AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn has been ranked No. 15 in the 2019 Perfect Game Preseason College Top 25, and the publication named junior shortstop Will Holland a preseason second team All-American.
Auburn is one of eight teams from the Southeastern Conference ranked in the top 25. It marks the second time the Tigers have appeared in a preseason poll as the team was also ranked No. 23 in the Collegiate Baseball Fabulous 40 last month.
The Tigers are coming off a record-setting season in which the team went 43-23, won the Raleigh Regional by outscoring its opponents 40-12 and advanced to the second super regional in program history and the first since 1999.
Auburn started the season 15-0, marking the second best start and third longest winning streak in program history, and ultimately notched its highest win total in a season since 2010. Last season also marked the first time the Tigers advanced to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments since 2002-03.
Holland was a major cog in the lineup from opening day as he played in all 66 games and earned 65 starts at shortstop last season. The Lawrenceville, Georgia, native led the team and ranked tied for seventh in the SEC with 61 runs scored. He also tied for the team lead in hits (78), ranked second in batting average (.313), doubles (18) and RBI (52), and finished tied for second in home runs (12).
He picked up a list of postseason accolades that included being named Second Team All-SEC, First Team ABCA All-South Region and a Brooks Wallace Award semifinalist.
Holland appeared in three games and made two starts for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team this summer before heading to the Cape Cod League to compete for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, where he hit .341 in 13 contests.
The junior shortstop is rated by Perfect Game as the No. 12 overall prospect for the 2019 MLB Draft. He was also tabbed by the publication as the No. 7 college prospect and top-rated player from the SEC. Additionally, Holland appeared at No. 8 on Baseball America's top college prospects list and was No. 12 according to D1 Baseball.
Holland joins teammate Tanner Burns as Auburn players to be named preseason All-American for the 2019 season. Burns was named a preseason third team All-American by Collegiate Baseball last month.
The Tigers begin the 2019 campaign with a three-game series against Georgia Southern from Feb. 15-17. Season tickets, which cost $195 per seat, cover Auburn's 32-game home schedule and include 15 SEC contests. Fans can reach the Auburn ticket office by phone at 1-855-282-2010 or by emailing tickets@auburn.edu. To order tickets online, visit www.aubtix.com.
Auburn tabbed No. 15, Holland named preseason All-American by Perfect Game
