NCAA Regional Profile: #4 National Seed Auburn hosts in Auburn, AL

(NCAA photo/CBC image)

By College Baseball Central writers Micah Beutell, Bo Carter, Noah Darling, Caleb Donnelley, Mark Garland, Andrew Kube, Doug Kyle, Jake Mastroianni, Jake McKeever, Andrew Riedell, and Colton Watson

Host: Auburn Tigers (Plainsmen Park/Hitchcock Field)

1. Auburn (38-18, 17-13 Southeastern Conference)

2. NC State (33-18, 17-11 Atlantic Coast Conference)

3. Stetson (40-20, 24-6 Atlantic Sun Conference)

4. Central Connecticut State (31-15, 23-7 Northeast Conference)

#1 Auburn

RPI* 3  SOS 1  Record vs Q1: 16-12 Q2: 4-2

The biggest turnaround story in College Baseball, last year has proven to been just a fluke as the Tigers only won 8 SEC contests, doubling that number this year with 17, and the Tigers are back to hosting a regional, their third time in the last four seasons. Coming in as the #4 National Seed, highest seed in program history, may have come as a shock to some in the country, but the metrics showed that the Tigers were most deserving of a top 8 National Seed.

Last time Auburn hosted a regional, in 2023, the Tigers went two and out. Although this year feels vastly different from then, it is still a tough field that the Tigers have drawn. This is a young Auburn team that does not have a ton of experience, but this roster has been tested this year, playing the toughest schedule in the entire country. 

Some big bats to watch in this Tigers lineup, Ike Irish (.352, 52 RBI, 16 HR), Chris Rembert (.349, 40 RBI, 10 HR), Chase Fralick (.339, 39 RBI, 4 HR), and Cooper McMurray (.329, 57 RBI, 14 HR). This Auburn lineup is deep, and Butch has a very talented freshman class that has proven it can play with the top teams in the country. 

Looking at the pitching staff for Auburn, Samuel Dutton (6-3, 3.58 ERA, 89 K, 75.1 IP), Christian Chatterton (4-1, 4.47 ERA, 60 K), and Cam Tilly (3-3, 5.00 ERA, 58 K, 26 BB). 

How Auburn wins the regional: Get the bats back hot, take advantage of home field, Auburn is one of the toughest places to play in the country, and that is a big difference maker when hosting a regional. I think this is Auburn’s regional to lose, with talent, depth, and home-field energy behind them, the Tigers are well-positioned to take the next step on the Road to Omaha.

#2 NC State

RPI* 34  SOS 29  Record vs Q1: 7-9 Q2: 7-1

NC State struggled mightily out of the gate, dropping five of their first eight games before going on a stretch where they won 14 of their next 18. The Wolfpack went 17-11 in ACC play this season, including a sweep of the Clemson Tigers and a series win against Louisville. They have relied on a multitude of guys to get to this point, one being Second Team All-ACC 1B Chris McHugh, who put up an impressive .378 average in 180 at-bats, while also driving in a team high, 47 runs.

NC State was also led by two Third Team All-ACC pitchers in Dom Fritton and Ryan Marohn, both of whom posted a K% over 25%. The key for the Pack to advance is going to come down to Dom Fritton, Anderson Nance, and the bats. Anderson Nance made the All-Freshman team honors this season with an impressive 8-2 record in 17 appearances and a 20.7% K-BB%,leading all Wolfpack pitchers. NC State is flying under the radar in this regional, and they believe they can make some noise with some timely hitting, as they’ve shown all year, and some big-time pitching performances.  

#3 Stetson

RPI* 63  SOS 129  Record vs Q1: 2-6 Q2: 3-5

Winners of the Atlantic Sun Tournament, coming with some drama with Florida Gulf Coast. Led by a potent offense and a familiar name in Isaiah Barkett (.380, 27 RBI, 2 HR, 30 SB), son of former NC State standout Andy Barkett. Isaiah has been a key contributor all season, both at the plate and in the field, and will be especially motivated facing his dad’s former program in Friday’s opening game against NC State.

Leading the way on the mound, Jonathan Gonzalez (2.26 ERA, 101 K, 18 BB, 87.2 IP) Friday night ace, one of, if not the best pitcher in the Atlantic Sun this year. Stetson is no stranger to postseason baseball and their 2025 squad is built to compete. With solid depth on the mound and a lineup that can produce runs in bunches, the Hatters are well-positioned to challenge higher-seeded teams. They’ll need to be sharp from the first pitch, especially in a tough regional headlined by No. 4 Auburn.

How Stetson wins the regional: Stetson will need to get the big hits with runners on and continue to throw strikes, and get the key outs when needed. The Hatters will need to put together some clutch pitching and hitting to come away as regional winners in Plainsman Park. 

#4 Central Connecticut State

RPI* 182  SOS 294  Record vs Q1: 0-1 Q2: 0-1

The Central Connecticut Blue Devils come into the Auburn Regional as the Northeast Conference Champions. The furthest south the Blue Devils traveled this year was to Central Arkansas, all the way back in February, for the very first series of the season. 

Some key bats to watch for in this lineup Aidan Redahan (.458, 69 RBI, 9 HR), Antonio Ducatelli (.348, 48 RBI, 4 HR), Chris Brown (.329, 49 RBI, 3 HR), and Brady Short (.329, 17 RBI, 1 HR). This veteran lineup will roll out eight Seniors, with a whopping 11 of the 18 players batting .300 or better. On the mound you will see Vincent Borghese (10-2, 4.22 ERA), Drew Munn (8-2, 4.34 ERA) as the Friday and Saturday Night guys in starting roles. In the bullpen some guys to watch for are Wyatt Cameron (3-2, 1.93 ERA, 5 Saves), Nick Murphy (3-1, 6.49 ERA), and Richie Kerstetter (0-2, 3.51 ERA), 

How CCSU wins the regional: Central Connecticut will come into the Auburn Regional as heavy underdogs, but anything is possible. The Blue Devils will need to play some of their best baseball to pull off a heavy upset on the Plains.

*****

*-Warren Nolan RPI