USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Jun 9, 2026 6:24 PM
Auburn's offseason has officially begun. RHP Saxon Roberts became the Tigers' first transfer portal entrant after limited opportunities on a deep pitching staff. Now, Butch Thompson's focus shifts to retaining key young contributors and navigating MLB Draft decisions.
The first Auburn Tigers baseball player has entered the transfer portal.
After falling in the Super Regionals for the second straight year, the Auburn Tigers have an important offseason to help find answers to get them back to Omaha. As their main focus will be on keeping their young core together, some pieces will choose to move on.
That happened on Tuesday, as right-handed pitcher Saxon Roberts has entered the transfer portal. The redshirt freshman from Franklin, Tennessee, will look for more playing time in his next destination after seeing limited time with Auburn this past season.
During intersquad games to begin the season, Roberts showed plenty of potential with him reaching 100 mph off the mound. The stacking pitching staff didn't give him enough opportunities over the last two seasons.
He won't be the last player to enter the portal, as a few other underclassmen will likely move on from Auburn as well.
Butch Thompson and the coaching staff must focus on the key underclassmen who helped Auburn go this deep in the postseason the last two years. Sophomore and Freshman classes for the Tigers are loaded, and players such as Chase Fralick and Bub Terrell need to be the staff's priority.
Auburn will also wait for decisions from players like Eric Guevara and Chris Rembert on whether they will declare for the MLB Draft this upcoming summer. Pitchers Alex Petrovic and Ryan Hetzler are also rumored to be pondering the draft decision as well.
In other baseball news across the conference, South Carolina has hired Kevin Schnall as their new head coach. The name may sound familiar, as he was formally the head coach at Coastal Carolina, the team that eliminated Auburn from the Super Regionals last season and reached the College World Series in Omaha.
This should immediately make the SEC even more competitive starting next season, as South Carolina was second to last in the conference with a 22-35 (7-23) record, which will likely see a big improvement, and quickly.
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