Butch Thompson is speaking to the media before Auburn's first full-squad practice Friday afternoon. Here's a summary...
** Always exciting to start today. We started in August and have absolutely gotten better. Just had best academic semester ever. Twenty new players and everybody is getting along better.
** Excited about Coach Teaf and new sports science GA Adam Nebel.
** Excited to get back out there and crystallize who is going to play where.
** Joseph Gonzalez and Chase Allsup have a chance to be anchors of this staff. Gonzalez has been throwing all along. Allsup is in that third year where guys tend to take off. Cam Tilly is a freshman we have high hopes for. Dylan Watts from JUCO can definitely help us this year. Excited about staff. Can our returning players take a step forward?
** Tanner Bauman should anchor our bullpen. Looking for Will Cannon to take another step forward.
** Butch wants every pitcher to have a role on this team. We're all at different stages when you have 20 pitchers.
** SEC rosters are better than they've ever been. It's incredible. That's what we compete against. Biggest challenge for us is replacing the infielders from last year.
** On infield: Weiss playing short. Fabien could play 2B or 3B. Hernandez could play 2B or 3B. Green is in the mix. All of those guys are versatile. Gavin Miller could win job at 3B. Like the potential of Caleb Freeman. Good bat, needs to improve defensively.
** Ike Irish is catcher. Wright is a good backup, potential DH. Super excited about freshman catcher Cale Stricklin. Can receive at an elite level and can throw.
** Hall of Fame club is nice with 3,000 sq feet of banquet space. Did some nice things for students in outfield to give them a deck. That visitors bullpen is gonna be tough. Will be under construction all year.
** Coach Teaf fills in a lot of important gaps with the technology. Butch said he got a little dated with the tech but Teaf gets them up to standards. Pitchers love Teaf. He has a chip on his shoulder, a fighter.
** Scott Foxhall can help with game management and day-to-day pitching. His experience is vital. He shares an office with Teaf right now because of the construction. One key goal is always to continue to develop your players. They take a lot off Butch's plate and let him be the head coach and recruit.
** Gonzalez deserves our best for coming back. I think he's going to be as healthy as he's been in a long time. We'll cautiously bring him along. His body has never looked better and there's a look in his eye that I've never seen before. He's throwing harder. His identity is a true sinker. It's not sinking as much but he's throwing harder. Going to throw from mound for third time today. Are we moving to a new identity with his stuff?
** Players elect captains at end of fall: Bobby Peirce, Tanner Bauman, Joseph Gonzalez and Cooper McMurray.
** McMurray seems more comfortable in 2nd year.
** Tanner Bauman got a 5 of 5 from everybody in the organization on character. First time that's happened.
** Chris Stanfield does the right thing everyday. Same with Ike Irish. Both are special talents.
** About as deep in pitching and leadership as Butch can remember.
*****THAT'S ALL*****
** Always exciting to start today. We started in August and have absolutely gotten better. Just had best academic semester ever. Twenty new players and everybody is getting along better.
** Excited about Coach Teaf and new sports science GA Adam Nebel.
** Excited to get back out there and crystallize who is going to play where.
** Joseph Gonzalez and Chase Allsup have a chance to be anchors of this staff. Gonzalez has been throwing all along. Allsup is in that third year where guys tend to take off. Cam Tilly is a freshman we have high hopes for. Dylan Watts from JUCO can definitely help us this year. Excited about staff. Can our returning players take a step forward?
** Tanner Bauman should anchor our bullpen. Looking for Will Cannon to take another step forward.
** Butch wants every pitcher to have a role on this team. We're all at different stages when you have 20 pitchers.
** SEC rosters are better than they've ever been. It's incredible. That's what we compete against. Biggest challenge for us is replacing the infielders from last year.
** On infield: Weiss playing short. Fabien could play 2B or 3B. Hernandez could play 2B or 3B. Green is in the mix. All of those guys are versatile. Gavin Miller could win job at 3B. Like the potential of Caleb Freeman. Good bat, needs to improve defensively.
** Ike Irish is catcher. Wright is a good backup, potential DH. Super excited about freshman catcher Cale Stricklin. Can receive at an elite level and can throw.
** Hall of Fame club is nice with 3,000 sq feet of banquet space. Did some nice things for students in outfield to give them a deck. That visitors bullpen is gonna be tough. Will be under construction all year.
** Coach Teaf fills in a lot of important gaps with the technology. Butch said he got a little dated with the tech but Teaf gets them up to standards. Pitchers love Teaf. He has a chip on his shoulder, a fighter.
** Scott Foxhall can help with game management and day-to-day pitching. His experience is vital. He shares an office with Teaf right now because of the construction. One key goal is always to continue to develop your players. They take a lot off Butch's plate and let him be the head coach and recruit.
** Gonzalez deserves our best for coming back. I think he's going to be as healthy as he's been in a long time. We'll cautiously bring him along. His body has never looked better and there's a look in his eye that I've never seen before. He's throwing harder. His identity is a true sinker. It's not sinking as much but he's throwing harder. Going to throw from mound for third time today. Are we moving to a new identity with his stuff?
** Players elect captains at end of fall: Bobby Peirce, Tanner Bauman, Joseph Gonzalez and Cooper McMurray.
** McMurray seems more comfortable in 2nd year.
** Tanner Bauman got a 5 of 5 from everybody in the organization on character. First time that's happened.
** Chris Stanfield does the right thing everyday. Same with Ike Irish. Both are special talents.
** About as deep in pitching and leadership as Butch can remember.
*****THAT'S ALL*****
