We are set to speak with Auburn head baseball coach Butch Thompson as the Tigers open the 2025 season on Friday night in a renovated Plainsman Park against Holy Cross.
Follow along and refresh for all updates.
*** Super excited about hosting Holy Cross. Those guys are coming in tonight and get series going tomorrow.
*** Plainsman Park and all the renovations are amazing. To button it up. Going to be able to offer more than 6,000 people per game. Says he walked around with Hal Baird this morning who had the dream of having the seats on top of the green monster in left field.
*** All that stuff is put away and it is now time for our guys who have worked so hard and to make a push to get to Omaha.
*** On three starters not being on roster last year: "What could be the one thing that would get us back to being competitive is strike percentage. I have had to immerse myself in this." Those three guys have won the race, won the game of throwing the best strike percentages. Dutton and Fisher were more than 70 percent strikes overall.
*** On the freshmen being contributors: "You wanna win and that's really important." We are going to try and get some rhythm going. Playing 5 games in 6 days (8 games in 10 days) will force us to move some pieces and will force us to play some of the young guys.
*** On the plethora of options on the mound and importance of that to flesh out roles: "I want to see everyone the same." Murphy gets the first call as closer. Mentions the club gave up runs late last season. Mentions also Carson Myers (middle reliever) and Jackson Sanders (freshman).
*** On plan at right field and DH: "What we are trying to do is protect our best hitters." Thinks Ike will be behind the plate with Cooper at first.
*** Mentions Bub Terrell has had some great at-bats.
*** On DH: "Steele. We love his flexibility."
*** On catchers calling their owns games: "100 percent." Mentions that coaching staff can help in premium situations or if the guys haven't been in that situation before. Mentions it comes mostly in the running game. Pick here or pick there.
*** What fans can expect from this 2025 group? "Play hard and play free. These guys care so much." Mentions the guys who are returning want to rebound after last season.
*** Says he is 54 years old and will still feel the butterflies and nerves from opening day.
*** Elected five captains: "I love that the players voted for that." Ike has grown as a leader which makes him a complete player. Could make him a top 10 pick. Cooper McMurray coming back for a third year has always been a leader. Fabian is in that group, just natural born leader. Parker Carlson and Ben Schorr, those players will absolutely run through a wall for Schorr.
*** On Coach Baird: "He's had a hand in the program the entire time I have been here ... He's been invaluable." Says those initial decisions of his were huge.
That's it for Butch. Tigers vs. Crusaders tomorrow at 6 p.m.
UPDATE:
Butch actually ended his press conference by gifting me my unused credential to Plainsman Park from last season in a frame. I couldn't be more proud.
Follow along and refresh for all updates.
*** Super excited about hosting Holy Cross. Those guys are coming in tonight and get series going tomorrow.
*** Plainsman Park and all the renovations are amazing. To button it up. Going to be able to offer more than 6,000 people per game. Says he walked around with Hal Baird this morning who had the dream of having the seats on top of the green monster in left field.
*** All that stuff is put away and it is now time for our guys who have worked so hard and to make a push to get to Omaha.
*** On three starters not being on roster last year: "What could be the one thing that would get us back to being competitive is strike percentage. I have had to immerse myself in this." Those three guys have won the race, won the game of throwing the best strike percentages. Dutton and Fisher were more than 70 percent strikes overall.
*** On the freshmen being contributors: "You wanna win and that's really important." We are going to try and get some rhythm going. Playing 5 games in 6 days (8 games in 10 days) will force us to move some pieces and will force us to play some of the young guys.
*** On the plethora of options on the mound and importance of that to flesh out roles: "I want to see everyone the same." Murphy gets the first call as closer. Mentions the club gave up runs late last season. Mentions also Carson Myers (middle reliever) and Jackson Sanders (freshman).
*** On plan at right field and DH: "What we are trying to do is protect our best hitters." Thinks Ike will be behind the plate with Cooper at first.
*** Mentions Bub Terrell has had some great at-bats.
*** On DH: "Steele. We love his flexibility."
*** On catchers calling their owns games: "100 percent." Mentions that coaching staff can help in premium situations or if the guys haven't been in that situation before. Mentions it comes mostly in the running game. Pick here or pick there.
*** What fans can expect from this 2025 group? "Play hard and play free. These guys care so much." Mentions the guys who are returning want to rebound after last season.
*** Says he is 54 years old and will still feel the butterflies and nerves from opening day.
*** Elected five captains: "I love that the players voted for that." Ike has grown as a leader which makes him a complete player. Could make him a top 10 pick. Cooper McMurray coming back for a third year has always been a leader. Fabian is in that group, just natural born leader. Parker Carlson and Ben Schorr, those players will absolutely run through a wall for Schorr.
*** On Coach Baird: "He's had a hand in the program the entire time I have been here ... He's been invaluable." Says those initial decisions of his were huge.
That's it for Butch. Tigers vs. Crusaders tomorrow at 6 p.m.
UPDATE:
Butch actually ended his press conference by gifting me my unused credential to Plainsman Park from last season in a frame. I couldn't be more proud.
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