The Deep South's Oldest Football Rivalry remains intact ... at least for the time being. The South Eastern Conference Presidents voted this week end to adopt the 6-1-1 scheduling format for its new 14 team league.

The vote allows for the protection of traditional SEC rivalries, the most notable being the Auburn- Georgia and the Tennessee - Alabama games.

With the new model, each school will play all of the teams in their division with one permanent team and one rotating team from the other side of the league.

Track Em Tigers Editor Jay Coulter opined back in February that the "the thought of the Auburn-Georgia game going away was impossible. He said, "It was bad enough when Tennessee and Florida vanished from the yearly Auburn schedule back in 1992. But Georgia? That's sacred."

However, not every one in the SEC looks at it that way. In particular, LSU wanted to do away with permanent partners.

Apparently LSU feels like their schedule is too tough to keep Florida as their permanent partner. That argument could be made by Auburn as well but the AU administration feels like the Georgia rivalry is more important.

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said Saturday, it was imperative that a model be developed so that schedules can be set for the next three to four years. That sounds like more changes could be coming after a year or two. And the league can definitely revisit the issue in future meetings.

With the new schedule it will take 12 years for each team to play all the teams from the other division; so there may still be a chance for the nine game format to be brought back up. While that would seem like a better way for the conference to have all the teams play each other more often, it might end the traditional rivalries.

While the Iron Bowl is the nation's most fiercest rivalry, there is nothing quite like the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry: 119 years of heated competition, 119 years of great moments on both sides, 119 years of great gridiron memories.

Tradition - it's what sets college football apart from the pro's.

For some it will always be preferable for all SEC teams to play each other more frequently. For old timers like me though ...

Nothing trumps tradition.

Auburn University gave a news release today announcing that 2012 Auburn football season tickets are now available to the general public. Season tickets, six-game mini plans and select single-game tickets for the 2012 Auburn football season can be purchased online at www.AUBTIX.com.

Auburn will host seven home games at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2012.

The general public will also have the opportunity to purchase tickets to the 2012 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic on Friday, June 15, based on availability. Auburn opens the 2012 season vs. Clemson at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga., on Sept. 1.

For more information or questions regarding tickets, contact the ticket office by email at tickets@auburn.edu.

Auburn's Ryan Tella was named today to the All-SEC Baseball Team. The sophomore from Fremont, California was placed on the second team by a vote of the Conference Coaches.

The Centerfielder had a .973 fielding percentage and was the leading hitter on the league's top hitting team with a .360 batting average.

He was among the league's leaders in several categories including being fourth in batting average, fourth in hits (85), fifth in triples (4), sixth in on base percentage (.448), seventh in total bases (120), eighth in walks (35), and third in stolen bases (17).

Congratulations to Ryan and War Eagle!

The Auburn Baseball Team failed to get a bid to the NCAA Tournament Monday.

Last year the Tigers had a good RPI but fell one win short of earning a berth. This year the Tigers had the wins (31-28) but had too high of an RPI (56) to make it in.

The Tigers were one of the bubble teams that didn't get chosen for the 64-team NCAA field.

There were eight SEC teams (Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, LSU, Arkansas, Mississippi State and Ole Miss) to make the field.

Auburn had to deal with an unusual amount of injuries during the season but even so, they had their chances.

In the end it appears the pre-season prognosticators got it right.

Auburn was picked to finish 11th in the SEC and they ended the season 10^th.

Today is Memorial Day. For most Americans that means a day off from work, backyard barbecues, picnics, or trips to the beach. I have to say it is always memorable for me for several reasons. First, the day is rapped up with memories of treks to the beach; and now our grown sons and their families join us for what has become a family reunion.

But as the son of a retired soldier, it's special for another reason. My Dad spent 21 years in the US Army. He fought in the South Pacific during World War II. Daddy never talked about the war but I vividly remember him having bad dreams, where he would talk in his sleep, sometimes raising his voice, and often waking up in a cold sweat.

The other reason that this day is special is Daddy died on Memorial Day 1985.

From that day to this my thoughts go back to my soldier father and to every veteran that has ever stood in harms way ... for me to be able to enjoy days at the beach with my children and grandchildren.

My eight year old granddaughter Emma, asked me yesterday what Memorial Day is all about. I told her it was to keep in our hearts and memories the ones who fought for our country and especially those who laid down their lives for us. She said, "Oh Papa, just like they said in Sunday School, ‘Blessed is the man who lays down his life for his friends.' "

I was proud to know that at eight years old - she gets it.

That moment with my granddaughter inspired me to have a family devotion where I shared with my family the story of a true American hero.

Captain Ed Freeman was a WWII veteran. He earned a battlefield commission as one of only 14 survivors out of 257 men who made it through the opening stages of the Battle of Pork Chop Hill in the Korean War.

But what he is most remembered for is his action at LaDrang Valley - one of the fiercest battles of the Vietnam War. Despite being wounded four times and being told not to fly his helicopter into the area to rescue the wounded (because the flack and machine gun fire was so heavy) Captain Freeman flew over a dozen times into the thick of the firefight to rescue 29 fallen comrades - two to three at a time.

Captain Freeman was nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor. However, because of bureaucratic red tape he did not get his medal till 2001 when President George W. Bush presented him with the award in a White House ceremony.

This nation has always had men like Freeman who were willing to fight and lay down their lives in enemy territory to keep the home front safe and secure.

I just recently read an email about Captain Freeman's heroics. And I don't mind telling you I was moved to tears. If you haven't seen this anonymous account or even if you have, I highly recommend that on this Memorial Day you take the time to read it by clicking on this link titled, "Your a 19 Year Old Kid." It's a very moving picture of the spirit of ...

"Blessed is the man who lays down his life for his friends."

God Bless the USA.

It was no secret that the Auburn Baseball team had a tough assignment in today's SEC Tournament opponent - South Carolina. The Gamecocks are the two time Defending National Champions.

Nevertheless the Tigers gave the Carolinians all they could handle as they were eliminated 5-3.

"I'm really proud, first of all and foremost, of how our team competed today," said Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski. "I thought they battled all three games of this tournament. Today was another battle for us. I thought (Caolina's ace) Michael Roth threw the ball extremely well. Unfortunately, we didn't have many opportunities."

South Carolina had a 5-1 lead in the fifth but the Tigers battled back closing the gap to two runs. The Plainsmen had two runners in scoring position in the seventh and the eighth but couldn't bring them home.

With two outs and runners in scoring position in the eighth, Ryan Tella hit a double and scored on Justin Bryant's single, bringing Patrick Savage to the plate as the tying run. Savage then hit a deep fly to the left field gap that was chased down by the Gamecocks's Tanner English to end the threat.

Auburn finished the season 31-28 while South Carolina's record improved to 40-16. The Gamecocks continue the hunt for the Conference Tournament Title and will probably be picked to host an NCAA Regional next week.

Auburn has enough wins to qualify for the NCAA Tournament but with an RPI of 57, they are a team that's on the bubble.

The Tigers will go home to await Monday's announcements of which teams will receive bids to the Big Dance. ESPNU will broadcast the NCAA Tournament Selection Show at 11am CST.

Stay tuned.

This weekend Auburn will be hosting their fourth Big Cat recruiting weekend. It's a time for some of the nation's top prospects to visit The Plains. It's all about Auburn football and it's not about Auburn football.

That's exactly what makes the experience so unique for the players who attend. Most college visits take place during a school's spring or season football game. Consequently those visits are all about business.

Big Cat is about building relationships - relationships between Auburn and the recruits, between Auburn and the parents, and between the recruits with each other. The social event will include games, food, and lots of fun activities for the student athletes.

Recruiting Coordinator Coach Curtis Luper said. "Not anyone else in the country gets these many unofficial visits when it's not attached to a spring game or a camp. The reason it is popular is because kids know it's not going to be any football whatsoever, not unless it's someone here for the first time, and only then those guys will get a small introduction to Auburn football."

The school has not released a list of the attendees but judging by past Big Cats the number will probably be close to 30. Of course, any recruit that wishes to commit this weekend will be welcomed but that's not expected.

What is expected is the bonds that will be built this weekend will pay dividends next February on National Signing Day.

Some of the past signees with Auburn that are Big Cat alums are Zeke Pike, Kiehl Frazier, Gabe Wright, Jake Holland, Reese Dismukes, and Jeffery Whitaker.

All total there have been 37 recruits to sign with the Tigers that had bonded with the coaches on Big Cat Weekend. Wonder who will be the Big Cats from 2012?

*****

Update: Click here for a list of the possible attendees.

Last year Georgia eliminated Auburn from the SEC tournament. This afternoon it was Auburn that sent the Bulldogs packing as the Tigers won an elimination game in dramatic fashion 3-2.

In the third inning Mr "Do it all" Justin Bryant hit a solo home run as a designated hitter and then took the mound in the eight and threw 1-1/3 scoreless innings of relief to knock the Dogs out of the tournament.

Georgia had trailed 3-0 in the eighth inning but scored twice on two RBI singles.

Bryant faced a two out bases loaded situation in the ninth and got Colby May to line out to Bobby Andrews in left to seal the win.

Auburn freshman Daniel Koger (4-5) got the win and was aided by an errorless defensive effort by the Tigers.

Coach Pawlowski said, "Justin Bryant is one of the truest competitors we have on the team. He swung the bat and got on the mound. I am really pleased with our club tonight."

Auburn improved their record to 31-27 and more importantly lives to play another day. But the most important thing for this writer is Auburn Beat Georgia!

Man I love the sound of that. I do love to beat them Dogs.

Auburn will now take on the winner of the South Carolina- Vanderbilt game tomorrow at 4:30pm. The game will be broadcast on CSS.

Go Tigers!

January 10, 2011 - University of Phoenix Stadium. It's the third quarter of the BCS National Championship game, the Oregon Ducks are trailing the Auburn Tigers 19 -11. The Ducks have the ball and are driving into Auburn territory. On 3rd and long, Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas drops back to pass but he is hurried by a blitzing Tiger middle line backer and the pass falls incomplete.

That may not seem like such a big deal for a middle linebacker, after all that's his job. But this linebacker was a true freshman backup ... 19 year old Jake Holland. He had proved his savvy enough as a freshman for Gene Chizik to allow him to call a zone blitz in the biggest game in college football.

Coming out of high school, Jake was a 6-A All-State middle line backer and ranked by both Rivals and Scout as the No.8 MLB in the nation. He put up huge numbers in his three years of high school ball and over two dozen colleges offered him a scholarship.

Jake really seem to come into his own as the Tigers' starting man in the middle in the fifth game of the 2011 season against South Carolina. He was assigned the task of containing the Gamecocks leading rusher and Heisman candidate Marcus Lattimore.

Holland responded to the challenge with six tackles and two forced fumbles. More importantly, he locked down the nation's third leading rusher. Lattimore was held to 66 yards and wasn't able to catch a pass all night as the Tigers defeated the No.9 Gamecocks 16-13.

It was starting to look like Jake was going to be the beast that signed out of Pelham High School in 2010. But then his game was slowed down significantly from several injuries and by the Florida game he had lost the starting job to senior Eltoro Freeman.

Most fans were aware that Jake had some injuries last year but many didn't know just how severe the injuries were. To start with he had two high ankle sprains. It's difficult to walk with even one high ankle sprain much less trying to play football with both ankles hurt. He also played with a torn bicep and broken bone in his right wrist.

But Jake has a true tough as nails line backer personality and he kept practicing and trying to play. He didn't give up. He didn't throw in the towel. He kept working and going to rehab everyday.

Why would Jake subject himself to playing through so much pain? There can be only one answer - Jake Holland is a football player - a throwback, gritty, hard nose football player.

Even though he missed almost half of the season, he wound up with two interceptions and 43 tackles including 4 for a loss. Just think what a healthy Jake Holland will be able to do in 2012.

It didn't take long for new Defensive Coordinator Brian Van Gorder to realize what he had in Holland. He has already said that Jake will be the clear-cut starter in the middle, making him the key man in the Auburn D.

Van Gorder has a reputation for demanding tough physical play from his players. He knows better than most that playing SEC football is a tough assignment and playing middle line backer in the SEC is an even tougher assignment.

The timid need not apply. Only guys that are football savvy and are tough as nails are fit to be the ...

Man In The Middle.

The Auburn Baseball Team only had three hits in a 6-1 loss to Florida in the first game of the SEC Baseball Tournament. The loss dropped Auburn's record to 30-27 and put them into the loser's bracket.

0n Wednesday at 4:30 pm, Auburn will face Georgia a 4-1 loser to Vanderbilt earlier this evening.

Neither Auburn nor Florida could get much offense through the first five innings as the Tigers had just two hits off of Florida starter Jonathan Crawford and Florida had three hits off of Auburn's John Luke Jacobs through five full innings. But the Gators broke it open in the sixth and went on to claim the first round victory.

Daniel Koger will start for the Tigers in Wednesday's elimination game.

"We are starting over now and going to have a chance to win a National Championship. That is what we recruit for. That is what we practice for, and that's what we dream about. So, we are looking forward to it."

Words spoken by Auburn Golf Coach Nick Clinard who was elated after his Tigers made an incredible run on the final day of the NCAA Greensboro Regional to qualify for next weeks national championship at Riviera Country Club in Palisades, Calif.

Auburn entered the Tournament as the number one seed but had fell to seventh place by the start of the final round. The Tigers played the final four holes at eight under par to move up from seventh place to third in the Tournament. Only the top five teams qualify to play for a national championship and the Tigers finished the day as one of them.

For much of the day It had looked like the top seeded Tigers would be one of the teams left out of the Nationals; then All-American Blayne Barber sparked a furious rally with a hole-in-one on the number 16 par 3.

"We were out of it with a few holes to go and we finished strong, and we hung in there. We are going to Riviera!" Barber said.

Yes the dream is still alive because on May 29th in Palisades. the No. 3 Auburn Tigers get their chance to win a National Championship.

War Eagle!

The Auburn Baseball team got some good news and some bad news on Saturday.

The Good News ...

The Seniors got to finish their last game on Hitchcock Field with a 5-4 victory over the No. 2 Florida Gators.

The Tigers did it with good hitting, good defense, and a strong outing by right hander Derek Varnadore who made his first start since April 20th.

Varnadore (4-7) allowed four runs and struck out three batters in seven full innings of work. Justin Bryant picked up the save.

It was a great night for the eight seniors who all have a big win as their last memory at Plainsman Park.

Auburn's record is now 30-26 and the Tigers will play in their third straight SEC Tournament on next Tuesday. It's the first time since the 2003 season for Auburn to make three consecutive SEC Tournaments.

The Bad News ...

Auburn's opponent for Tuesday's game - The No. 2 Florida Gators - a team that held the Tigers (the SEC's top hitting club) to just 5 hits in the series first two games.

Mississippi State's wins over Kentucky this weekend coupled with Florida's series win, has Auburn going into the tournament as the No. 10 seed and therefore having to play the No. 3 seed - Florida..

Florida (40-16) will have a lot of motivation. Saturday's loss to Auburn knocked them out of winning the SEC Eastern Division Title and cost them a first-round bye in the tournament.

You can bet the Gators are looking forward to meeting the Tigers again on Tuesday afternoon.

And if that wasn't enough. the Tigers are bracketed against teams that they hold a 2-10 record against. But These Tigers are capable of doing it as they showed on Saturday.

It just depends on which Auburn team shows up in Hoover ...

The one that was held to five hits in the first two Florida games or the one that took two out of three against No.13 Arkansas and then beat the No.2 team in the land .

Game time on Tuesday is at 4:30 p.m. Lets do it again boys.

War Eagle!

The Auburn Softball Team was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament Saturday by No. 5 Texas as the Longhorns jumped out to a four run lead in the first three innings.

Texas had two homeruns during the game to down the Tigers 6-1 in the NCAA Austin Regional.

Texas pitcher Rachel Fox held Auburn to one hit while striking out one and forcing the Tigers into eight fly outs in the first three innings.

In the beginning of the fourth inning Branndi Melero hit a leadoff solo homerun to cut the deficit to three runs but it wasn't enough as Texas scored two more to win their 43rd game of the year.

Some folks believe Auburn got robbed by the umpires in Friday's first round loss to Houston or Auburn would still be in it (count me amongst that group).

Nevertheless the Tigers had a successful season finishing 33-23 and making their fifth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.

It was also the ninth time since 2002 for Coach Tina Deese's Tigers to appear in NCAA Regional play and the five consecutive appearances is an Auburn record.

Coach Deese said, "This isn't how we wanted to end our season, obviously. Texas' bats got hot today and we couldn't match them. I'm really proud of our seniors. They have all earned their degrees and have represented Auburn as well as anyone could."

Today is the 137^th running for the Black-Eyed Susans at the Preakness Stakes. The Preakness is known as the Middle Jewel of Horse Racing's Triple Crown. The other two jewels are the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes.

If you're a betting person, I'll give you a tip ...

Place all your money on "Tiger Walk" from Sagamore Farm's of Glydon, Maryland. At 25-1, he's a can't miss shot at winning the big purse.

Of course I must admit I know next to nothing about horse racing. The total of my horse racing experience consist all of one day spent at Churchill Downs back in the 1980's. However, even the casual observer has heard of Equestrian Racing's Triple Crown. And it's no secret the three races have the biggest purse in Thoroughbred horse racing.

There are a thousand different reasons for picking a horse to win. Some people pick their horse because they like his looks, some because of his record, some because of the jockey or the trainer, some because of his bloodline, while others just play the odds.

There may be some who pick Tiger Walk today because he is being ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux or because he drew the number one post for position.

But my reasons for picking him are purely sentimental ...

He is named for an Auburn Football Tradition; the pregame walk the Auburn Tigers make down Donahue Street on their way to games at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

His name was given to him by his owner, Under Armour founder Kevin Plank, because Auburn was one of the first to ink a contract with Plank. It also seems to me that it's a good name for a horse that is the son of "Tale of the Cat."

Auburn fans can watch Tiger Walk's run for the Black-Eyed Susans on NBC. Coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. EST.

He will be running against 13 other horses including the Kentucky Derby winner and four of the top five Derby horses. But just like the Tigers he is named after, opponents that take him lightly do so at their own risk.

His trainer Ignacio Correas admits, "It's a tough race, but you cannot win unless you're in. So, we're going to try our best and he's going to try his best too."

Well tough race or not, he's my pick and I'm sticking with him. I'll be jumping up and down in front of the telle later today hollering ...

"Come on'nnnn Tiger Walk!"

The Auburn Softball team(33-22) lost the first game of the NCAA Regionals in Austin to Houston (35-22) on a questionable ump call in the seventh inning Friday.

With the game tied 1-1, Angel Bunner was called for an illegal pitch which forced in a run and gave the Cougars a 2-1 victory.

It was a particular tough loss as the only offense of the day was provided by Auburn's Brandi Melero's solo homer in the sixth inning. The other Houston run was scored on a wild pitch.

"This was a tough game," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "We did a good job putting runners on but we just couldn't get that one hit to drop."

The Tigers will play No.6 seed Texas (46-10) in an elimination game Saturday at 3 p.m. The winner of that game will play again at 6 p.m.

Go Tigers!

While the the Big 10 and the Pac 12 have been making moves to protect their position in the Rose Bowl, the SEC and the Big 12 have come up with a plan to effectively match the champions of the BCS's historically top two football conferences in America.

The details have to be worked out later but The Southeastern Conference and the Big 12 Conferences announced today a five-year agreement for their football champions to meet in a postseason bowl game starting with the 2014 season.

Should one of the teams be playing in the BCS game or possibly be selected for some type of four team playoff, other top ranked teams from the conferences will be selected for the game.

In making today's announcement, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said,

"A new January bowl tradition is born. This new game will provide a great matchup between the two most successful conferences in the BCS era and will complement the exciting postseason atmosphere created by the new four-team playoff. Most importantly, it will provide our student-athletes, coaches and fans with an outstanding bowl experience."

Big 12 Commissioner Chuck Neinas said,

"This is a landmark agreement between two of the most successful football conferences during the BCS era to stage a postseason event ... (this game) will have tremendous resonance in college football."

The two conferences are tied all time for having the most teams in the top spot of the history of the Bowl Championship Series. The SEC and the Big 12 lead the nation with 12 seasons in which each conference has had at least one team ranked in the top four of the final standings.

Of the two conferences 16 appearances in the BCS Championship Game, the SEC has appeared nine times and the Big 12 seven times. The two conferences have won 11 BCS Championships (SEC-8 ; Big 12-3).

This game will be a great match up and it's another smart move by Mike Slive who continues to set the pace for others to follow.

Question is - how will the other conferences react? Will other conferences seek their own bowl deals? Could this lead to Notre Dame finally joining a conference to avoid being left out?

The only thing for certain is ... "Times they are a changing."

On Tuesday night the Auburn Tigers were down by one run to Jacksonville State with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth but the Gamecocks held on to take an 8-7 win.

Had the Tigers won that game it would have upped their record to 30 wins and help their case for a post season bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Now the Tigers will have to go for their 30^th win against No. 2 Florida this weekend at Plainsman Park.

The Tigers (29-24) have already clinched a spot in next week's SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. and could finish as high as the fifth seed; depending on the Florida series and the outcomes of other series taking place in the conference.

This is another critical series. If the Tigers can win at least two games they should have an excellent chance at making the NCAA field. However, with a current RPI of 61, anything less than two wins might mean the Tigers will have to win or at least play in the SEC Tournament final to make the NCAA.

The Gators (38-15) were the preseason favorite to win the SEC. They come into Auburn at third in the SEC East but still have a chance to win the division and the SEC depending on what takes place in the LSU - South Carolina and Kentucky - Mississippi State series.

Thursday and Friday's games begin at 6:30 CST and Saturday's contest will start at 1 p.m. Jon Luke Jacobs (5-2, 3.10) will take the mound tonight with Florida countering with Hudson Randall (6-1, 3.29).

The game will be broadcast by WKKR-FM 97.7 and fans can go to AuburnTigers.com for live audio and video.

However, the Tigers need as many of the faithful to show up as possible. So if there is any way you can make the games, come out and do your part to add to the home field atmosphere.

Go Tigers- Skin those Gators!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

UPDATE:

Florida held the SEC's No.1 hitting team to just three hits and scored five runs in the first two innings on their way to a 6-0 win tonight over the Tigers. Auburn will try to even the series Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Game 2: Florida pitching shut down Tiger bats again in 10-1 victory. Saturday's game will be at 1 p.m.

Auburn Wins Game 3: Derek Varnadore went a full seven innings as the Tigers beat Florida in their final home game of the season 5-4. Auburn finished with a 30-26 record and a berth in next week's SEC Tournament in Hoover.

He grew up on the streets of Atlanta, Ga. and by his own account, he was a kid that, "grew up a child without focus or direction." Then one day at a high school assembly he heard a motivational speaker say that you should always try to do your best in everything and never give up.

It was a message that changed his life. For the first time Steve became focused in school and in doing his best in every area of his life. Because of that dedicated focus, Steve lettered in three sports, graduated with honors, and had 57 football scholarship offers from major universities across the country. He chose Auburn University.

And he went on to become one of the most decorated players to ever wear the Orange and Blue. He played tackle for legendary Auburn Coach Pat Dye.

One of his greatest moments at Auburn came in the 1982 Iron Bowl. Trailing Bama 22-16 late in the game, Auburn drove the length of the field and scored with two minutes left to go ahead 23-22 and take a historic victory - breaking a nine game winning streak by the Tide.

What most fans remember about the game was ABC's Keith Jackson yelling "Bo over the top" as Bo Jackson went over the top of the pile from the one yard line. What many didn't notice that day was that Bo's yardage on the drive and his goal line TD came behind the blocking of tackle Barron 'Steven' Wallace.

Like all linemen he never was in the spotlight on the field. Nevertheless, he was named All-American, Lineman of the Year, All- SEC, All Legends Team, and voted to Auburn University's Team of the Century.

After being drafted by the San Francisco 49er's ...

Continue reading this post »

After the Auburn Softball Team ended their SEC Tournament play last week, Coach Tina Deese said, "We will be on pins and needles (waiting for the NCAA Regionals announcement)."

Well that announcement came last night and the Tigers were selected to play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They were placed in the South West Regional to be played on the campus of the University of Texas. Auburn will play the Houston Cougars Friday, May 18 at 1p.m. The two teams have never met before.

It will be the ninth time since 2002 for Coach Deese's Tigers to appear in NCAA Regional play and the fifth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. The five consecutive appearances is an Auburn record.

Coach Deese said,

"We are excited to have the opportunity to play in a very challenging Regional. Houston is a good team that made it to Super Regional last season, so they know what it takes this time of year. We have a lot to prepare for and we are looking forward to it."

The Austin Regional is a double elimination tournament and will feature Auburn, Northwestern, Houston, and the No. 6 national seed Texas.

Winners of this weekend's regionals advance to the Super Regionals May 24-27. The women's College World Series in Oklahoma City is May 31-June 6.

The Tigers have had a good year after jumping out to a 15-0 start and finishing with a 30 RPI and a 33-21 overall record. And it isn't over yet.

Go Tigers, Beat the Cougars!

The No.1 hitting team in the SEC bombed the Arkansas Razorbacks today with 18 hits and 12 runs to complete a series win for the Auburn Baseball Team.

It was the most hits for Auburn in a conference game this year with nine different Tigers getting in on the act. Ryan Tella, Jay Gonzalez, and Bobby Andrews, each had three hits, while Creede Simpson, Justin Bryant, Mitchell Self, and Patrick Savage each drove in two runs.

Assistant Coach Scott Foxhall credited the ejection of Head Coach John Pawlowski for sparking the offensive explosion,

"Coach Pawlowski gave us a spark there in the early innings (when he was ejected in the fourth) and stuck up for our guys and our guys responded. They battled and didn't back down and took it to another level so we could finish this thing off this weekend." Foxhall said, "It was a true team victory, one through nine contributed. We went long-ball, we used the short game and we stole bases."

The Tigers went into Fayetteville with their backs to the wall needing victories. They came away taking two out of three and coming within one run of sweeping the No.13 Razorbacks.

It was Auburn's fourth series win over an SEC West team this season and the third straight series win over the Hogs at famed Baum Stadium.

Auburn's win coupled with Ole Miss' 7-4 victory over Tennessee on Saturday gave Auburn it's third straight SEC Tournament berth. It's the first time since the 2003 season that the Tigers have clinched three consecutive tournament berths.

Hopefully Auburn can make a case for an NCAA Tournament bid in their home games against Florida A&M (Monday) and against Jacksonville State (Tuesday) before closing the season out with a three game series against Florida at Samford Stadium.

The No. 5 Gators will be a tough challenge. It will take another "True Team" effort ... and then some. But hey, I'm a believer.

War Eagle!

The Auburn Baseball Team suffered their ninth one run loss last night (5-4) in Fayetteville to No.13 Arkansas.

The loss spoiled another good performance by Auburn starter Daniel Koger. After giving up a two-run homer in the first inning, he retired 15 of the next 17 batters. He picked off at first base the two runners that did reach, one via a walk and one via a single.

I'm beginning to think though that this team may be snake bitten. Arkansas was only able to manage four hits on the night but was aided in their victory by four Tiger errors, two wild pitches, runners being thrown out on steal attempts, and a suicide squeeze.

Coach Pawlowski said, "There are a lot of things we would like to have back. We made some big mistakes."

I don't doubt that but this Auburn season has shaped up to be somewhat of an enigma. Because the math for this team just doesn't add up.

While Auburn still leads the conference in almost every major hitting category and has decent pitching, the Tigers are having to battle to make the 10 team field for the SEC Tournament in two weeks.

If the Tigers could have won just four of their nine one run losses, they would be in second place in the West and in fourth place overall behind Florida.

The only bright spot to come out of last night was that Tennessee and Alabama both lost.

Snake bit or not, the only thing the Tigers can do now is to fight on. They will again attempt to win the series with the Razorbacks at 2 p.m. today before returning to Auburn to play five games in the next seven days.

Go Tigers and War Eagle!

With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning Auburn pitcher Derek Varnadore (3-7) took the mound against Arkansas and shut the door on the Hogs for two innings to pick up an important SEC win Thursday night in Fayetteville.

The Tigers had their backs to the wall on the road against the No.13 ranked team in the country and Varny combined with starter Jon Luke Jacobs to hold Arkansas to just four hits and no walks.

Jacobs may have pitched his best game of the season as he racked up eight strike outs on the night.

Justin Bryant's two out single up the middle scored Jay Gonzalez from second in the top of the 10th inning as Auburn took the lead 3-2.

After Varnadore retired the top of the order in the ninth with just 10 pitches, he allowed a one-out single in the 10th. The runner was able to get into scoring position on a passed ball, but Varney got a strike out and a fly out to right to seal the victory.

It was the Tigers first series-opening win on the road this season, and improved their record to 27-22 (11-14 SEC) and most importantly keeps their post season hopes alive.

Auburn will try for the series win on Friday at 6:30 pm. Daniel Koger (3-4) will get the start for the Tigers.

Do it again boys, beat them pigs!

Last year the Auburn Softball Team was eliminated in the quarterfinal round of the SEC Tournament by Tennessee 2-1 in Oxford, Miss.

Today the Tigers experienced a bit of déjà vu as Auburn was eliminated from the 2012 Tournament by Tennessee, once again by the score of 2-1.

It was a pitcher's day as the two teams went into the seventh with the Vols nursing a two run lead. In the top of the inning Tennessee pitcher Ellen Renfroe forced Caitlin Jordan to pop up to the shortstop for the first out. Then Branndi Melero hit a fly ball to center for the second out.

Hilary Mavromat came up and drove a 1-1 pitch over the left-center fence for a solo home run, making it a 2-1 game. However, Renfroe was able to get Caitlin Schultze to ground out to third to end the Tiger threat.

"I'm really proud of the way we played today," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "Obviously, we would have liked to get the win but we came out and played really well. We were aggressive, played well up the middle defensively and made Tennessee work. Jenee Loree did a very good job against their hitters."

The No. 5 Volunteers improved to 46-9 and advance to the semifinal round while the Tigers' record stands at 33-21. That record coupled with a 30 RPI rating should be enough to land a bid to play in the up coming NCAA Tournament.

Auburn senior shortstop Lauren Guzman and outfielder Branndi Melero were named to the All-Southeastern Conference softball teams on Wednesday. Guzman was a Second Team selection while Melero was named to the All-Freshman Team.

Lauren holds the team-record for consecutive games played (228) since starting as a freshman in 2009. She leads Auburn with a .327 batting average, eight RBI’s and two home runs against top 25 teams. In addition, she is one of the toughest players in the nation to strike out, ranking 36^th in the country.

Coach Tina Deese said she is also a big part of the Tiger defense,

“She has shined,” Deese said. “To me, even in the SEC, there’s no better set of hands than Guzman’s got ... when it comes to hands, the exchange and the accuracy of her arm — there’s no one in the conference, I don’t think, that can match her.”

Gusman is batting .352 in league games and will lead the Tigers Thursday against Eastern Division Champions Tennessee in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Softball Tournament in Tuscaloosa.

It is the second year in a row for the two teams to meet in the Tournament. The Volunteers won a squeaker in the quarter round last year 2-1 in Oxford, Mississippi.

The Tigers are set to take on the fifth-ranked Volunteers at Rhoades Stadium. Today’s game will be broadcast at 1:30 p.m. CST on ESPNU.

Go Tigers!

Baseball is a perplexing game. It probably more than any other team sport mirrors the ups and downs and the paradoxes of real life. That's certainly been the case this year for the Auburn Tigers.

While Auburn picked up their 26th win last night against Presbyterian 18-2, the Tigers are a woeful 10-14 in the SEC and find themselves in a precarious position for post season play.

The season began with so much promise. Just one month ago, the team was in first place in the SEC West and ranked No.23 in the nation. Today the Tigers are in 10th place overall.

It's been a roller coaster ride thus far and the train appears to be teetering on running off the track. It's almost paradoxical how this team can score 35 runs in a sweep of Tennessee and then one week later be swept by a mediocre Georgia team.

It's paradoxical that the Tigers could take series wins against No.8 LSU and No.12 Ole Miss and then be swept by bottom feeder Alabama. Then a couple weeks later sweep Tennessee and turn around and lose three in Athens. Auburn may have lost more than the series against UGA too - they may have lost their chance for an NCAA bid.

It's paradoxical that Auburn would have to move last years ace Derek Varnadore to the bull pen and then lose one of the best pitchers in the SEC (Will Kendall) to a shoulder injury and still sweep the Vols.

Yet, the paradox of it all is that while the hope of playing in the post season may appear to be lost, if the Tigers can win three of their remaining six SEC games against No. 13 Arkansas and No. 5 Florida - that will change.

Is that scenario possible? ...

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Auburn women's golf Head Coach Kim Evans has been named the South Eastern Conference Co-Coach of the Year. It was the fifth time for her to receive the honor. Evans was also named SEC Coach of the Year in 1996, 2001, 2002 and 2009.

Three of her players were also named to All-SEC Teams on Friday. Patricia Sanz was named to the All-SEC First Team after winning this year's Individual SEC Championship. Victoria Trapani and Marta Sanz earned All-SEC Second Team honors. Trapani was also named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.

Coach Evans recently led the Tigers to their ninth SEC title, her eighth as head coach. It is the second SEC title in a row for Auburn and third in the last four years.

During her tenure the Tigers have competed in 18 NCAA Regional Tournaments with five of them being in the Central Regional. Auburn has finished in the top eight, earning a NCAA Championship bid, in 13 of the 18 appearances.

Coach Evans' No. 5-ranked women's golf team will be playing in the NCAA Central Regional in Columbus, Ohio this week May 10 -12. The Tigers will be one of nine top-25 teams at Ohio State's Scarlet Course playing for a spot at the NCAA Championship.