After a frustrating start to the SEC schedule, the Auburn Tigers are ready to welcome in rival Georgia to Plainsman Park for a three-game series beginning Thursday night.
Auburn kicked off the SEC slate by dropping all three of their games to No. 3 Arkansas on the road, being outscored 21-5 throughout the weekend. The Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in Friday’s opener before a Brady Slavens home run kickstarted a five-run 5th inning which led Arkansas to a 7-2 win. Auburn was never able to grab another lead in the series, as they dropped the final two games in the series, 9-3, and 5-0 respectively.
Georgia suffered a similar fate in their SEC opening series against South Carolina at Foley Field in Athens, dropping all three games to the Gamecocks. In Friday’s opener, Georgia held a 4-3 lead before South Carolina’s Michael Braswell hit a two-run double in the 9th inning to put his team ahead for good. The Gamecocks won the ensuing games of the series, 12-2 and 12-1.
In an effort to learn more about Auburn baseball’s next SEC opponent, Georgia, we called upon Anthony Dasher of UGASports to shed some light on the story of the 2023 Bulldogs to this point.
Here is this week’s edition of Behind Enemy Lines with Georgia beat writer, Anthony Dasher.
Joshua L. Jones, Athens Banner-Herald
Like Auburn, Georgia was swept to open SEC play. What factors led to South Carolina earning the sweep?
Georgia lost a heartbreaker in Game 1 of a Saturday doubleheader, losing 5-4 when South Carolina pinch-hitter took a two-out, 1-2 pitch and lined it down the line in right for a two-run double. For whatever reason, the gut punch carried over into Game 2, and the Bulldogs were run-ruled 12-2. South Carolina has a solid, solid rotation, so give them credit. Starting pitching depth, or lack thereof isn’t doing the team any favors right now. Jaden Woods and Liam Sullivan are solid, but after that, it’s very, very sketchy. I do think the Bulldogs are a much-better hitting team than what they showed against the Gamecocks; they just did not show up on this particular occasion.
Gary Cosby Jr.-The Tuscaloosa News/USA Today Sports
Who is the ace of the weekend staff, and how has the weekend rotation as a whole performed this season?
Kind of touched on this above. Thursday’s Game 1 starter Jaden Woods (3-0, 2.96 with 41 strikeouts in 24.1 innings) is a legitimate major league prospect. Tops out at 96, and has developed a…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Baseball | Auburn Wire…