2008 Auburn Baseball

Transcription

1 2008 Auburn Baseball GENERAL INFORMATION Location... Auburn, AL Founded... October 1, 1856 Enrollment...24,137 Nickname... Tigers Colors...Burnt Orange and Navy Blue Affiliation...NCAA Division I Conference...Southeastern (SEC West) President...Dr. Jay Gogue (Auburn, 1969) Athletic Director...Jay Jacobs (Auburn, 1985) HISTORY All-Time Record...1,689-1,099-6 (.606) All-Time Conference Record (.539) All-Time SEC Tournament Record NCAA Tournament Appearances...17 NCAA Tournament Record Last NCAA Regional (Tallahassee, Fla.) Last NCAA Super Regional (Tallahassee, Fla.) College World Series Appearances...4 College World Series Record Last College World Series COACHING/SUPPORT STAFF Head Coach...Tom Slater (VMI, 1990) Record at Auburn (.506), 3 years Career Record (.425), 6 years Baseball Office Phone...(334) Best Time to Contact...Mornings, contact SID Assistant Coach...Bill Mosiello (Fresno State, 1986) Assistant Coach...Butch Thompson (Birm. South., 1992) Volunteer Assistant Coach...Scott Sullivan (Auburn, 1993) Dir. of Baseball Operations...Scott Duval (Auburn, 1999) Athletic Trainer...Jon Michelini (Florida, 2001) TEAM INFORMATION Total Home Away Neut Overall Record SEC Record Conference Finish th, Western Division 2007 Postseason None 2007 Final Ranking None Letterwinners Returning/Lost /14 Starters Returning/Lost /5 Pitchers Returning/Lost /5 Newcomers RADIO INFORMATION Primary Stations WKKR-FM (97.7), WMXA-FM (96.7) Radio Network Auburn Network Primary Contact Rod Bramblett Phone Number (334) Play-by-Play Announcers Rod Bramblett, Andy Burcham, Brad Law SPORTS INFORMATION Baseball SID Dan Froehlich SID Office Phone (334) SID FAX Number (334) Froehlich s Home Phone (334) Froehlich s Cell Phone (334) Froehlich s froehdp@auburn.edu Media Relations Director Kirk Sampson Sampson s sampska@auburn.edu SID Mailing Address......P.O. Box 351; Auburn, AL SID Overnight Address Athletic Complex South Donahue, Auburn, AL AUBURN BASEBALL MEDIA GUIDE CREDITS The Media Guide is a publication of the Auburn Athletic Department, Jay Jacobs, Director. Editing, layout and design by Dan Froehlich, Associate Director of Media Relations. Editorial assistance provided by Kirk Sampson and Kathy Harker. Special thanks to Chick Wade, Larry Hayes, Harry Doles and the Auburn Baseball Lettermen Club, and the Auburn University Special Collections and Archives Department. Cover artwork was done by Tyler Trout of the Auburn University Athletics Department. The guide was printed by Interstate Printing of Mobile, Ala. Photography was provided by Todd Van Emst, Auburn, Ala.; Tony Hall, Auburn, Ala.; Emily McLain, Auburn, Ala.; Mike Cortez, Auburn, Ala.; John Reed, Montgomery, Ala.; AU Photo Services; Dennis Hodges, Walker, La.; Ed Jones, Birmingham, Ala.; Darrell McAllister, Columbus, Miss.; Ryals Lee, Tallahassee, Fla. Photography also provided by Major League Baseball; Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals, Tulsa Drillers, Jack Maley (Boston Red Sox) and Jon Soo Hoo (LA Dodgers), 2007 Team USA pictures provided by Rich Abel. Auburn University is an equal opportunity educational institution/employer. 1

2 PLAINSMAN PARK Auburn s baseball home for the past 57 seasons, Plainsman Park seats 4,096, including 3,227 chairback seats. In addition, state-of-the-art concessions, restrooms, ticket and press facilities have transformed Auburn's baseball field into a renaissance of Camden Yard proportions after receiving a $4.2 million facelift 12 years ago. The site of Southeastern Conference baseball excitement since 1950, Plainsman Park was voted the best collegiate baseball facility in the country by Baseball America prior to the 2003 season. The commitment to excellence of Auburn s baseball program is evident by the continuing efforts to keep Plainsman Park on the forefront of college baseball. Those efforts have included three additions to the facility since its initial renovations in The most recent projects included a new drainage system and playing surface in the Summer of 2003 and the completion of the Strength and Rehabilitation Center adjacent to Plainsman Park in January of The Strength and Rehabilitation Center is a two-story, 13,274 square foot facility that houses a weight room for the baseball team on the first floor and a rehabilitation and research center on the second floor. The weight room is unrivaled in collegiate baseball and features nearly 50 pieces of equipment. The facility also has its own locker room. The second floor houses an X-ray lab, rehabilitation center, physical therapy area, offices for Alabama Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center physicians and a research institute directed by Dr. James Andrews (American Sports Medicine Institute), which serves nationally-acclaimed professional athletes as well as Auburn s student-athletes. Rehabilitation services are available to the public. Physical therapist Dave Walsh also operates off of the second floor and is dedicated to addressing the needs of Auburn s student-athletes. The project broke ground on October 25, 2002 at a construction cost of $2,502,380. In the Summer of 2001, construction began on a $2.3 million renovation to Samford Stadium- Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park that included the addition of 630 chairback box seats down the right and left field foul lines. Upon completion in February 2002, the new landscape provides a more intimate setting for the nation s top facility, allowing fans to have seats down each foul line within feet of the playing surface. Renovations also included additional concession and restroom facilities behind the newly added seats along the right field foul line. The bullpens, which once existed where the seats down the foul line were added, have found new locations in Plainsman Park. Auburn s bullpens are located behind the Green Monster in left field, while the visiting bullpen rests beyond the right center field fence, next to the K Corner. Prior the 2002 renovations, Auburn s existing scoreboard was the last addition to Samford Stadium- Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park. Added prior to the 1998 season, the 50-foot-high structure is 2

3 GENERAL INFORMATION First Year Years...Entering 58th Surface...Natural Grass All-Time Record (.704) Most Wins, Season...30 (1997) Capacity...4,096 SEATING BREAKDOWN Chairback Seats...3,227 Terrace Seats Wheelchair Spaces...60 Press Box Seats...59 DIMENSIONS Left Field ft. Left-Center...335/385 ft. Center Field ft. Right-Center ft. Right Field ft. PLAINSMAN PARK FACTS FENCE HEIGHT Left Field...30 feet Left-Center to Right-Field Bullpen...8 feet Right Field Bullpen...4 feet Bullpen To Right Field Foul Pole...8 feet FIRST NIGHT GAME March 27, vs. LSU, 2-0, 10-2 EVENTS HOSTED 1978 NCAA South Regional 1999 NCAA Regional 2002 President George W. Bush Visit 2003 NCAA Regional RENOVATIONS/ADDITIONS 1995 New outfield wall 1996 Renovation of Plainsman Park 1998 Existing Scoreboard 2002 Addition of 620 chair-back seats down right and left field lines 2003 Drainage system and new playing surface 2004 Strength and Rehabilitation Center 2008 Renovation of team meeting room PLAINSMAN PARK THE AUBURN BASEBALL TEAM PLAYED IN FRONT OF 89,732 FANS IN 2007, THE 20 TH -HIGHEST ATTENDANCE IN THE COUNTRY LAST SEASON. AUBURN S AVERAGE ATTENDANCE OF 2,564 FANS PER GAME RANKED 21 ST NATIONALLY 3

4 PLAINSMAN PARK framed by a pair of five-foot-wide brick columns, which support the steel girders holding the board in place. The scoreboard includes a 16-by-12 foot matrix screen. But the most prominent feature is a oldstyle, analog clock which sits atop the structure. The structure also houses the Tigers clubhouse, which features a locker room, training and equipment areas, an indoor hitting tunnel, a team lounge area, coaches offices and umpire dressing room. The design combines the look of old-time ballparks with academic buildings on the Auburn campus to create a facade of brick and painted steel. Inside, the park offers the brick backstop of Wrigley Field, the dark green chairback seats of Camden Yards and the Green Monster of Fenway Park. The intimacy of the park extends to the position of the spectators. The front row box seats are located close to the infield action, just four feet off the ground and only 40 feet from the first and third base bags. The backstop is just 60 feet from home plate. Down the left field line perched above the box seats, a terraced lawn allows for another 750 fans to enjoy Auburn baseball. Although the grandstand was constructed prior to the 1996 season, one part of the project was already in place for the 1995 season. Auburn installed an outfield wall, which provided a distinct change in the playing dynamics of Plainsman Park. Instead of the 12-foot cyclone fence which had encircled the field in the past, a dark green, asymmetrically designed wall made of metal is now in place. The most unique feature of the fence is the 30-foot Green Monster in left field, which provides an aesthetically pleasing view to spectators in the grandstand. Rather than the leftfield foul pole being 345 feet from home plate, as in the past, the wall is just 315 feet from the batter. Beginning at the leftfield power alley and continuing around to the rightfield foul pole, the top of the wall drops down from 30 to eight feet. Auburn baseball moved its home to the present location in time for the 1950 season. Prior to that, all home games were played on what is now a parking lot behind the east side of Jordan-Hare Stadium. Plainsman Park was host to the 1978 NCAA South Regional and NCAA Regionals in 1999 and It has also witnessed the budding baseball careers of Bo Jackson, Tim Hudson, Gregg Olson, Scott Sullivan and Frank Thomas. In 1994, John Powell struck out LSU s Warren Morris at Plainsman Park to set the NCAA career strikeout record. Powell also set the SEC all-time strikeout mark at Plainsman Park, against Arkansas in Most recently, Plainsman Park had the privilege of hosting President George W. Bush. Approximately 14,000 people gathered at Plainsman Park on October 24, 2002, to listen to Bush speak. Bush s visit marked the first time since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 that a United States President visited Auburn while in office. The field is named in honor of Billy and Jimmy Hitchcock, brothers who became two of Auburn s most noteworthy athletic performers during the 1930s. In 1997 Plainsman Park was renamed, Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park. The University renamed the facility Samford Stadium-Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park in May of 2003, naming the stadium after long-time Auburn Board of Trustee Member W. James Jimmy Samford, Jr. Jimmy Samford, who passed away in December of 2003, worked tirelessly in spearheading the efforts for the renovations of Plainsman Park in the late 1990 s. It was his work that has made Samford Stadium-Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park the top collegiate baseball facility in the country. Samford graduated from Auburn in political science in 1972 and was appointed to the board in The late Jimmy Hitchcock was Auburn s first All-American in both baseball and football and was known as the Phantom of Union Springs for his overall athletic ability. Following a career in major league baseball, Jimmy Hitchcock coached the Auburn baseball team in the 1940s before being elected to the Public Service Commission of Auburn on three different occasions. Billy Hitchcock led Auburn to its first SEC baseball title in 1937 and to its first football bowl game later that fall. Following a nine-year major league playing career with five teams, Mr. Billy earned the title of The Dignified War Eagle as manager of the Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves and as commissioner of the Southern League. Hitchcock passed away at the age of 89 on Sunday, April 9,

5 PLAINSMAN PARK YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORDS ATTENDANCE RECORDS SINGLE-GAME Att. Date Opponent Result 4,715 4/6/2002 LSU W, ,673 4/5/2003 Alabama L, 2-3 4,503 4/4/2003 Alabama W, ,491 4/5/2002 LSU L, 4-9 4,471 4/12/1997 Alabama W, ,428 4/6/2003 Alabama W, 7-6 4,415 5/29/1999 NC State W, 9-7 4,409 3/11/2003 Georgia Tech L, 2-4 4,170 4/21/2007 Alabama W, 6-3 4,104 3/20/2004 Kentucky L, 3-4 THREE GAME SERIES Att. Opponent Dates 13,606 Alabama April 4-6, ,320 LSU April 5-7, ,367 Alabama April 20-22, ,272 Kentucky March 19-21, ,959 Alabama May 20-22, 2005 PLAINSMAN PARK SINGLE SEASON Att. Year Dates Avg. 111, , , , , , , , , ,070 5

6 AUBURN HAS PLAYED IN 4 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES (1967, 1976, 1994 & 1997) AND HAS MADE 17 NCAA REGIONAL APPEARANCES, INCLUDING 11 IN THE LAST 15 YEARS TRADITION & HONORS IN THE LAST 14 YEARS, 10 AUBURN PLAYERS HAVE EARNED ALL-AMERICA HONORS, INCLUDING NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR, TIM HUDSON IN

7 4 DIFFERENT TIGERS (GREGG OLSON -1987, MARK BELLHORN & 1994, JOHN POWELL & STEVEN REGISTER ) HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO PLAY FOR THE USA NATIONAL TEAM. IN THE SUMMER OF 2006, COACH TOM SLATER WAS AN ASSISTANT COACH FOR A TEAM THAT WON GOLD IN CUBA. CURRENT FRESHMAN HUNTER MORRIS PLAYED ON THE 2006 JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM. TRADITION & HONORS 7

8 AUBURN HAS HAD 17 ALL-AMERICANS, 5 ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS AND 84 FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC HONORS TRADITION & HONORS PAT DUKE GREGG OLSON WAS A 2- TIME ALL-AMERICAN, EARNING THE ACCOLADES IN BOTH 1987 AND 1988 BEFORE ENJOYING A 14-YEAR BIG- LEAGUE CAREER. IN 2006, LUKE GREINKE AND MIKE BIANUCCI BECAME THE FIRST TIGER TEAMMATES TO BE NAMED FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICANS IN THE SAME SEASON 8

9 FRANK THOMAS 17-YEAR MLB VET 500 HOME RUN CLUB BO JACKSON EIGHT-YEAR MLB VET 1989 ALL-STAR GAME MVP LEVALE SPEIGNER MLB DEBUT WASHINGTON NATIONALS 30 TIGERS HAVE PLAYED IN THE BIG LEAGUES, INCLUDING 500 HOME RUN FAMILY MEMBER FRANK THOMAS. On Opening Day of the 2007 MLB season, Auburn had 7 PLAYERS on MLB rosters, the SECOND- MOST AMONG SEC PROGRAMS. AUBURN IN MLB JOE BECKWITH SEVEN-YEAR MLB VET TIM HUDSON NINE-YEAR MLB VET ATLANTA BRAVES 9

10 AUBURN IN THE MLB DRAFT GREGG OLSON 4TH OVERALL PICK 1988 BALTIMORE ORIOLES BO JACKSON 4TH-ROUND PICK 1986 KANSAS CITY ROYALS FRANK THOMAS 7TH OVERALL PICK 1989 CHICAGO WHITE SOX BRYAN HEBSON 44TH OVERALL PICK 1997 MONTREAL EXPOS AUBURN HAS HAD 50 TOP-10 ROUND DRAFT PICKS AND 6 FIRST-ROUND PICKS, INCLUDING JOSH DONALDSON LAST SEASON. AUBURN HAS HAD AT LEAST ONE PLAYER DRAFTED IN EVERY SEASON SINCE CHRIS BOOTCHECK 20TH OVERALL PICK 2000 ANAHEIM ANGELS GABE GROSS 15TH OVERALL PICK 2001 TORONTO BLUE JAYS JOSH DONALDSON 48TH OVERALL PICK 2007 CHICAGO CUBS 10

11 THE AUBURN COACHING STAFF HAS MADE A COMBINED FOUR APPEARANCES IN THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES 3 OF AUBURN S COACHES -- HEAD COACH TOM SLATER, ASSISTANTS BILL MOSIELLO AND BUTCH THOMPSON -- HAVE BEEN HEAD COACHES; SLATER AT VMI AND NOW AUBURN, THOMPSON AT JEFFERSON STATE AND MOSIELLO WITH THE CHARLESTON RIVERDOGS, THE MINOR LEAGUE AFFILIATE OF THE NEW YORK YANKEES. BOTH SLATER AND THOMPSON HAVE EARNED COACH OF THE YEAR HONORS. THE AUBURN COACHING STAFF HAS 22 COMBINED YEARS OF COACHING AND PLAYING EXPERIENCE IN THE SEC. TOM SLATER YEARS [AUBURN HEAD COACH (3), AUBURN ASSISTANT (6), FLORIDA ASSISTANT (1)] BUTCH THOMPSON -- 6 YEARS [AUBURN ASSISTANT (2), GEORGIA ASSISTANT (4)] BILL MOSIELLO -- 3 YEARS [OLE MISS ASSISTANT (1), TENNESSEE ASSISTANT (2)] SCOTT SULLIVAN -- 3 YEARS [AUBURN PLAYER (3)] COACHING STAFF 11

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16 STRENGTH & CONDITIONING The Auburn Baseball team not only has the luxury of practicing and playing in the nation s top collegiate baseball facility, but it has access to a weight room that is unrivaled in college baseball. Adjacent to Plainsman Park, the weight room is located on the first floor of the 13,274 square foot Strength and Rehabilitation Center that was completed in January The Tigers benefit from one of the finest strength and conditioning staffs in the country. Baseball strength coach Rich Levy has implemented an extensive program for the Auburn baseball team which has improved the team s overall strength and conditioning levels. Auburn s athletic training room provides expert health care for student-athletes. Auburn student-athletes have access to the latest in sports medicine equipment including a jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, and rehabilitation equipment. The Auburn athletic training room includes a newly renovated hydro-therapy area which contains a Swim Ex, which is an aquatic therapy system for rehabilitation and training of injuries. The area also houses a controlled filtered hot and cold tank. The water in the tank can be maintained at any temperature. Mike Roberts, the Sports Medicine Director, oversees Auburn s training room facilities. He directs a staff of 16 certified athletic trainers. Their experience and expertise contribute to keeping the Tigers healthy and protected during and after their seasons. These athletic trainers teach and work with eight student athletic trainers during the season and spring training. 16

17 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS Quick Facts Plainsman Park Tradition & Honors Auburn in MLB Auburn in the MLB Draft Coaching Staff Auburn Athletics Auburn University Strength & Conditioning Table of Contents Roster Schedule Preview AUBURN TIGERS Returning Players Newcomers & Redshirts TV/Radio Chart COACHES & SUPPORT STAFF Tom Slater Bill Mosiello Butch Thompson Scott Sullivan / Scott Duval Support Staff Auburn Sports Medicine AUBURN RECORDS Individual/Team Records Single-Season Hitting Top Career Hitting Top Single-Season Pitching Top Career Pitching Top Team Single-Season Top Winning/Losing Streaks Yearly Leaders No-Hitters and Perfect Games Miscellaneous Records/Home Runs Five-Hit Games/The Last Time AUBURN HISTORY Results ( ) Record Vs. All Opponents Year-By-Year Records/Coaching Records..111 Auburn in the CWS Auburn in NCAA Regionals Auburn in the SEC Tournament Auburn All-Americans Honors Auburn in the Major Leagues Auburn in the MLB Draft All-Time Letterwinners Yearly Team Stats Auburn in TV Games POSITION PLAYERS RETURNING (6) Player Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt Statistics *Mike Bianucci Jr. OF , 51 RBI, 14 HR, 11 2B, 8 SB *Luke Greinke Jr. UTIL , 36 RBI, 1 HR, 6 2B, 9 SB *Joseph Sanders So. IF , 33 RBI, 3 HR, 14 2B Ryan Jenkins Jr. C , 8 RBI, 1 HR, 1 2B Ben Jones Jr. OF , 7 RBI Eric Skinner So. IF , 21 RBI, 1 HR, 7 2B * starter PITCHERS RETURNING (7) Player Cl. Ht. Wt Statistics Paul Burnside Jr , 3.06 ERA, 54 K, 22 BB, 67.2 IP Evan Crawford Jr , 5.91 ERA, 43 K, 33 BB, 67.0 IP Luke Greinke Jr , 2.61 ERA, 5 K, 6 BB, 10.1 IP, 1 SV Austin Hubbard So , 5.06 ERA, 21 K, 12 BB, 32.0 IP Scott Shuman So , 2.00 ERA, 18 K, 20 BB, 18.0 IP, 3 SV Taylor Thompson So , 5.89 ERA, 54 K, 35 BB, 62.2 IP Bryan Woodall Jr , 4.84 ERA, 38 K, 17 BB, 70.2 IP INTRODUCTION 2008 OPPONENTS SEC Opponents Non-Conference Opponents IN REVIEW 2007 Notes Stats Results Miscellaneous Stats AUBURN UNIVERSITY Auburn University Dr. Jay Gogue Jay Jacobs Support Staff Auburn Network Media Information War Eagle! THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE The SEC SEC Tournament SEC Year In Review SEC Composite Schedule EACH FALL THE TIGERS HOST A CELEBRITY HOME RUN DERBY TO BEN- EFIT LEE COUNTY BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB. THE 2007 EVENT RAISED $2,208 AND FEATURED FORMER BASE- BALL PLAYERS TIM HUDSON, GABE GROSS AND BOBBY HUDDLESTON AND FORMER FOOTBALL PLAYERS STAN WHITE, BEN LEARD, COLE CUBELIC AND BENJI ROLAND. 17

18 ROSTER INTRODUCTION 2008 AUBURN NUMERICAL BASEBALL ROSTER NO. NAME POS. CL. B-T HT. WT. EXP. HOMETOWN (PREVIOUS SCHOOL) 1 Brian Fletcher IF Fr. R-R HS Fayetteville, GA (Starr s Mill) 2 Justin Jones OF Fr. L-R HS Millbrook, AL (Stanhope Elmore) 3 Mike Bianucci IF/OF Jr. R-R L Fairfax, VA (W.T. Woodson) 5 Matt Hall IF Jr. R-R TR Scottsdale, AZ (Horizon / Arizona State) 6 Ryan Jenkins C Jr. R-R L Millbrook, AL (Stanhope Elmore) 7 Trent Mummey OF Fr. L-L HS Pinson, AL (Pinson Valley) 8 Luke Greinke UTIL/RHP Jr. R-R L Orlando, FL (Dr. Phillips) 9 Ben Jones OF Jr. L-L L Decatur, AL (Decatur) 10 Chezz McCann IF Fr. R-R HS Deatsville, AL (Edgewood Academy) 11 Wes Gilmer IF/C Fr. S-R HS Pinson, AL (Pinson Valley) 12 Austin Hubbard RHP So. R-R L Birmingham, AL (Homewood) 13 Grant Dayton LHP R-Fr. L-L SQ Huntsville, AL (Bob Jones) 14 Tony Caldwell C Fr. R-R HS Winter Springs, FL (Winter Springs) 15 Bryan Woodall RHP Jr. R-R L Phenix City, AL (Central) 16 Justin Hargett IF Fr. L-R HS Hartselle, AL (Hartselle) 18 Joseph Sanders IF So. R-R L Millbrook, AL (Stanhope Elmore) 19 Jon Luke Jacobs RHP Fr. R-R HS Gainestown, AL (Jackson) 20 Taylor Thompson RHP So. R-R L Montgomery, AL (St. James) 21 Kevin Patterson IF/OF/C Fr. L-R HS Birmingham, AL (Oak Mountain) 22 Sean Ray LHP R-Fr. L-L SQ Virginia Beach, VA (Kellam) 24 David Cunningham IF R-Fr. R-R SQ Roswell, GA (Roswell) 25 Cory Luckie LHP Fr. R-L HS Prattville, AL (Prattville) 26 Miles Morton RHP Fr. R-R HS Birmingham, AL (Spain Park) 27 Paul Burnside RHP Jr. R-R L Montgomery, AL (Jeff Davis) 28 Hunter Morris IF Fr. L-R HS Huntsville, AL (Grissom) 29 Scott Shuman RHP So. R-R L Valdosta, GA (Tift County) 30 Rus Harper LHP Fr. R-L HS Birmingham, AL (Oak Mountain) 31 Bradley Hendrix RHP/OF Fr. R-R HS Birmingham, AL (Oak Mountain) 32 Ty Kelley RHP R-Fr. R-R SQ Columbus, GA (Columbus) 35 Kris West LHP Jr. L-L SQ Huntsville, AL (Jefferson State CC) 36 Jamie Drinkard OF Jr. L-R TR Auburn, AL (Auburn / Northwest Shoal CC) 39 Bradley Ray OF So. R-R SQ Birmingham, AL (Calhoun CC) 40 Michael Hurst RHP So. R-R L Vestavia, AL (Vestavia Hills) 41 Chris O Neil RHP Fr. R-R HS Birmingham, AL (Mountain Brook) 42 Eric Skinner IF So. R-R L Phenix City, AL (Glenwood) 44 Evan Crawford LHP Jr. R-L L Prattville, AL (Prattville) COACHES & ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF: 23 Tom Slater Head Coach Fourth Year (87-85) 17 Bill Mosiello Assistant Coach First Year 50 Butch Thompson Assistant Coach Third Year 37 Scott Sullivan Volunteer Coach First Year Scott Duval Director of Baseball Operations Jon Michelini Athletic Trainer PRONUNCIATION GUIDE Mike BIANUCCI bee-a-NOOCH-e Luke GREINKE greenkey Jamie DRINKARD drink-erd Bill MOSIELLO mo-ZEE-ello No. Name Pos. 3 Mike Bianucci IF/OF 27 Paul Burnside RHP 14 Tony Caldwell C 44 Evan Crawford LHP 24 David Cunningham IF 13 Grant Dayton LHP 36 Jamie Drinkard OF 1 Brian Fletcher IF 11 Wes Gilmer IF/C 8 Luke Greinke UTIL/RHP 5 Matt Hall IF 16 Justin Hargett IF 30 Rus Harper LHP 31 Bradley Hendrix RHP/OF ALPHABETICAL ROSTER No. Name Pos. 12 Austin Hubbard RHP 40 Michael Hurst RHP 19 Jon Luke Jacobs RHP 6 Ryan Jenkins C 9 Ben Jones OF 2 Justin Jones OF 32 Ty Kelley RHP 25 Cory Luckie LHP 10 Chezz McCann IF 28 Hunter Morris IF 26 Miles Morton RHP 7 Trent Mummey OF 41 Chris O Neil RHP 21 Kevin Patterson IF/OF/C No. Name Pos. 39 Bradley Ray OF 22 Sean Ray LHP 18 Joseph Sanders IF 29 Scott Shuman RHP 42 Eric Skinner IF 20 Taylor Thompson RHP 35 Kris West LHP 15 Bryan Woodall RHP 23 Tom Slater Head Coach 17 Bill Mosiello Assistant Coach 50 Butch Thompson Assistant Coach 37 Scott Sullivan Volunteer Assist. Coach 18

19 2008 SCHEDULE 2008 AUBURN BASEBALL SCHEDULE DATE DAY OPPONENT SITE TIME Feb. 22 Fri. EAST TENNESSEE STATE AUBURN 3pm Feb. 23 Sat. EAST TENNESSEE STATE AUBURN 3pm Feb. 24 Sun. EAST TENNESSEE STATE AUBURN 2pm Feb. 25 Mon. EAST TENNESSEE STATE AUBURN 3pm Feb. 28 Thur. FLORIDA STATE AUBURN 6pm Feb. 29 Fri. FLORIDA STATE AUBURN 3pm Mar. 1 Sat. at Florida State Tallahassee, FL 2pm ET Mar. 2 Sun. at Florida State Tallahassee, FL 2pm ET Mar. 4 Tue. DAVIDSON AUBURN 6pm Mar. 5 Wed. DAVIDSON AUBURN 6pm Mar. 6 Thur. VMI AUBURN 6pm Mar. 7 Fri. VMI AUBURN 6pm Mar. 8 Sat. VMI AUBURN 3pm Mar. 9 Sun. VMI AUBURN 2pm Mar. 11 Tue. APPALACHIAN STATE AUBURN 6pm Mar. 12 Wed. APPALACHIAN STATE AUBURN 6pm Mar. 14 Fri. *at Florida Gainesville, FL 6:30pm ET Mar. 15 Sat. *at Florida Gainesville, FL 4pm ET Mar. 16 Sun. *at Florida Gainesville, FL 1pm ET Mar. 18 Troy, AL 6pm Mar. 21 Fri. *KENTUCKY AUBURN 6pm Mar. 22 Sat. *KENTUCKY AUBURN 3pm Mar. 23 Sun. *KENTUCKY AUBURN 2pm Mar. 25 Tue. MERCER AUBURN 6pm Mar. 26 Wed. vs Samford (RP) Hoover, AL 6pm Mar. 28 Fri. *TENNESSEE AUBURN 6pm Mar. 29 Sat. *TENNESSEE AUBURN 3pm Mar. 30 Sun. *TENNESSEE AUBURN 2pm Apr. 1 Tue. at South Alabama Mobile, AL 6pm Apr. 4 Fri. *at Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 6:35pm Apr. 5 Sat. *at Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 2pm Apr. 6 Sun. *at Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 1pm Apr. 8 Tue. GEORGIA STATE AUBURN 6pm Apr. 9 Wed. MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE AUBURN 6pm Apr. 11 Fri. SOUTH CAROLINA AUBURN 6pm Apr. 12 Sat. SOUTH CAROLINA AUBURN 3pm Apr. 13 Sun. SOUTH CAROLINA AUBURN 2pm Apr. 16 Wed. SOUTH ALABAMA AUBURN 6pm Apr. 18 Fri. *at Vanderbilt Nashville, TN 6pm Apr. 19 Sat. *at Vanderbilt Nashville, TN 2pm Apr. 20 Sun. *at Vanderbilt Nashville, TN 1pm Apr. 22 Tue. SAMFORD AUBURN 6pm Apr. 25 Fri. *at Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL 6:30pm Apr. 26 Sat. *at Alabama[SEC-TV] Tuscaloosa, AL 3pm Apr. 27 Sun. *at Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL 2pm Apr. 29 Tue. TROY AUBURN 6pm May 2 Fri. *MISSISSIPPI STATE AUBURN 6pm May 3 Sat. *MISSISSIPPI STATE AUBURN 6pm May 4 Sun. *MISSISSIPPI STATE AUBURN 2pm May 9 Fri. *at Mississippi Oxford, MS 6:30pm May 10 Sat. *at Mississippi Oxford, MS 4pm May 11 Sun. *at Mississippi Oxford, MS 1:30pm May 13 Tue. at Mercer Macon, GA 6pm ET May 15 Thur. *LSU AUBURN 6pm May 16 Fri. *LSU AUBURN 6pm May 17 Sat. *LSU AUBURN 2pm May Wed.-Sun. SEC Tournament Hoover, Ala. TBA May 29-June 1 Thur.-Sun. NCAA Regionals TBA TBA June 6-8 Fri.-Sun. NCAA Super Regional TBA TBA June Fri.-Mon. College World Series Omaha, Neb. TBA KEY: TELEVISION: * SEC game SEC-TV Fox SportsNet South, Sunshine Network RP - Regions Park All times central unless indicated; CAPS indicate home games INTRODUCTION Florida State University: March 1-2: Tallahassee, FL DoubleTree Hotel Tallahassee (850) University of Florida: March 14-16: Gainesville, FL Hilton Garden Inn Gainesville (352) TEAM ROAD HEADQUARTERS University of Arkansas: April 4-6: Fayetteville, AR Holiday Inn and Northwest Arkansas Convention Center (479) Vanderbilt University: April 18-20: Nashville, TN Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University (615) University of Alabama: April 25-27: Tuscaloosa, AL The Courtyard by Marriott- Tuscaloosa (205) University of Mississippi: May 9-11: Oxford, MS Holiday Inn Express of Oxford (662)

20 2008 PREVIEW INTRODUCTION THE GOAL FOR THE 2008 AUBURN BASEBALL TEAM IS A SIMPLE ONE. PLAY IN THE POSTSEASON. Having been shutout of postseason action since reaching the NCAA Tallahassee Regional Championship game in 2005, Tom Slater s first year as the head man at Auburn, the Tigers are poised to make a run back to Regions Park in Hoover, Ala. (sight of the SEC Baseball Tournament) and beyond with a team that is, by all accounts, a good combination of talent and experience. I am as excited for this season to start as any that I have ever coached, Slater said. The coaching staff likes the make-up of this club. It is really neat to see the juniors, who came in here three years ago as freshman, welcome the leadership roles that they have taken on. They are really doing a nice job in the clubhouse and on the field. Production on the field will come from a myriad of sources and classes as the Tigers will mix a handful of upper-tier freshmen from the third straight top-20 ranked recruiting class with a core group from the first two classes signed by Slater and recruiting coordinator Butch Thompson. With Slater, pitching, defense and aggression on the base paths and at the plate has always been his road to team success. We have a good combination of talent and experience. I am as excited for this season to start as any that I have ever coached. - Auburn Head Coach Tom Slater On the mound, Auburn looks to feature a deeper pitching staff, but one that will be putting experienced people in new places. Coming out of the fall, Thompson, also the pitching coach, will focus in on five pitchers competing for starting roles (junior Luke Greinke, sophomores Austin Hubbard, Scott Shuman and Taylor Thompson and freshman Cory Luckie). PITCHING STAFF & CATCHING Our coaches wanted our pitchers to enter January with specific training depending on their potential role while keeping competition in place. Starters prepare with starters, relievers with relievers and closers with closers, Thompson said. The number one, two and three starters along with top relief spots will be roles decided during preseason practice. This group of pitchers has thrived on competition from within and have physically prepared as well as any staff I ve been associated with. Greinke, a Freshman All-America in 2006, has a career ERA of 3.44 with seven saves in 23 appearances, making just one start, meaning he will have to adjust to a new mentality of taking the ball from the start. Auburn s closer his freshman season, he was limited to just 10.0 innings last year, but took the ball over the summer in the Valley League and came out as the league MVP and Baseball America s Player of the Summer after going 3-1 with a 2.66 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 51.0 innings to go along with some big offensive numbers. BRYAN WOODALL If we had a debate over who has the best fastball, breaking ball and change-up, Luke would enter each conversation, Thompson said. Luke has a really solid arsenal. Austin Hubbard, a sophomore righty, threw over 30 innings in five starts for the Tigers in 2007 and had a very positive summer as a starter in Newport, Rhode Island in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. Used mostly as a midweek starter and a weekend two-inning reliever as a freshman, he has quickly worked his way into competing for a weekend starters role this fall. Austin s mental approach and focus has risen to another level over the past few months, Thompson said. He s taking a lot of momentum and solid secondary pitches into the season. Scott Shuman, a side-arming right-hander, has trained as a starter since the beginning of the fall after going 4-1 with three saves and a team-leading 2.00 ERA in his freshman campaign. Scott throws from a great slot that is capable of producing a ton of ground balls and soft contact. Repeating his delivery and trusting his stuff are keys to his success, Thompson said. Sophomore Taylor Thompson logged 62 innings with 14 starts as a freshman, battling his way into the Saturday spot in the SEC rotation when Auburn was in need of a dependable arm. Working off of a 6 5, 220 lbs. frame, he finished the season with a team-best 54 strikeouts while going 5-2. Taylor earned a lot of time on the mound last season by compet- 20

21 2008 PREVIEW ing with his fastball. It has been a treat to see his growth in other areas as a pitcher, Thompson said. Cory Luckie looks to be the one potential lefty starter going into the season. Luckie went 13-0 with a 1.29 ERA last season as a senior at Prattville High before pitching 20 scoreless innings to start the fall. Cory is the perfect example of high character and low maintenance, Thompson said. On the field you tell him once and the adjustment is made. Off the field he had a 4.0 GPA in his first semester. Missing from the equation is junior Paul Burnside, who led the team in wins with a 7-1 mark last season to go along with his 3.06 ERA. The right-hander went down with a shoulder injury just prior to the start of the spring semester and his return date is not yet known. The Tigers will look to veterans Evan Crawford and Bryan Woodall to secure the role of closer. Both have been used as starters and relievers during their careers but both have been training all summer to be the go-to-guy in the final innings this season. Combined, the two should benefit from the switch in roles as it allows both of them to focus on one inning, allowing each to simplify and throw to their strengths. Crawford, a left-hander, came to Auburn as a starter but when given the opportunity to close games this past summer in the prestigious Cape Cod League, he shined. An All-Star at the Cape, he compiled a 0.67 ERA with 41 strikeouts and five saves in 27.0 innings. Woodall, a righty, has pitched in more roles than any other Tiger due to his resiliency over the past two seasons. In 2007, he appeared in 18 games with 11 starts, going 2-3 with a 4.84 ERA and 38 strikeouts. This role seems to match both Bryan and Evan. Closing allows both guys to challenge hitters with their best pitches and not be as concerned about pacing, Thompson said. Evan is 90-plus from the leftside while Woodall works off of a very good slider, giving us two very different options late in games. The pitching staff will look to several candidates in the middle relief category. Michael Hurst will bring his 6 6 frame and a low right-handed slot to the mound after joining the program as a walk-on in Joining him in the pen will be freshmen Bradley Hendrix, another side-arming righty, and two staff holdovers in red-shirt freshmen lefties Grant Dayton and Sean Ray, both of whom had solid summer seasons. All four bring very different looks and repertoires to the mound, giving Thompson options when he needs to fill a spot behind a starter before handing the ball over to the closers. Michael has worked and improved as much as any pitcher. Everyone has noticed and feel that he s ready to contribute, Thompson said. Bradley Hendrix is another true freshman that has hit the ground running. He has demonstrated a great ability to throw strikes with very mature presence on the mound. Grant Dayton and Sean Ray both have worked extremely hard and hopefully provide a couple of sincere left-handed options out of the pen that our staff lacked last season, Thompson said. The biggest addition to the pitching staff may not be a player with any eligibility left but rather a former letterwinner at Auburn and a 1993 second-round draft pick in Scott Sullivan. A nine-year veteran of Major League Baseball, he has provided an enormous amount of insight for the Auburn pitching staff. Scott Sullivan has been invaluable to me as a friend, a mentor EVAN CRAWFORD and a teacher, Thompson said. For our players, he has set a great example of professionalism and work ethic. He is sincere and humble in how he communicates with our players. Every player on our roster has been positively impacted by Scott s commitment to give back to Auburn University. Completing the battery will be Ryan Jenkins, a junior that takes over the role of starter after having spent two seasons sharing duties with Josh Donaldson. Noted for his defensive skills, he was one of Auburn s top hitters off the bench last season, hitting.319 in limited action. Ryan displays the attributes of a great catcher. One, he has developed into a potential leader, two, he has the respect of each and every pitcher and three, he can receive a baseball at a high level. A pitching staff cannot fully reach its potential without a dependable catcher. Ryan possesses the qualities to hopefully make a positive impact, Thompson said. Three freshmen join Jenkins to make up the catching corps in Tony Caldwell, Wes Gilmer and Kevin Patterson. Tony is the newest member of our program. He looks to have all the tools and we are impressed with his potential to be a great teammate, Thompson said. Wes and Kevin bring huge potential as hitters to our program. Both have been diligent on defense, working at several positions. INTRODUCTION 21

22 2008 PREVIEW INTRODUCTION Auburn s infield will be completely revamped for the 2008 season with sophomore Joseph Sanders being the lone holdover from last season, but he will be playing a new position this year. Also changing will be the man in charge of running Auburn s offense and defense as newly hired assistant coach Bill Mosiello, a former manager in the New York Yankees farm system and a proven assistant at the collegiate level, takes over the defensive alignments and offensive strategy. OFFENSE & DEFENSE Backing up the middle infielders will be a pair of talented freshmen in Chezz McCann, an athletic all-around performer, and Justin Hargett, a talented left-handed hitter. Handling the hot corner will be red-shirt freshman David Cunningham. Having missed the 2007 season after successful back surgery, he possesses great hands with an outstanding accurate throwing arm. I think we have a chance to be a really solid defensive club that plays with both athleticism and intelligence, Mosiello said. Every guy will play a huge role for us and it starts in the middle. We have two good middle infielders in Matt (Hall) and Joseph who we feel good about building our defense around. A transfer from Arizona State where he was the starting third baseman for most of the year, Hall will anchor the defense at short. At 6 3 and 190 lbs., Mosiello describes Hall as a rangy, surehanded infielder who has helped stabilize the infield with his maturity and leadership skills. On the other side of the second-base bag will be Sanders, who will be making the transition after playing third a year ago. Last year he hit.333, had a slugging percentage of.508 and drove in 33 runs, all of which ranked in the top five in their respective categories from the 2007 team. I don t know if people realize how good of an athlete Joseph really is, Mosiello said. That middle infield spot will be a good transition for him because he can run and do a lot of things. His aptitude is incredible. Rounding out the infield will be first baseman Hunter Morris, a second-round pick who turned down the opportunity to play in the Boston Red Sox organization for a chance to get an education at Auburn. A converted third baseman that was a career.470 hitter in high school and the 2007 Sony PlayStation Offensive Player of the Year, he played on Team USA's silver medal-winning team in the World Games in Cuba. JOSEPH SANDERS Hunter is a very good athlete. He has an opportunity to be an impact player due to his advanced hitting approach, Mosiello said. Highly regarded offensive players Patterson and Gilmer could also see some action behind Morris. Patterson, from Birmingham, Ala., hit.392 for his high school career and was a Gatorade National Player of the Year finalist before being drafted in the 24th-round by the Chicago White Sox in the 07 Draft. Wes Gilmer is a really good switch-hitting bat that we have while Kevin Patterson, a left-handed bat, will also play some first base, some outfield and has a great chance to be an everyday DH for us Mosiello said. 1 Arizona State North Carolina Rice South Carolina Arizona Texas Mississippi Vanderbilt San Diego Wichita State Oregon State Miami (Fla.) Florida State Cal State Fullerton Michigan Clemson Missouri Long Beach State UCLA Texas A&M NCBWA 21 Virginia UC Irvine Louisville Mississippi State Kentucky Baylor Oklahoma State Louisiana-Lafayette Fresno State Coastal Carolina Georgia Tech Pepperdine Southern Mississippi Louisiana State Arkansas PRESEASON POLLS 1. Arizona South Carolina Arizona St Mississippi North Carolina Rice San Diego Texas Wichita St Michigan Vanderbilt Florida St Clemson Miami, Fla Missouri Cal. St. Fullerton Long Beach St UCLA Oregon St Kentucky COLLEGIATE BASEBALL 21. Fresno St Texas A&M Louisville Virginia Georgia Tech U.C. Irvine Mississippi St Baylor Pepperdine Louisiana St Oklahoma St Louisiana-Lafayette Southern Illinois Southern Miss U.C. Riverside Stetson Coastal Carolina Nebraska California Oral Roberts

23 2008 PREVIEW Led by junior Mike Bianucci, who has already garnered national recognition by being placed on the 2008 Wallace Watch List as a Player of the Year candidate, outfield depth should be one of Auburn s strengths heading into the season. After being selected in the 23rd round by the Los Angeles Angels, Bianucci, who has twice been an All-SEC performer, will shift over to rightfield this season after hitting.326 with a team-high 14 home runs and 51 RBI last season playing mostly in left. Playing his third position in as many seasons, Bianucci is a versatile player that can be relied upon heavily this season. The neat thing about this league is, if you are one of the top in the SEC in anything, you know you are one of the top in the country. It s a real exciting time to be an Auburn Tiger in my mind. - Assistant Coach Bill Mosiello Series garnering National Player of the Year awards, will see plenty of time in the outfield when he is not pitching. Luke is one of the most versatile players in the country, Mosiello said. He can pitch, he can play first, he can play the outfield or he can DH. No matter where he is on the field, Luke can impact a game. Ben Jones, a junior left-handed hitter who has seen spot starts and has been a dependable late-innings defensive replacement in his first two seasons, is also in the mix after a strong fall showing. Mosiello describes Jones as a very dependable player who excels in all aspects of the game. INTRODUCTION We have all seen what Mike has done the past few years. The biggest goal is if he can stay healthy, everything else will take care of itself. It s that simple. He is that kind of player, Mosiello said. Mike has really worked hard to improve all of his skills to become a complete player. Trent Mummey and Brian Fletcher are two freshmen who have a great chance to be in the starting lineup from opening day and beyond. Mummey, a 5 11, 170 lbs. left-handed hitting top-of-the-order type of player, possesses great defensive skills while Fletcher, a 6 1, 190 lbs. right-handed stick that was a 39th-round pick of the Houston Astros, has a chance to be a dynamic offensive threat. Greinke, who has the chance to become the most heralded twoway player at Auburn since Tim Hudson laced them up on the Plains in the late 90 s and helped lead the Tigers to the 1997 College World Mosiello has taken over the daily running of the offense from Slater but works inside of the same framework, preaching the need for a complete offense. Offensively, our goals are very simple: to become a complete offensive club that can beat our opponents in a variety of ways, Mosiello said. We want to be the kind of club that consistently puts pressure on the defense in all facets; through the bunting game, aggressive base running and an absolute commitment to situational hitting. Our goals are to continually improve on forming our offensive identity that understands the importance of on-base percentage and playing unselfish team offense as one unit. The neat thing about this league is if you are one of the top in the SEC in anything, you know you are one of the top in the country. It s a real exciting time to be an Auburn Tiger in my mind, Mosiello said. LUKE GREINKE MIKE BIANUCCI 23

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