Auburn Trojan baseball preview

fter last year's 3-17 season, Auburn baseball has nowhere to go but up. Unfortunately, dropping down to 3A won't make things any easier for the Trojans, with the SPSL 3A looking as tough as the SPSL 4A was last season.

March 18, 2015 5:38 pm
Auburn's Xavier West puts a tag on an Auburn Riverside runner.
Auburn's Xavier West puts a tag on an Auburn Riverside runner.

TROJANS AT A GLANCE

• COACH: Justin Mentink, second season

• LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 3-17 overall, eighth place in SPSL North 4A with 3-13 record.

• TOP RETURNERS: Casey Manning, senior, outfielder/pitcher; Dillon O’Grady, junior, outfielder/pitcher; Aaron Foust, junior, outfielder/pitcher; Xavier West, junior, shortstop/pitcher; Nick Kaatz, senior, shortstop; and Alec Dewing, senior, catcher/pitcher.

• TOP NEWCOMERS: Dillon Rowe, sophomore, third baseman/outfielder.

• OUTLOOK: After last year’s 3-17 season, Auburn baseball has nowhere to go but up. Unfortunately, dropping down to 3A won’t make things any easier for the Trojans, with the SPSL 3A looking as tough as the SPSL 4A was last season.

This season’s roster is stacked with talent, from Manning and O’Grady – both members of the Auburn Little League World Series team – to seniors Kaatz and Sam Lindsay.

“[Our] solid top 3-4 pitchers should help us be competitive in each game,” Mentink said. Last year the team’s pitching staff compiled a 5.44 ERA and gave up 91 earned runs.

The Trojans are also “looking for improvement from our offense, with better execution,” over last season’s .260 team batting average, with 56 RBIs, according to Mentink.

If work ethic is any indication so far, Auburn should show marked improvement.

“The player’s work ethic has improved tremendously since last year,” Mentink said. “We plan to compete for a playoff spot.”

• KEY DATES: The Trojans take on 3A state runner-up Bonney Lake on March 25 and 27. Games against Auburn Riverside, April 29 and 30, and Auburn Mountainview, May 4 and 5, close out the regular season for Auburn.