The SEC leader, the Texas Longhorns, will take on the Auburn Tigers, which are currently ranked sixth in the conference, this weekend. The series promises to be a must-see as Auburn looks to extend its six-game winning streak against the best team of the season.
Longhorns vs. Tigers: Starting Pitchers
As always, the main protagonists will be the players, especially the starting pitchers. Although the official lineups have not yet been announced, here are the projected starters for each team, according to the official Auburn University website:
- Thursday: Samuel Dutton (Auburn) vs. Jared Spencer (Texas)
- Friday: Cade Fisher (Auburn) vs. Luke Harrison (Texas)
- Saturday: Andreas Alvarez (Auburn) vs. Ruger Riojas (Texas)
Texas
Jared Spencer will open the series for the Longhorns. The 6’3″, 195-pound left-hander has been one of Texas’ meal tickets this season with four wins and one loss in nine games, all as a starter.
The 21-year-old senior has struck out 65 batters in 49.2 innings and allowed 17 earned runs for a 3.08 ERA. He has given up 39 hits, including five home runs, and has walked 22 batters.
The Longhorns’ sensational pitcher this season, Luke Harrison, will be the starter on Saturday. The 22-year-old, 6’2″, 205-pound left-hander has a 2.93 ERA with two wins without a loss in nine appearances. He has struck out 43 batters and walked just 16.
Reading those numbers, you would never guess that Harrison pitched to a 9.28 ERA with 13 walks and just 10 strikeouts in 13 games last season.
Texas’ third choice could be junior Ruger Riojas. The 21-year-old right-hander has also been a mainstay for the Longhorns since arriving from Texas-San Antonio this season.
In 12 appearances, four as a starter, Riojas has seven wins and just one loss. His control has been exquisite, with 46 strikeouts and just 12 walks, and his WHIP (1.095) is outstanding. His ERA is 3.35.
Auburn
Samuel Dutton came to Auburn to play his senior season after three years at Louisiana State, and the change has worked out well for him.
With the Tigers, his ERA is under 3.00 (2.34) for the first time in his collegiate baseball career, and he has won more games this year (5) than in the previous three seasons (1).
His strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.83) also stands out, with 58 strikeouts to just 12 walks.
The 21-year-old left-hander has established himself as a starter for Auburn this season after spending the previous two seasons as a reliever for the Florida Gators. He has just one win and no losses, and his ERA is 3.91.
Fisher has pitched just 25.1 innings this season, averaging just 3.1 per outing. He has struck out 31 batters and walked 18, and his WHIP is in red figures at 1.382.
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Nineteen-year-old right-hander Andreas Alvarez is in his first season of college baseball. He has pitched in nine games so far, five as a starter, and his performance has been unremarkable.
Although he has one win and no losses, his ERA is high (6.43), and he has thrown only 28 innings, averaging just over three innings per game. His 12 walks and the 30 hits he has allowed have pushed his WHIP over 1.5. His control issues are also evident by the four wild pitches he has recorded.
Texas leads the SEC with 12 wins and three losses in the conference and is 30-5 overall. Auburn, meanwhile, is 9-6 in the conference and 18-5 overall.
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