What to expect in Auburn baseball's Super Regional vs. Ole Miss

The team standing between the Tigers and Omaha is an SEC opponent that they didn't play in the regular season. Get to know the Rebels here.

AUBURN — Auburn is two wins away from playing on college baseball’s biggest stage.

And, from there, the Tigers absolutely have what it takes to win it all in Omaha — something Auburn head coach Butch Thompson has told his team from the jump.

“I told them two weeks ago I thought they were good enough to win the whole thing,” Thompson said Thursday. “I said let that settle in for about one minute and then get back right where we were, because I didn’t want to go through this whole experience and whenever it ended not ever tell them how I really felt and told them what was possible.

“So, yeah, I think they could hook it up and win the national championship, but if you’re not present… this may be the toughest part of the journey right now. But I’m gonna do everything in my power to make sure every coach, player, and our fans absolutely enjoy this team.”

Following a weekend that included a stunning opening loss, various rain delays and four wins in three days, spearheaded by clutch pitching and a legendary performance from Chase Fralick, the Tigers became the third team to advance to the Super Regionals in back-to-back years, along with North Carolina and West Virginia.

And while having to rally from the losers bracket is a physically taxing experience, it’s nothing they aren’t able to handle.

“It’s normal,” third baseman Eric Guevara said. “We all want to play at the next level, and we know it’s going to take that. Just making sure that our bodies are feeling good after taking the rest on Tuesday. (Wednesday) was a lighter practice. (Thursday) was making sure we got right back after it and moving around so our bodies are feeling good.

“Whether that’s being in the cold tub or whatever it is, it’s making sure your body is feeling good. Most of the guys did a really good job of recovering.”

Even though the job isn’t anywhere near finished, the previous weekend alone provided quite a few incredible moments for fans, coaches and players alike.

“We absolutely had a lifetime of memories of what we just went through in this last week,” Thompson said. “So, I got some stuff on this journey of watching what (Ryan) Hetzler did, watching what Chase Fralick did. I mean, Hetzler, man, in that third and fourth inning, after throwing three innings in the first game, he was looking at me and giving me a thumbs up, like the last five hitters he faced.

“I got that for life, and I just want people to enjoy this journey with these guys.”

Now, the Tigers are looking for their third appearance in the College World Series since 2019, which would tie them for the most in the country in that time span with Tennessee, Stanford and Texas.

Since that appearance in 2019, which was Auburn’s first in 22 years, the Tigers have made four more tournament appearances. That includes hosting their first-ever Super Regional last year, even if it did end in a loss to Coastal Carolina.

“Where the program was in ‘19 to where it sits today, it ain’t even close,” Thompson said. “We had a record crowd Monday night, and we’ve sold probably 2,000 more tickets than that for (Friday) night. You look at the quality of player and what our amazing staff’s been able to acquire, it’s because the people that come before them, and that growth build out of everything happened together.

“The momentum of our program, I’ve never been more excited.”

Auburn was swept in its home super regional last year to a Coastal team that made it all the way to the College World Series final.

For Andreas Alvarez, who started Auburn’s second game as a freshman and will start the Super Regional opener against Ole Miss, it left a bitter taste for him and every returner from last year’s team.

“Having a team beat you on your own field to go to Omaha, that hurt,” Alvarez said. “We’re just looking to come back here and take the next two out of three and, hopefully, get to Omaha.”

Standing in the Tigers’ way of making more history? The Ole Miss Rebels, a team that defeated Auburn on its way to a national championship in 2022. Due to the sheer size of the SEC, the Tigers and the Rebels didn’t face each other in the regular season.

Ole Miss is a squad that just went 3-0 in the Lincoln regional, which included two wins over Arizona State, both in extra innings.

“You know you’re going to have to earn it,” Thompson said. “And it just feels like you’re playing another great team that we didn’t play this year, a conference foe and somebody I respect so very much in Mike Bianco and Ole Miss.”

There is one word that Thompson used repeatedly to describe the Rebels.