Tigers Trek to Gainesville to Take on No. 1 Florida

Tigers Trek to Gainesville to Take on No. 1 FloridaTigers Trek to Gainesville to Take on No. 1 Florida

April 25, 2018

AUBURN (30-12, 9-9 SEC) at FLORIDA (34-9, 14-4 SEC)









AUBURN, Ala. ââ'¬" Winners of six straight games, No. 19 Auburn (30-12, 9-9 SEC) begins the final four weeks of Southeastern Conference play with a tough road test against No. 1 Florida (34-9, 14-4 SEC). The series opener is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. CT followed by game two Friday at 5:30 p.m. and the series finale Saturday at 1 p.m.

In its fourth SEC road trip of the season, the Gators represent Auburn's third road series against a top-10 opponent.

Thursday's game will be broadcast on national television on ESPNU. Games two and three will air on SEC Network+ and can be found online at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app. All three games will also broadcast by Rod Bramblett and Andy Burcham on the Auburn Sports Network. You can listen on the radio on WTGZ-FM (93.9), online at AuburnTigers.com, or on a mobile device via the TuneIn app.

Probable Starters

  • Thursday ââ'¬" Jr. RHP Casey Mize (8-1, 2.25) vs. Jr. RHP Brady Singer (8-1, 2.77)
  • Friday ââ'¬" Fr. RHP Tanner Burns (3-4, 2.29) vs. Jr. RHP Jackson Kowar (7-1, 2.40)
  • Saturday ââ'¬" TBA vs. Fr. RHP Jack Leftwich (3-1, 3.40)

QUICK HITTERS

  • Auburn is riding a six-game winning streak and has outscored its opponents 70-19 during the span. The Tigers are hitting .332 with 70 runs on 72 hits and have also turned in a 3.00 ERA.
  • Auburn swept Alabama in Tuscaloosa for the first time since 1976 last weekend and outscored the Crimson Tide 44-10 in the series. The 44 runs were the most in a SEC series since 2002.
  • Auburn has outscored its SEC opponents 51-11 dating back to the seven-run bottom of the sixth inning in the series-clinching win vs. Mississippi State.
  • Steven Williams was named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week and is 10-for-14 with eight runs, one double, two home runs and 10 RBI in the last four games.
  • Conor Davis is 8-for-11 with five runs and five RBI in his last three starts.
  • Casey Mize and Tanner Burns have posted a combined 2.27 ERA with 147 strikeouts in 119.0 innings pitched and are holding opponents to a .186 batting average against this season.
  • Auburn has won 10 SEC series since the start of last season, trailing only Florida (14).

SCOUTING THE GATORS

  • Florida enters the weekend with a 34-9 overall record and holds a four-game lead in the SEC with a 14-4 record. The Gators have won each of their first six SEC series, including a sweep of Missouri and Vanderbilt at home.
  • Offensively, Florida is hitting .290 as a team and ranks second in the SEC with a .295 average during conference play. Jonathan India leads the SEC with a .415 batting average, while Wil Dalton ranks first in the conference in home runs (16) and RBI (47).
  • On the mound, Florida ranks third in the SEC with a 3.13 ERA and 3.85 mark in conference play. The Gators starting rotation of Brady Singer, Jackson Kowar and Jack Leftwich have a combined ERA of 2.78 and have struck out 169 batters in 168.1 innings pitched. On the back end, Michael Byrne leads the SEC with 10 saves.

SERIES HISTORY vs. FLORIDA

  • Auburn holds a 131-113-2 all-time record in the series against Florida, but the Gators are 69-62 in games played in Gainesville.
  • Auburn swept Florida last year in Auburn, but the Gators beat the Tigers in the SEC Tournament. Each of the last three games in the series have been decided by one run.