By Caleb Connelley
Auburn opened up the much-anticipated 2025 season this past weekend in a three-game series with Holy Cross. Newly renovated Plainsman Park had a record crowd for the series with 15,300 attending the series. With Patriot League member Holy Cross coming to the Plains, it felt like Auburn would get a series sweep, but that was not the case as the Crusaders were able to take one in the tough road environment. Auburn does start off the 2025 campaign with a series win.
Game 1 - vs Holy Cross:
The talented Auburn Tigers started 2025 with a home win against Holy Cross in a low scoring affair, 4-1. Florida transfer Cade Fisher started on the bump for the Tigers, pitching 3.1 innings, allowing one run on zero hits, while striking out five and walking three. Fisher did what he came to do, he threw a lot of strikes and got the outs when needed. Cam Tilly picked up the win for the Tigers, as he came in for 2.2 innings, only allowing one hit, and racking up three strikeouts himself. Carson Myers was the dude on Friday night as he closed out the game and recording his first save on the year. Myers pitched 3 innings, allowed one hit, and struck out three. The Tigers only allowed two hits in their first action of the season; the three pitchers totaled for ten strikeouts with only 3 walks. The pitching wasn't the only thing special on Friday night, Cade Belyeu had a special night. It was the talk around the country. Cade Belyeu lost his mom, Staci, that Friday morning to cancer. It's hard to imagine what kind of day Cade was having, first game without his mother, for him to come out that Friday night and play the game was something not many of us could even do. Sophomore Cade Belyeu led off in the bottom of the 6th inning, Tigers were leading 2-1, and the offense was needing some kind of spark. The young man crushes his second pitch of the at-bat to right center and the entire crowd knew it was gone. Cade Belyeu hit the first home run of the Auburn season, this home run wasn't just for the Auburn team or crowd, it was for Cade's mom, Staci. Auburn would go on to win the game 4-1, but it wasn't just the win that was special, it was Cade Belyeu's home run that was the greatest part of the night.
Game 2 - vs Holy Cross:
On Saturday evening, Auburn was set to play another one with the Crusaders of Holy Cross. Auburn couldn't get much going at the plate on Saturday as Holy Cross stole one from the Tigers, with the final score being 4-2. The Tigers didn't allow but two earned runs all afternoon, but the defense is what held back another win as they made three errors on the night. Sam Dutton took the loss on the Plains, but the LSU transfer did not pitch a bad game. Dutton pitched 4.1 innings, allowed five hits, three runs but only one of those runs were allowed. He struck out seven, walking three. The relief core came in after Dutton, and shut down the Crusaders lineup, only allowing one more run on two hits. But that proved to not be enough as Holy Cross took game 2 from the Tigers, 4-2.
Game 3 - vs Holy Cross:
After splitting the first two games, the rubber game on Sunday was an important one for both teams to get started off on the right foot. Auburn's stacked lineup totaled only six runs in the first two games, but it looked like they finally woke up in game three, as the Tigers took down Holy Cross 14-6. The Tigers bats got going on Sunday afternoon as they scored 14 runs on 16 hits. Cade Belyeu had another great day as he went 3 for 5, scoring four of the Tigers runs, while driving in another. Chase Fralick got another 3 hits in his 5 at-bats, driving two in for himself. McMurray and Fabian had a couple hits each for themselves. The Tigers only had five strikeouts to end the day. Christian Chatterton made his first start to this young season, throwing 5.1 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. Wasn't his best day, but on days like today, that's when your bats need to pick you back up and that's what the Auburn Tiger hitters did. It seemed the Auburn bats were not going to wake up all weekend, but that proved to not be the case during the final game of the series on Sunday, as the Tigers won the day, and also took the series from the Crusaders.
Auburn will play two midweek games on back-to-back days against Troy on Tuesday night, and North Alabama on Wednesday Night, both at Plainsman Park. Before taking on a tough test with Horizon League favorite, Wright State, in a three-game series next weekend.
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