Baseball Begins Regionals at No. 4 Auburn
The Central Connecticut baseball team will be making its ninth appearance in the NCAA Regionals when it faces No. 4 Auburn on Friday at 7:00 p.m. in Auburn, AL. The game will be streamed on on ESPN+.
CCSU has made nine NCAA Tournament trips, including five in odd-numbered years dating back to 2017 ('17, '19, '21, '23, '25). Seven current Blue Devils (Antonio Ducatelli, Kyle Gordon, Louis Jordan, Gianno Merlonghi, Drew Munn, Aidan Redahan, Brady Short) were part of the 2023 NCAA Tournament squad that played at the Columbia (SC) Regional. Head Coach Charlie Hickey, the winningest coach at CCSU, is in his 26th season in charge of the Blue Devils. Hickey's squads have posted 25+ wins in a season 19 times at CCSU. The Blue Devils had won 25 games just once prior to Hickey's arrival and posted a program-best 41 wins in 2004 under his tutelage.
CCSU GAME NOTES
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday – Jr. RHP Drew Munn (8-2, 4.34) vs. So. RHP Cam Tilly (3-3, 5.00)
QUICK HITTERS
Central is making its ninth NCAA Regional appearance
CCSU defeated #24 California, 7-4, in 2019 to record its first NCAA Tournament win
Blue Devils lead the Northeast Conference and rank fourth in the country with a .331 batting average
Aidan Redahan leads the country with a .458 batting average
CCSU ranked first in the NEC with a 5.27 ERA and was second, limiting opponents to a .281 batting average
Vincent Borghese ranks first nationally with six complete games
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Auburn (38-18, 17-13 SEC) earned the No. 4 national seed and is hosting a regional for the third time in four seasons. Auburn is one of seven programs to host a regional in three of the last four seasons. The Tigers have gone 9-2 in those regionals, with both setbacks coming in 2023.
The team is 25-6 at Plainsman Park this season, hitting .338 and outscoring opponents 269-139. The Tigers tied a program record (1999) by going 12-3 at Plainsman Park in SEC play.
Overall, Auburn hits .302 as a team and is paced by Ike Irish (.352) and Chris Rembert (.349). Samuel Dutton (6-3, 3.58 ERA) has struck out 89 hitters in 75.1 innings. Carson Myers has a 3.09 ERA in 202 appearances while collecting three saves. The Tigers have limited opposing hitters to a .246 average, while allowing just 184 walks in 483.2 innings on the season.
REGIONAL CENTRAL
NC State and Stetson begin play at the regional with a 2:00 p.m. first pitch on Friday. For game links and other information click here.
