Phillip Marshall

5 days ago | 247sports.com | Phillip Marshall

Auburn baseball freshmen shine when it matters mostAUBURN, Alabama - With two outs in the seventh inning on Saturday night at Plainsman Park, freshman Auburn outfielder Bub Terrell stared at star Stetson closer. Tyler Van Dyke stared back. It was a significant moment in the game, and both of them knew it. Van Dyke, with a miniscule 1.10 ERA, had entered the game in the sixth inning and quickly struck out the side as Hatters' coach Steve Trimper pushed all his chips to the middle of the table.

6 days ago | 247sports.com | Phillip Marshall

It wasn't always pretty, but there are no style points awarded in postseason baseballAUBURN, Alabama – Auburn's baseball team did not play its best game on Friday night. Central Connecticut State proved to be a worthy foe on the first day of the Auburn Regional. Perfection did not come to the party at Plainsman Park. But on a day when 4-seeds around the country bared their teeth, Auburn moved on with a 9-5 victory at Plainsman Park.

1 week ago | 247sports.com | Phillip Marshall

AUBURN, Alabama – Whether your son is an elite athlete or an ordinary student, Butch Thompson is the kind of man you'd want to teach him. In that way, he reminds of Hall of Fame Auburn coach Hal Baird. Both treat their players the right way, both are tough and hard-nosed and both are beloved by the young men who have come their way. I have known that since 2004, when Thompson left Georgia to become the pitching coach on new head coach Tommy Slater's staff.

1 week ago | 247sports.com | Phillip Marshall

Pettiford keeps his word, returns to AuburnI was not surprised when Auburn basketball point guard Tahaad Pettiford took to social media Wednesday to announce he will return to Auburn next season instead of going into the NBA draft. Going through the NBA Combine is a no-brainer for anyone good enough to be invited. Whether a player stays in the draft or goes, it's a valuable experience. I never doubted Pettiford's word that, if he wasn't a first-round draft pick, he would return to Auburn.

1 week ago | 247sports.com | Phillip Marshall

Baird stands at the dugout that was named for him. (Photo: Auburn University)When Hal Baird arrived as head baseball coach in 1985, baseball at Auburn and in the SEC was a very different thing than it is today. Auburn had finished last in the 10-team SEC in three of the previous four seasons and eighth in the other. Thirty-eight teams played in the NCAA Tournament. It was rare for more than one of those to be from the SEC. The sport itself was something of an afterthought.