AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) - Despite starting the season off hot, the Auburn offense has continued to cool-off with the Tigers struggling to get on base, let along score.
In their most recent 7-2 loss to Mississippi State Saturday, the Tigers once again struggled to score going 5-34 at the plate, posting a .147 batting average.
"I kept thinking we were going to grab an inning," Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said about his team's at-bats. "The balls we hit hard, you know, are being caught.
When Auburn has been able to get on base, they have also failed to drive in runners. In their loss to the Bulldogs, the Tigers left seven runners stranded on base.
"Each day I'm having to compliment the other starting pitcher, I think too much," Thompson said. "We have to have a better plan of attack against a starter to get to the bullpen quicker, cause we made them only use one guy today."
This isn't new information to Tiger fans, Auburn's offense has struggled to make contact with the ball since winning their first 19 games of the season.
Over the past month, since Auburn's March 14 win over Memphis, the Tigers have recorded more than four runs per game five times.
"It's hard to have confidence as a team and sustain it when you don't feel like you're doing as much as you can at the plate," Thompson said about his team's lack of offensive production. "It has to come sooner as opposed to later."
Auburn has especially struggled to hit throughout SEC play, tallying 49 runs in their 15 games in league play.
Coming into the three-game series with Mississippi State, the Tigers rank last in the SEC when it comes to batting average when facing a league pitcher (.203). These stats give Auburn the title of the worst offense in SEC league play.
"Maybe peel back and look at the individuals and who thinks they're really ready mentally to go out and compete for us," Thompson said about finding a solution to their lack of offense. "Because we're not swinging it as a group."
Auburn will look to rebound offensively tomorrow in their rubber-match game with Mississippi State. First pitch is slated for noon.
