USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
May 31, 2026 1:12 AM
Auburn kept its season alive Saturday with a wild 17-13 win over NC State in an NCAA Regional elimination game. The Tigers exploded offensively with five home runs, but continued pitching and defensive issues leave Auburn facing a difficult road to win the regional after dropping game one.
The Auburn Tigers keep their season alive in a high-scoring affair on Saturday.
The baseball team took down NC State 17-13 in an elimination game that continues to raise plenty of questions about the Tigers' pitching staff.
Auburn got off to a fast start with the bats scoring 10 unanswered runs in the first two innings, but the lead wouldn't be safe. Andreas Alvarez got the start for the Tigers and pitched deep, but wasn't elite as usual, giving up 9 runs in the matchup as his defense didn't provide much support.
Out of the nine runs the Tigers gave up while Alvarez was on the mound, only four were earned. NC State got hot after Auburn took an early 10-0 lead after the 2nd inning. The Tigers also recorded two errors during that span.
Alvarez saved the bullpen for a hopeful long weekend run and finished the day with 105 pitches and 5.2 innings of work.
The Auburn Offense picked up 5 home runs in the outing and totaled 8 extra base hits on the day. Both Ethin Bingaman and Cade Belyeu each hit two long balls, and Chase Fralick had the other.
The Tigers move on, but it won't be easy to find themselves as the regional winners, as they will have to play at least 27 innings over the next 48 hours to make that a reality. After the game, head coach Butch Thompson opened the post-game press conference with a quote about how the team is responding to the adversity. He stated that the new mantra for the weekend is "We've got to. We don't have a choice."
The Wolfpack has now been eliminated, and head coach Elliott Avent has officially retired after 1,103 career wins.
As for Auburn, the Tigers will host the loser of UCF vs. Milwaukee, which takes place on Saturday night. The two teams will face off on Sunday in an elimination game.
If Auburn wins, they will play twice on Sunday to keep their season alive. They will have a tough route, as only 7% of teams were able to win four straight games and win the regional after losing game one in NCAA tournament history.
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