everything we have for Turtle, and for every one of us."

Auburn will begin postseason action on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. against the winner of Wednesday's Alabama-Mississippi State game in the single-elimination conference tournament. The Tigers will start NCAA Tournament play the following week, most likely at home at Jane B. Moore Field.

Auburn closed out the regular season at 46-9 overall, 16-7 in SEC play, earning the No. 4 seed in the league tournament. Meanwhile, the Aggies fell to 37-17 overall, 9-15 in the SEC, and are the No. 10 seed in the tournament.

The Tigers struck quickly in the first when Carlee Wallace recorded an RBI single. Cooper hit homers in the third and fifth innings, the latter of which came after Carosone, who became Auburn's all-time hit leader yesterday, nailed a homer of her own. Jade Rhodes also had an RBI to reserve pitcher Kaylee Carlson, who got the win for the Tigers to improve to 14-1 on the season.

Head coach Clint Myers said that his team was vying for something beyond a shot in the conference tournament. "What we had to play for was pride," he stated after two straight losses to the Aggies. This time around, though, things were far more pleasant. Auburn had 10 hits and no errors. "Things are moving in the direction they need to be," he said.

But, like the players, he was equally concerned about Bogaards' injury.

"If you weren't just a little touched with Kelsey out there...You just haven't seen how hard she worked to get back. Hours upon hours, and that was every single day. And that was just for a shot to get back. She finally got cleared and got her in for a little bit."

Then, in the blink of an eye, her season ended. However, her coach is very optimistic about her future.

"With Kelsey I'm sure she's going to be a phenomenal nurse. She's going to be the best of anything she wants to be," Myers said. "I've seen her work ethic and I've seen her really go after what she really wanted. Hopefully, the team took notice. I did, and the coaches did. If nothing else, this is now the time to play for a girl that left it on the softball field. They all saw the same things I did. I'm looking for good things from Auburn from this point on."

Aren't we all, Coach Myers?

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

Saturday, May 7th, 2016

Yes, I know that both the softball and baseball teams played last night, but they both lost. The baseball squad fell to Alabama 6-2 in Tuscaloosa, while the softball team lost to Texas A&M 6-5 at home. The softball team hopes to find redemption against the Aggies this afternoon. As I write this, the teams are tied at 5 apiece in the bottom of the third. You can watch that game on ESPN. Meanwhile, the baseball team, faces the Tide again tonight at 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.

Moving on from those two sports, I'd like to devote this post to a couple of major bits of news that I came upon late yesterday afternoon.

- First off, 4-star linebacker Tadarian Moultry of Birmingham (Ala.) Jackson-Olin has committed to the Tigers. He announced his decision yesterday, picking Auburn over in-state rival Alabama. Moultry is Auburn's fourth commitment for 2017 - but its first since last August when safety Carlito Gonzalez gave his pledge.

The reason behind Moultry's choice was pretty straightforward. "It's family," he said.

"His best ball is ahead of him," Jackson-Olin head coach Tim Vakakes stated. "He will be a leader Day 1 when he steps onto campus - just how he handles himself. He will earn and keep respect from everyone in the program."

Moultry had visited both Auburn and Alabama multiple times this year. After a trip to The Plains on Feb. 21st, he declared the Tigers as his leader. Since then, though, he went back and forth between the two, even claiming to eliminate the Tide at one point. But soon after, it was back in contention.

Last week, Moultry told AuburnUndercover that the two schools were "neck and neck."

Out of respect for each program recruiting him, Moultry informed all schools of his decision well before he officially made the announcement. According to Moultry, he didn't want anyone to make an unnecessary trip to his school yesterday.

The four commitments in Auburn's 2017 class now have an average rating of four stars.

Moultry's verbal commitment is not only major for the team, but also for Tigers' linebackers coach Travis Williams, a former Auburn standout. Moultry is Williams' first commitment as a Tigers' coach.

Moultry is also the first linebacker in the class. The Tigers expect to notch around four backers in this cycle.

Another major linebacker target, Chandler Wooten of Kennesaw (Ga.) North Cobb, plans to announce his college decision on May 13th.

- Now, for the other major headline. Two basketball players, Tahj Shamsid-Deen and Trayvon Reed, have declared that they have played their last game in an Auburn uniform.

Shamsid-Deen, who would have been a senior guard next season, closed out his basketball career due to lingering shoulder injuries. Reed, a 7-foot-2 center, will not return to the program.

The announcements came in an official release from the athletic department yesterday.

Shamsid-Deen appeared in just five games last season. After sitting out for the opener, he returned to play three games before dislocating his right shoulder against Northwestern State on Nov. 27th. He returned to play 12 minutes against Mercer on Dec. 15th, tallying four assists and one rebound. However, four days later against then-undefeated Xavier, he dislocated his shoulder in the first half. That marked his last appearance of the season.

It would also be his last appearance in an Auburn jersey.

"It has been tough," Shamsid-Deen said in the release. "It is probably my first injury I ever have had. For those to be the first injuries and to end my career is pretty devastating. My parents built the foundation where school would always be a backup plan for me. I'm going to continue to get my degree at Auburn in December in finance and then my master's degree with a MBA and MSS starting in January."

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl commended Shamsid-Deen's refusal to quit, saying he gave "all he had" to the program.

"He continued to fight and come back many, many times and that shows how tough he is," Pearl said in the release. "The doctors say he has been through a lot, and it is time. He is a true student-athlete with the student being first. There is no telling what kind of a season we could have had had we not lost our starting point guard, our best perimeter defender and a true leader."

Shamsid-Deen reciprocated that sentiment, thanking Pearl and everyone around the program for the support along the way.

"I am just glad that Coach Pearl was there supporting me along with the whole coaching staff and the support of the fans," he said. "I received letters from so many fans after my surgery. That meant a lot to me, and I really appreciate all of the love I received the last three years."

A native of Decatur, Ga., Shamsid-Deen started all 30 games for the Tigers as a freshman in 2013-14, averaging 9.5 points and 2.9 assists per game. He became the first Auburn freshman to start every game in a season since Quantez Robertson did so in 2005-06.

Shamsid-Deen's sophomore season was cut short, as he was shut down with 11 games left in the 2014-15 season to surgically repair both shoulders. Now, he is eagerly anticipating the future.

"My parents always set that foundation where I would have to do schoolwork if I wanted to play basketball," he said. That has definitely come into play now that I have decided to end my career in basketball. I am glad that I did that. That has always been my M.O.: to get my work done in order to play basketball."

Reed hadn't been with Auburn nearly as long. A sophomore who redshirted this past season, he has decided to leave the team.

"I appreciate all of the people who have helped me at Auburn," Reed said. "I am grateful to my coaches and teammates for all of their support."

During his freshman campaign in 2014-15, Reed saw action in 23 games, averaging 8.9 minutes, 1.1 points, and 2.0 rebounds per outing.

"Trayvon worked extremely hard during his redshirt season to come back," Pearl said. "I wish him well in the future."

So do I. Same to Tahj.

As I finish up this writing, the softball game just ended a few minutes ago. Sadly, the Tigers fell to the Aggies 13-6. Auburn will look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. CT. That game will be available on SECN+ (Internet).

That's all for today. I hope you all have a blessed Mother's Day tomorrow. Always remember to tell your mother how much you love her, because she could be gone in the blink of an eye. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Friday, May 6th, 2016

If an inspirational story is your cup of tea, then the upcoming installment of ESPN Films' SEC Storied series is one you won't want to miss.

The film, entitled "Mighty Ruthie," centers around Ruthie Bolton, an Auburn great and gold medalist who became an advocate for women after surviving years of domestic violence.

Born in Lucedale, Miss., as the 16th of 20 children to Leola and Linwood Bolton, Ruthie helped Auburn win three SEC championships, and also guided them to two NCAA championship game appearances from 1985-89. Her No. 25 jersey is one of only four to be retired by Auburn's women's basketball program.

Bolton played in 132 games with the Tigers, tying her for the most in school history in addition to Linda Godby. Also, she ranks among the top five in the Auburn record book for steals (third with 246), and assists (fifth with 526). Bolton recorded 10 steals against Long Beach State in 1988, tying the single-game school record set by her older sister, Mae Ola Bolton, a year earlier. Their total was later duplicated by Kristen Mulligan. For her career, Bolton averaged 8.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. When her time on the Plains had come to an end, she went on to win two Olympic gold medals.

For all of her accomplishments on the court, however, the documentary aims to show viewers the magnitude of the adversity that she has overcome in her life. Bolton, who was a victim of domestic violence during her first marriage, has openly discussed those trying times, and is now using them to help women in similar situations around the world.

"Mighty Ruthie" is set to debut on Sunday, May 22nd at 8 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. Mark your calendars and, if you so choose, set your DVRs!

I'll wrap up this post with a brief reminder. Don't forget that the softball team hosts Texas A&M at 6 p.m. CT tonight, while the baseball team faces Alabama in Tuscaloosa at 7 p.m. CT. This marks the beginning of a three-game series against the respective opponents for each team. Both games are available on SECN+ (Internet).

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

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016

First off, the softball team's game with Tennessee was cancelled last night due to yet another night of inclement weather in Knoxville and will not be made up. Man, the Tigers just can't catch a break with the weather lately, can they? Then again, considering how badly the Vols have beaten them in the past couple of days, it could also be considered a MAJOR blessing.

The team will return to action on Friday when they begin a three-game series against Texas A&M in Auburn. The first pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT, with the game available on the SECN+ (Internet).

Second, yes, I saw the news yesterday afternoon regarding four football players being arrested this past Saturday for marijuana possession. I am very disappointed that they made this decision, and Gus Malzahn has already stated that he is aware of the matter and will handle it appropriately. We certainly can't afford to lose them heading into what will be a pivotal season for Gus. Only time will tell what their ultimate fate will be.

Finally, a bit of good news in the basketball department: Another graduate transfer has committed to the Tigers. LaRon Smith, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound shot-blocking post player, pledged to Auburn after visiting the campus this past weekend.

Smith, who played his first two seasons at Georgia State before transferring to Bethune Cookman, finished last season with 96 blocked shots. He averaged 3.0 blocks, 7.2 points and 6.9 rebounds a game. He plans to enroll in summer school and will be eligible to play this coming season.

Smith is the second graduate transfer to commit to the Tigers, joining point guard Ronnie Johnson from Houston.

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

Monday, May 2nd, 2016

The Auburn softball team was forced to play a doubleheader with Tennessee yesterday due to postponement of Saturday's game after a lengthy rain delay. Sadly, both games had unhappy outcomes. A story of each contest follows.

Game 1

Tennessee crushed the Tigers 10-2 yesterday afternoon. The game picked up where the action left off the previous evening with Auburn holding a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Auburn threw a season-high 12 walks in suffering their first run-rule loss of the season. The Vols, meanwhile, kept their composure at the plate and recorded four bases-loaded walks during the game. Plus, they outhit the Tigers 8-3.

Auburn held its 1-0 cushion from Saturday evening after Tiffany Howard reached on an error and advanced around the bases on two wild pitches. She accounted for the Tigers' next run when she hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to allow Jenna Abbott to score in the second frame.

Tennessee took control early, grabbing a 3-1 lead in the first, then adding another run in the second to up its advantage to 4-2. The game became an onslaught in the third when five runs crossed the plate, and a single run in the fourth gave the Vols the victory.

Kaylee Carlson handled the pitching duties for Auburn at the start of the game and recorded a walk to lead the contest off on Saturday night. Yesterday, however, she only lasted three more batters before Rachael Walters stepped in. Walters had an equally difficult time finding the strike zone and Carlson returned soon after, taking her first loss of the year and falling to 13-1. Marcy Harper finished this one out for Auburn, pitching the final 1.1 innings.

Victoria Draper went 2-for-2 in the game, smacking two bunts and Carlee Wallace posted Auburn's other base hit of the match.

Game 2

News didn't get any better for the Tigers as the Vols demolished them 12-1 in the second game.

Auburn head coach Clint Myers was concise about his team's performance.

"We've got to play better, it's pretty simple," he said. "We didn't swing like we're capable and we sure didn't pitch or play defense like we're accustomed to. It's a couple bumps in the road and a major character test for us. We have to come out and play Auburn softball tomorrow. If we do that, we'll be fine."

Until yesterday, Auburn had not been run-ruled in consecutive games since 2009 at Kentucky.

Tennessee scored a run in the first. Things quickly turned ugly in the second when the Vols posted seven runs, the most the Tigers have given up in an inning all season. It didn't help matters that Auburn also committed a season-high five errors, allowing five unearned runs. Four Tennessee runs in the fourth inning locked up the one-sided rout for the home-standing Vols.

Junior Kasey Cooper hit a solo homer in the first for the Tigers' only score of the game. That gave Cooper 17 for the season and tied her for the SEC lead in that category.

Victoria Draper had two singles, going 2-for-2 in the contest and finishing the day at a perfect 4-4 slate.

Makayla Martin started at pitcher for Auburn and lasted three innings before a lightning delay forced both squads into the dugouts for 30 minutes. After action resumed, senior Lexi Davis entered the game and pitched the final inning for Auburn, throwing two strikeouts.

The losses dropped Auburn to 45-7 overall, 15-5 in the SEC, while the Vols improved to 38-12 overall, 14-6 in the conference.

The two teams will conclude the series tonight at 6 p.m CT, with the game being televised by the SEC Network. I can only hope that Mother Nature will cooperate for a change.

In other news...

- The baseball team lost a hard-fought battle against Kentucky yesterday by a score of 9-6, but still won the weekend series 2-1. They will return to action on Friday to start a three-game series against Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

- A Presbyterian transfer has committed to Auburn hoops. DeSean Murray, a forward who just completed his sophomore season, averaged 20.2 points and 7.4 rebounds a game last season. Although he has two seasons of eligibility remaining, he must sit out this coming season.

Auburn was one of two finalists for Murray, in addition to Middle Tennessee State, which he visited last month.

Murray was named to the Big South Conference first-team this past season in a vote by the league's coaches and media members. He also placed third in the conference's player of the year voting.

Murray's 20.2 points per game led the conference, while he also finished the season among the top five in the league in many other categories, including tying for second in steals per game (2.0), ranking fourth in field goal percentage (54.4), and tying for fourth in rebounds per game (7.4).

During the 2014-15 season, Murray won the Big South's Freshman of the Year honor, although his season was cut short. Due to an early-season injury, Murray only saw action in 20 games. Despite that, he scored 10 or more points 17 times.

A native of Stanley, N.C., Murray played at Northside Christian Academy in Charlotte, N.C., during his senior season of high school. He averaged a double-double each time around, totaling 18 points and 10 rebounds per game, garnering first-team all-conference and all-state honors.

Murray is the second transfer to commit to the Tigers in a week. Last Monday, Houston grad transfer point guard Ronnie Johnson also pledged to Auburn.

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

Sunday, May 1st, 2016

Jackson Burgreen isn't always certain as to when he's hit a home run.

"I don't hit enough home runs to know when a ball is going out or when it's not," he said. "I just run hard to first and when that outfielder doesn't get to it, I'm as happy as can be."

Well, he and the Tigers certainly felt that joy last night as they defeated No. 22 Kentucky 10-6 at Plainsman Park. Burgreen smacked a 2-run homer in the third. It was his second homer of the year. Other key factors in the outcome were a big 4-run inning by Auburn in the eighth, and a shut out three-inning performance by relief pitcher Casey Mize.

It didn't come easy, however. The Tigers trailed 5-0 in the second and found themselves in a 6-6 stalemate heading into the bottom of the eighth. That's when the craziness really blossomed, as Kentucky threw 12 straight balls at one point, with Auburn taking the lead on a wild pitch, then increasing the advantage on a 2-run single by Cody Nulph and another single by Anfernee Grier, which gave him his fourth run of the game and eighth run in the past two days.

Auburn head coach Butch Thompson was pretty blunt about the final result. "We did the typical five and came back and scored 10 by the end of the game," he stated.

But the Tiger defense was auspicious enough, particularly thanks to an outfield assist from Jordan Ebert, stopping a runner at home in the fourth.

Starter Justin Camp had a rough evening, giving up three runs in 4 2/3 innings. Even so, Thompson applauds his persistence, saying he "just battles for us, even after the tough start."

Auburn inserted Gabe Klobosits for an inning and a third, followed by Mize, who improved to 2-2 on the season with the victory.

"I told him the plan to go either way because I'm going to give him a chance to win a ballgame with pitching in the moment," Thompson said. "Casey finished that ballgame for us, which was huge."

Thompson emphasized that this victory was made even more significant by the spectacular comeback and the jubilant atmosphere in front of 3,398 fans.

"When I got this opportunity, I envisioned weekends being like this," he lamented.

"We're having the most fun right now we've had all year, I'll tell you that," Burgreen said.

Grier finished the night 2-for-4 to allow his batting average to climb to .399. Jackson was 2-for-3.

Kyler Deese scored Auburn's other run. Eight Tigers registered at least one hit.

Auburn improved to 20-23 overall, 7-13 in SEC play. Kentucky fell to 26-17 overall, 10-10 in the conference.

The Tigers hope to clinch a series sweep against the Wildcats this afternoon. The game started at 1 p.m. CT and is available on SECN+ (Internet). It's currently in progress as I write.

In other news...

- The softball team is playing a doubleheader with Tennessee in Knoxville today thanks to Mother Nature's elements. Last night's game was postponed due to heavy rain with Auburn leading 1-0 in the bottom of the first. The game is available on SECN+.

The second game, meanwhile, is set for 6 p.m. CT, and will be televised on ESPNU. Assuming no unforeseen circumstances arise, I'll write about the doubleheader tomorrow.

- Several Tigers were chosen in this weekend's NFL Draft. Offensive lineman Shon Coleman was chosen by the Cleveland Browns in the third round on Friday night. Receiver Ricardo Louis was blessed with the opportunity to be teammates with him, as he was picked in the fourth round last night.

Defensive back Blake Countess was picked by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round. A graduate transfer from Michigan, he had a career-best 71 tackles in his lone season at Auburn.

Auburn's early free-agent deals after the draft included running back Peyton Barber to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and offensive lineman Avery Young to the New Orleans Saints. A short time later, linebacker Cassanova McKinzy and defensive lineman DaVonte Lambert joined Barber on Tampa Bay's free agent roster.

Defensive back Jonathan Jones tweeted that he signed with the New England Patriots.

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