< Previous8 FEATURE Last year, Auburn’s captains presented Top Gun hats to the Tigers’ players of the game. This season, Thompson gave the team a history lesson before introducing the new concept. He told them that of the 40 million people who have served in the U.S. military in its history, only 3,515 have received the Medal of Honor. He explained that the larger dog tags chain has 365 beads while the smaller one has 52, allowing captured service members to mark time. “It’s a big, big deal,” said Thompson of Medal of Honor recipients. “It puts some purpose when we go out there and play.” Thompson presented a pair of dog tags to the Adkins family when Auburn hosted Southern California on Feb. 25. Bennett Adkins, the 9-year-old grandson of a Medal of Honor recipient, threw out the first pitch. After Auburn’s 12-6 victory, starting pitcher Christian Herberholz and first baseman Cooper McMurray received the dog tags. “It’s something special,” said McMurray, whose three-hit game included his first Auburn home run. “Honoring these veterans who have served and knowing that there are things bigger than baseball. It’s an honor to get these and be able to help the team win.” An internet search yields plentiful information about Bennie Adkins’ valor. To his family, that’s only part of the story. “What I would want them to know is what he did when he got out of the service,” Keith Adkins said, mentioning his father’s teaching career at Auburn University and Southern Union State Community College, and the accounting business he founded and operated for 22 years before he passed away in 2020. “How he kept giving back, sacrificing and trying to help people throughout his entire life.” After receiving the Medal of Honor at age 80, he created the Bennie Adkins Foundation to award educational scholarships to Green Berets non- commissioned officers, an enduring legacy of selflessness in a life that will be commemorated this season with each Auburn baseball victory.10 2023 ROSTER 2 JOSH HALL OF / 5’9” / 174 lbs Graduate / Homewood, AL 1 CADEN GREEN IF / 5’11” / 164 lbs Junior / Tulsa, OK 9 BRODY MOSS IF / 5’11” / 183 lbs Sophomore / Helena, AL 10 BRODY WORTHAM IF / 6’1” / 187 lbs Graduate / Wedowee, AL 6 RYAN DYAL C / 5’10” / 197 lbs RS Junior / Senoia, GA 8 BRYSON WARE IF/OF / 6’2” / 211 lbs Senior / Madison, MS 7 COLE FOSTER IF / 6’1” / 193 lbs Junior / Plano, TX 3 CHRIS STANFIELD OF / 6’1” / 189 lbs Freshman / Tallahassee, FL 5 KASON HOWELL OF / 6’0” / 180 lbs 5 th Year / Argyle, TX 4 CARTER WRIGHT C / 6’0” / 195 lbs Junior / Blairsville, GA 14 JUSTIN KIRBY OF / 5’11” / 203 lbs Graduate / Alpharetta, GA 12 DREW NELSON LHP/OF / 5’11” / 198 lbs Freshman / Troy, AL 11 GAVIN MILLER IF / 5’11” / 192 lbs Freshman / Oakdale, PA 16 CAM HILL IF / 6’4” / 219 lbs Junior / Madison, AL 17 TREVOR HORNE RHP / 6’3” / 203 lbs RS Freshman / Phenix City, ALGRAND SLAM OF FLAVOR! ® FAVORITE CHIP OF THE SEE US ONLINE AT GOLDENFLAKE.COM WWW.UTZSNACKS.COM13 2023 ROSTER 18 IKE IRISH C / 6’2” / 202 lbs Freshman / Hudsonville, MI 25 TANNER BAUMAN LHP / 6’4” / 208 lbs Junior / Jacksonville, FL 27 BOBBY PEIRCE OF / 6’0” / 183 lbs RS Senior / Scottsdale, AZ 21 TOMMY VAIL LHP / 5’11” / 190 lbs Graduate / Seattle, WA 22 HAYDEN MURPHY RHP/IF / 6’3” / 185 lbs Freshman / Chula, GA 20 TOMMY SHEEHAN LHP / 6’0” / 210 lbs Graduate / Brielle, N.J. 28 ELLIOTT BRAY RHP / 6’0” / 219 lbs Freshman / Hartselle, AL 23 PARKER CARLSON RHP / 6’1” / 184 lbs Sophomore / Mobile, AL 31 MIKE BELLO OF / 6’0” / 203 lbs Sophomore / Oak Ridge, N.J. 26 COOPER MCMURRAY IF / 6’3” / 258 lbs RS Sophomore / Tulsa, OK 24 NATE LARUE C / 6’3” / 223 lbs Senior / Mobile, AL 33 WILL CANNON RHP / 6’1” / 187 lbs Sophomore / Phenix City, AL 29 CHRISTIAN HERBERHOLZ RHP / 5’11” / 197 lbs RS Junior / Scottsboro, AL 37 MASON LAND IF / 5’10” / 181 lbs Senior / Cantonment, FL 41 JOHN ARMSTRONG RHP / 5’11” / 225 lbs Sophomore / Marietta, GA14 2023 ROSTER 44 RYAN OLSON RHP / 6’1” / 206 lbs Freshman / Auburn, AL 47 CAMERON KESHOCK RHP / 6’6” / 215 lbs Freshman / Spanish Fort, AL 46 CHASE ALLSUP RHP / 6’1” / 238 lbs Sophomore / Dothan, AL 45 JOSEPH GONZALEZ RHP / 6’4” / 233 lbs Junior / Humacao, P.R. 54 KONNER COPELAND LHP / 6’2” / 185 lbs Senior / Mobile, AL 77 ZACH CROTCHFELT LHP / 6’2” / 210 lbs Freshman / Jackson, N.J. 51 TY MAULDIN IF / 6’0” / 196 lbs Junior / Trussville, AL 43 CHASE ISBELL RHP / 6’2” / 210 lbs Senior / Springville, AL CLICK EACH PHOTO FOR FULL BIOGame day is full of IFs. 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TM16 BASEBALL STAFF KARL NONEMAKER Assistant Coach DARON SCHOENROCK Pitching Coach GABE GROSS Assistant Coach GREG DRYE Director of Operations AARON EVERETT Director of Player Development CHRIS JOYNER Strength and Conditioning Coach CLICK EACH PHOTO FOR FULL BIO THE OFFICIAL HOME FOR AUBURN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS and SPORTSCALL TIGER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. 2514 South College Street, Suite 104 • Auburn, AL 36830 334.887.9999 ANTHONY SANDERSEN Senior Assistant Athletic Trainer SARA ELIZABETH JACKSON Special Assistant to the Head CoachNext >