Auburn faces Ole Miss this weekend in winner-takes-West battle

Auburn will face the Ole Miss Rebels this weekend in a series that will determine the winner of the SEC West. Needless to say, Auburn hasn't had a series of this magnitude in many years and it will be interesting to see how they respond.

Cory Luckie will get the start against Ole Miss all-star Drew Pomeranz on Friday night and will have a tall task. After seeing Pomeranz pitch in person earlier this year I can tell you that he is the real deal. After Friday night, coach John Pawlowski will have to make a decision on the rest of the rotation as it has not been decided yet.

If Auburn loses Friday, he may look to Grant Dayton on Saturday. Dayton has cemented himself as the most consistent pitcher on the staff this year in SEC play while primarily pitching on Sunday.

Either way it'll be quite a battle between the Tigers and Rebels in Oxford this weekend. With a spot in Hoover already cemented, we'll see how far this squad wants to go. With a potential regional host bid on the line, hopefully they want to go a long way.

War Eagle!

Auburn takes Game 3 from Bama

So Auburn won 7-1 today in Game 3 of the Iron Bowl of baseball series, at least avoiding the sweep. The win gives Auburn a game up on Bama in the standings, and leaves us only 2 games back of LSU as they prepare to come into town next weekend.

Grant Dayton was awesome on the mound today, picking up the win and pitching into the 8th inning and giving up just one run. One of the things that pleases me the most was what he did to Alabama leadoff hitter Taylor Dugas.

Dugas came into the 8th with three singles, and Dayton promptly hit him, and he was ejected along with Coach Pawlowski. For a team that came into the game scuffling big time and looking to avoid a sweep, I love seeing this kind of fire out of the players and coaching staff.

Of course nothing makes me happier than seeing Bama suffer, and this is certainly no exception. But the fact that Coach P and Dayton were willing to send a message and say they weren't backing down from the one hitter who was having a good day says a lot to me. Some will say it's dirty baseball to do something like that, but I would just say quit being gay. It's awesome.

If Auburn baseball is ever going to be able to move past the lowly status it has occupied for the past 7 years, it's going to take players and coaches that aren't willing to back down against anyone. Not only that, but the players and coaches have to let people know that this isn't the same program that's going to roll over and die as soon as things start going bad.

It sucks I have to say this, but winning the Sunday game when facing a sweep the past two weekends is very important, especially coming against two ranked teams. Auburn has had it's chances in the 4 games it has lost over the past two SEC weekends, so if they can figure out a way to get Cole Nelson some run support and get that Friday night starter figured out, this could turn out to be a very good year.

But Auburn has to move past winning just Sunday and start winning some series' for Pete's sake. I'm not sure what kind of suspension Pawlowski and Dayton will face, but let's just hope Dayton can go next weekend. Whatever the penalty is, it's worth it to show people this is a program they have to take seriously.

War Eagle!!

Bama beats Auburn, 10-5 in Friday night game

Auburn took a 1-0 lead last night, before giving up a 5-run inning that included 6 hits and 2 errors. Awful. Terrible. Inexcusable.

Never in my life have I seen a baseball team that has as much trouble fielding the ball and throwing people out*.

Anyway, Cole Nelson goes today for Auburn and if they can't scratch out a win with him on the mound, things aren't looking good for winning a game this series. Of course, Alabama's pitcher, also a Nelson, has a 1-something ERA, so that's just great.

We'll see how it goes. Check Twitter for updates.

*With the exception of my 9th grade junior varsity baseball team. Defense was not one of our strong suits.

Happy April Fool's Day/Baseball Update

A common image for Auburn baseball of the modern era. (Photo Credit OA News.)

It's April Fool's Day which I'm pretty sure isn't a real holiday or anything, I guess just made up to play awesome pranks on your stupid friends. But you can do that all year.

Auburn baseball is nearing the halfway point of the season, and guess what, it's been another up and down year for the Tigers. Currently their record sits at 17-8, 4-2 in the SEC. Last night they had a chance to boost that win total against a Trojan squad that entered with just a 12-11 record.

After a series loss to South Carolina last weekend and another big series looming at Alabama this weekend, this game actually may have been bigger than it seemed for John Pawlowski's team. And like Auburn baseball has done for the past 7 years, they underwhelmed. Big time.

An error by Dan Gamache allowed the last two runs to score and let Troy take a 5-4 lead that would hold up in the end. Troy's final three runs were all unearned. What is that???

Granted I haven't been to a ton of Auburn baseball games this year, but I just don't know if Gamache is going to get it done at 3rd base. In the first game of the USC series, I saw him boot a couple of key balls on plays that an infielder should be making.

Auburn had lowered it's ERA after a pretty decent pitching performance this past weekend, but still ranked 9th in the SEC heading into last night. They also rank 1st in batting average, HR's, and total bases.

This year's team appears to be shaping up very much like last year's. Decent start, hot hitting throughout, but suffers a late slide due to shaky defense and a terrible bullpen.

I don't know what they can do this year, besides try to continue to build depth and get a number of quality arms into the pitching rotation. For someone who's paid as much attention to this baseball program as I have since I started at Auburn in 2004, this is incredibly frustrating.

We'll see how things shake out this weekend in Tuscaloosa and returning home the next weekend to face LSU in Auburn. A series win in both of these matchups would be monumental for this team. Here's hoping.

Did Auburn Meet Its Needs On National Signing Day 2010?

There may be a lot more of this in Auburn's future.

It's been two weeks since National Signing Day 2010 went down, and football fans are settling down for the long haul through spring practice and summer, until the season begins in the fall.

Without a doubt, all Auburn fans know that their 2010 class was not only a good class, it may turn out to be a great one. Perhaps since the ranking of recruits became a business, the Tigers finished with a consensus top-5 class according to all of these services. Players like Cameron Newton, Michael Dyer, and Shon Coleman helped catapult Auburn to quickly become one of the big dogs in the recruiting world.

But was this the best class in Auburn history? Yes. Auburn fans shouldn't be shy about the fact that this class has more promise than any they have ever signed. There are athletes across the board, and talent is coming at positions of dire need. This class will significantly raise the expectations of Auburn fans for the coming years, and it should. No program that considers itself of championship caliber should ever expect mediocrity to be accepted.

Perhaps the biggest coup for Gene Chizik and his staff was landing the best offensive line class in the entire country. The old cliche that "the big uglies up front win the game" isn't actually a cliche. Or can a cliche be true? I'm not really sure. Either way, just look at Alabama's line the past two years, and you'll see where a lot of that success comes from.

Shon Coleman and Roszell Gayden are the headliners of the O-line class, and have an opportunity to anchor Auburn at both of the tackle positions over the next couple years. While Coleman may not be the starter next year, he will have a great chance to groom himself under Lee Ziemba in 2010.

At RB, Michael Dyer will have some big shoes to fill, with 1,300 yard rusher Ben Tate leaving after graduation. He will have help, as Onterio McCalebb, Mario Fannin, Dontae Aycock, and Eric Smith should be able to spell him if he is not ready. Having Marcus Lattimore would have been nice, but it is not by any means a backbreaker by Auburn losing him.

Wide receiver had another nice haul, as it probably always will as long as Trooper Taylor is on the Plains. Antonio Goodwin and Trovon Reed will instantly give Auburn downfield threats, as well as hopefully solving that awful punt return situation from last year. These guys are burners, and playmakers in every sense of the word if they back-up their legend built in high school.

Jeremy Richardson will almost certainly not qualify, but if he comes back in a couple years, could come into Auburn more seasoned and ready. Shaun Kitchens is a guy that Coach Taylor has raved about, and the big bodied kid from College Park could give Auburn a great size threat in the end zone.

Combine these guys with top returners Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachery, and Auburn will have a legitimate big-time passing game next year.

The entire defense was a position of need with this class. There was attrition at almost every position, particularly at linebacker, and a secondary that became worse as it was crippled by injury before and during the season.

The linebacker class of LaDarius Owens, Jake Holland, Jawara White, and Jessel Curry was huge, and may be another example of Auburn bringing in the top group in America.

In the secondary, another huge area of need, Auburn signed a very respectable group of Jonathon Mincy, Demetruce McNeal, Chris Davis, plus the Ryans (Smith and White). This may not be the most highly rated or polished group in the world, but simply putting bodies out there will help Auburn next year. If Zac Etheridge, Mike McNeil, and Aairon Savage return as predicted, the secondary may suddenly become one of the most seasoned units in the league.

The defensive line was an area that turned out to be extremely interesting as far as recruiting. Auburn will have some depth back, but definitely has some needs, especially for playmakers on the edge.

The defensive end class was already solid in Joel Bonomolo and Craig Sanders, but the addition of Corey Lemonier was huge on NSD. All of these guys are extremely talented, and will help make Tracy Rocker's job much easier.

On the inside, Kenneth Carter and Jeffrey Whitaker will try to remind some fans of Rocker himself.

Overall, the defensive line, while not Auburn's biggest position of need, may have brought in the best group of all. Some players will take a few years to be physically ready for the SEC, but all have huge upside and potential.

So that's it for 2010. Auburn missed on a few, but hit on most of the ones they really wanted, and even stole one from Alabama. When it really comes down to it, nothing can make up for the joy that comes from that.

Like I said earlier, all this really does is make Gene Chizik's job harder. Fans and media alike will expect a lot more, and Chizik must deliver. Recruiting success only goes so far, and there is nothing that makes up for success on the football field.

Call me bold, but I'll make a little prediction. Look for the SEC West race to come down to a little game in November called the Iron Bowl. After going toe to toe in the recruiting world, Auburn and Alabama will play in November for a chance at a real championship, the kind that are won in Atlanta.

War Eagle!

Where in the world is Marcus Lattimore?

Running back prospect Marcus Lattimore has been under a self-imposed hood of silence for over a week now and there has been rampant speculation about where that wonderful mustache will be playing next year.

Up until about two days ago, it looked like ML was going to head to the Plains, and the Auburn pundits seemed to agree. Now they're looking at it as basically a toss up, and one that it looks like we are going to lose.

Not to worry friends, the backfield of Fannin, Aycock, Dyer, and McCalebb should do just fine next year, and will get a chance to make Lattimore pay in October, should he choose the Gamecocks.

Here's hoping against hope that he doesn't choose them, and can join coach Curtis Luper in the Auburn facial hair Hall of Fame.

War Eagle!!

Recruiting Battles Part 2

As with everything this last couple weeks last night, everything is more speculation. But at least last night was positive speculation.

One site I regularly read suggested that a source has claimed Marcus Lattimore is leaning heavily to Auburn. The same site said that Shon Coleman has emerged from his Alabama visit not wearing any hounds-tooth, so he appears to still be relatively solid to Auburn.

The same confidence is still coming from the South Carolina side regarding Lattimore, so I'd have to believe this one is really as much of a toss up as ever.

Arkansas DT Byran Jones may announce today, or may wait until Monday. He is definitely a toss up, but based simply on recruiting this year, hopefully knows how much more successful he can be at Auburn.

DT Jeffrey Whitaker will announce Monday.

All I know is this stuff is going to give me a heart condition. I need to lay off the recruiting for awhile.

Recruiting Battles Part 1

None of this is inside information of any kind, nor do I have any inside sources. It's simply my view of the recruiting world through my orange-and-blue glasses.

Shon Coleman - OT, Olive Branch, MS

When Coleman committed back on April 18, 2009, few Auburn fans could've guessed what a highly rated and sought after prospect he would become. With Auburn replacing four starting offensive lineman after the 2010 season, OL was one of the biggest needs of this year's class.

With the early editions of guys like Coleman and Chad Slade, some fans wondered why Auburn wasn't able to attract more highly rated lineman, especially with the lure of early playing time giving the coaching staff a distinct advantage.

Jeff Grimes and Trooper Taylor, Coleman's primary recruiters, must have known what they were talking about, because it was after his committment that Coleman began his steady climb up the recruiting rankings. Soon he was moved to a 4-star recruit on Rivals, and the #1 prospect in the state of Mississippi.

After a strong performance in practices and during the Army All-American Game, Coleman reached his personal summit, a 5-star ranking and recognition as the #22 overall prospect in the entire country.

In the past couple weeks, Coleman has reaffirmed his committment to Auburn while at the same time promising to go on five official visits. How someone can firm their committment and soften it at the same time is beyond me.

Visits to Ole Miss and Arkansas have already taken place. Coleman is currently visiting Bama and will head to Miami next. Some Auburn fans have accepted the fact that Coleman is visiting the Crimson and White as a sign he is definitely not headed to Auburn.

In my opinion, it would be very difficult to take a young man who has been committed for 8 months and turn him in the matter of a couple of days. Hopefully Shon remembers which team not only gives him the best chance to play early, but also which one offered him a chance to join their team before he was rated as one of the best linemen in the country.

Right now, Auburn has the nations #1 OL class according to Rivals.com. I look for it to stay that way, and until Coleman himself changes my opinion, I think he'll be sending in a LOI to Auburn next Wednesday.

Signing Day Approaches

In a little over a week, National Signing Day will finally be here. This is a unique day, when high school football players bring great joy to their respective fanbases by signing their National Letters of Intent.

Auburn currently sits in the top 10 of every major recruiting service, and is aiming to possibly finish with their best recruiting class of all time. Whatever happens, I and many others who are obsessed with this recruiting game will be on the edge of their seats until those LOIs start to roll in.

Here's a couple names to look out for on NSD, and those who could either make Auburn fans happy or break their hearts next week:

DE Corey Lemonier

- No one has any idea how to really pronounce this guy's last name. We'll find out soon.

- Ranked the #3 DE by Rivals.com and the #35 overall prospect in the country.

- Has a 5-star ranking by Scout.com but is their #7 DE.

- Rivals.com analyst Barton Simmons predicted in a chat today that Lemonier will pledge to Florida State, but Jeffrey Lee of AuburnSports.com thinks otherwise.

- Auburn, FSU, and Miami are the 3 finalists.

RB Marcus Lattimore

- All Auburn fans know this guy, who Malzahn and co. are attempting to make their 2nd 5-star running back in this class.

- Ranked as the #1 running back and a 5-star by Rivals.com and Scout.com

- Will choose between Auburn and South Carolina in a ceremony at his church on February 2nd.

- Insiders from both AU and USC believe Lattimore is headed their way.

- Right now, I have to give USC the edge, simply because they are the in-state school, and ML can be the star of the show at that school.

- If he heads to Auburn, could combine with Michael Dyer to form one of the best running back tandems in the SEC.

DT Jeffrey Whitaker

- Huge, disruptive guy from Warner Robins, GA.

- After Michael Thornton dropped Auburn from consideration, Whitaker became an even bigger need for the Tigers.

- Ranked as the #5 DT and #54 overall prospect in the country by Rivals.com. Ranked as the #11 DT by Scout.com

- Took an official visit to Georgia last weekend, and will go to Miami this weekend.

- In-state Dawgs will be very hard to beat for Whitaker, but hopefully Auburn will get it done.

These are three of the biggest recruits that Auburn still has left. Along with DT Byran Jones, Whitaker could form an excellent combo for the Tigers, and solve a lot of the depth problems that Tracy Rocker's unit faced this year.

Another guy to watch is WR Markeith Ambles. He is rated a 5-star by Rivals.com. There were rumors going around today that he had committed to Southern Cal, but these have not been confirmed. Auburn will try to convince him to take an official visit this coming weekend. If Auburn loses anyone from their current commitments, Ambles could become a big priority.

One guy that people have written off lately is our old buddy, RB Lache Seastrunk of Temple High School in Temple, Texas. He is expected to commit tomorrow afternoon at his school. I think he's going to Oregon, but who knows, crazier things have happened. With big schools dropping Lache left and right, along with his supposed flop at the Army All-American Game have some Tigers convinced that this is not the right guy for them anyway. It will certainly be very interesting to see how his roller-coaster recruitment finishes up.

War Eagle!!

Alabama wins the MNC

So last night really sucked. I had to sit back and watch as Alabama won a national title against the Texas Longhorns. Since Colt McCoy got hurt on the 5th play of the game, we'll never know what would have happened had he been able to play the entire time. For a guy who never missed a game in 4 years at Texas, he sure picked a heck of a time to go down. So it goes.

However, since I'm an optimist, we'll say that Texas would have won with Colt, and won big. Therefore, this game doesn't count and Bama has won nothing in my mind. There ya go.

But enough about the elephants, what does the near future hold for our Auburn Tigers? Currently, our recruiting class is ranked #3 in the nation by Rivals.com. After the addition of 5-star QB Cam Newton, who starts classes at Auburn on Monday, the Tigers have filled a void that has existed for many years. Chris Todd did a great job and did everything in his power to win while he was at Auburn, but Coach Malzahn is no doubt pumped to have such an elite athlete to run his offense.

Right now, Auburn is close to or at the top for many elite prospects. These include, DT's Jeffrey Whitaker, Mike Thornton, and Byran Jones, DE Corey Lemonier, RB Marcus Lattimore, and OL Eric Mack and James Stone. Should Auburn close with several of these prospects, we could be looking at the #1 recruiting class in the country.

Before we print the infamous "Got Recruits?" shirts that our friends in Tuscaloosa busted out a few years ago, Auburn fans need to remember that recruiting is an inexact science. But opposed to the previous coaching staff, which forgot to recruit for a few years, this is definitely a breath of fresh air.

But hey, it's been awhile since Auburn has been #1 in the country in anything related to football, so if it happens let's embrace it. Hopefully I will see you at Toomer's Corner on National Signing Day. There's a lot of work to be done, but things are looking up my friends.

Oh yeah, in case you didn't hear we beat Northwestern, 38-35 in the Outback Bowl. While nerve-racking, it was totally awesome.

War Eagle!!

D-Day is Here

So Alabama plays in the National Title game tonight against Texas. It sucks either way you look at it, so there's really no point trying to find any positives from the game.

Like all good Auburn fans, I hope Alabama gets killed. There's no state or SEC pride here, just good old fashioned hate from me. The fact that James Willis, possibly the biggest traitor of all the time, has an opportunity to win a national title tonight sickens me.

But don't worry, Auburn currently has the #3 recruiting class in the nation according to Rivals, so help is on the way. Stay strong and keep the faith my friends.

Eat it Alabama.

War Eagle!!