Auburn Gets Massive Offseason Win as Jackson Sanders Returns

The offseason is beginning to pick up for the Auburn Tigers. 

After the team's early postseason exit, falling in the Super Regionals for the second straight season, head coach Butch Thompson has plenty of questions to answer as he looks to get his team over the hump and into Omaha. 

The Tigers, who had one of the best RPIs and Strength of Schedule in the country, found success mainly due to their pitching staff throughout the year. One of those players has fully committed to returning to the Plains next season. 

Earlier this week, Tigers pitcher Jackson Sanders made it clear that he will be back with Auburn next season and not put his name in the transfer portal as some feared. After having a breakout season not as a starter, but as the most reliable arm out of the bullpen, the Opelika native is sticking with Thompson and this coaching staff for his third season. 

He recently told Auburn Undercover that "there was no other place I would rather be. It's home. It was an easy decision." Over his 70.1 innings of work this year, Sanders struck out 96 batters and only walked 25. An outstanding ratio, especially when a bulk of that workload came inside SEC play. 

Although he was used as a reliever in 2026, depending on who departs Auburn this offseason, moving him back to the starting rotation would not be a surprise. He has the skillset that can find himself selected as soon as the 2027 MLB Draft. 

As of Monday, 6 players have officially entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, 4 pitchers and two outfielders. Auburn will look to replace the arms of Mason Koch, Justice De Jong, Saxon Roberts, and Trevor Booton. The biggest portal departure so far, based on last season's playing time, is outfielder Bristol Carter. The junior played in 49 games in 2026. Outfielder Wade Shelley has also entered his name. 

The transfer portal closes on June 30th, meaning any current player on the roster has until then to enter their name to explore other opportunities; they do not need to find a destination by that deadline. 

In other baseball news, Tigers third baseman Eric has been named a Gold Glove finalist. This season, he posted a 0.959 fielding percentage, recording only 7 errors on 171 total chances. The winners will be announced on Wednesday, June 17, on Rawlings Sports' social platforms.