AUBURN – The No. 11 Auburn Tigers (20-8) will take on the UAB Blazers (16-12) Tuesday night at Plainsman Park as they look to rebound after being swept by the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs in Athens last weekend.
The Tigers suffered their first series loss of the season against the Bulldogs this past weekend, marking the first time the team has lost back-to-back games all season. The Tigers now turn their sights toward the Blazers, a team that bested them in walk-off fashion in Birmingham earlier in the season to hand the Tigers their only midweek loss to date.
On the mound for the Tigers will be Alex Petrovic, a sophomore right-hander from Cypress, Texas. Petrovic is 1-0 with a 4.86 ERA in six appearances but has struggled in his last two starts, going a combined 4.2 innings and giving up six earned runs. Coach Butch Thompson will hand him the ball hoping he can right the ship and turn in a solid performance for the Tigers.
For the visiting Blazers, while they have not announced a starting pitcher, a probable starter for the green and gold is sophomore left-hander Isaac Warrick. Warrick is 2-0 with a 3.07 ERA in eight appearances, working primarily in relief, as Blazers head coach Casey Dunn will likely be going with a bullpen game as his squad looks to knock off the No. 11 Tigers once again.
A player to watch for the Tigers is All-American slugger Ike Irish. Since his return to the lineup after a brief stint on the injury report, Irish is hitting a sizzling .469 and leading the Tigers offensive charge. The potential first-round has also been providing some pop at the dish, smashing six home runs in his last seven games, including two multi-homer games in that span.
With a win, the Tigers would improv to 21-8 overall, 7-1 in midweek games and 17-3 in non-conference games. The win would also erase the Tigers memory of being swept by bitter rival Georgia and help them get momentum as they welcome their other rival, the Alabama Crimson Tide, to the Plains this weekend.
The Tigers also boast a very strong 13-3 record at Plainsman park, and hope to continue their winning ways at their stomping grounds on Tuesday night.
A win for UAB would give them a season sweep of the Tigers, a feat that has never happened. A victory would also provide some much needed momentum for the Blazers, as they are just 2-4 in conference play.
First pitch between the Tigers and Blazers is set for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on SECN+ and the ESPN app. The game will also be available for listen on the Auburn Sports Network and the AU Sports Network App.
