< Previous8 FEATURE Like Leatherman, Waggoner expressed pride in Auburn’s accomplishments under Thompson, including two trips to Omaha in the past four postseasons, hosting back-to-back NCAA regionals for the first time, and consecutive top-5 SEC finishes for the first time in 20 years. “We were never an easy out,” recalled Waggoner, the program’s career hits leader. “You knew when you played Auburn you had to show up. The competitiveness that Butch and his staff have instilled back into this program makes us extremely proud.” As Auburn’s pitching coach in 2006, Thompson recruited Dayton from Huntsville, Alabama. “He’s a great role model and you find comfort in that as an 18-year-old,” said Dayton, who earned Auburn’s Friday night starting role as a redshirt freshman in 2008. “There’s nothing like pitching under the lights. If I had to choose one moment about my career at Auburn, it would be Friday night starting. That was a lot of fun. Auburn prepared me for life.” Dayton started for three years from 2008-10 and earned his Auburn University engineering degree before pitching five MLB seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves from 2016-21. The panelists concluded their time on stage by offering words of wisdom to Auburn’s 2024 team “Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do it,” Leach said. “You’ve got to be positive about yourself. Don’t let anybody put you down. Don’t ever stop.” “Be intentional with what you do. Give 100 percent effort. You do not want to have regrets when you leave,” Leatherman said. “This is your family. The group I was blessed to be with, they’re my brothers through life. Develop relationships. Spend time with one another. I promise you will not regret that.” Waggoner told the Tigers, “Do what you can to make this about your team. The things you remember forever are the team accomplishments. This program deserves a national championship. Go win a national championship. It’s time, and it can happen here.” Dayton, who pitched seven seasons in the minors before getting the call to MLB, had the last word. “Don’t forget that you are students as well,” Dayton said. “You’re going to a great university. Take advantage of that. “Don’t give up. Giving up is not something that people at Auburn do. Keep grinding, and if you’re not in that starting lineup, don’t let that affect you. There’s always going to be somebody ahead of you and better than you. So what? Don’t give up. “Don’t quit. Keep working, keep your head down and grind. Good things can happen and doors can open.”STRIKEOUT 0 1 0 BALL INNING GUESTHOME © 2024 The Coca-Cola Company. “Coca-Cola” is a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company. Catch game winning taste OFFICIAL FAN REFRESHMENT OF AUBURN UNIVERSITY ®10 2024 ROSTER 2 COOPER WEISS IF / 5’11” / 201 lbs Graduate / Fort Myers, FL 1 CADEN GREEN IF / 6’0” / 170 lbs Senior / Tulsa, OK 10 KALEB FREEMAN IF / 6’0” / 202lbs Junior / Flowery Branch, GA 11 GAVIN MILLER IF / 5’11” / 202 lbs Sophomore / Oakdale, PA 6 CALE STRICKLIN C / 5’10” / 197 lbs Freshman / Watkinsville, GA 8 ERIC GUEVARA IF / 5’11” / 204 lbs Freshman / Parque Lefevre, PA 7 DERIC FABIAN IF / 6’3” / 190 lbs Junior / Ocala, FL 3 CHRIS STANFIELD OF / 6’2” / 195 lbs Sophomore / Tallahassee, FL 5 JAVON HERNANDEZ IF / 5’7” / 171 lbs Senior / Danbury, CT 4 CARTER WRIGHT C / 5’10” / 200 lbs Senior / Blairsville, GA 14 CADE BELYEU OF / 6’4” / 209 lbs Freshman / Auburn, AL 13 BEN SCHORR RHP / 6’1” / 209 lbs RS Junior / Columbus, GA 12 DREW NELSON LHP/OF / 5’11” / 206 lbs Sophomore / Troy, AL 16 COLE EDWARDS OF/IF / 6’5” / 213 lbs Freshman / Hoover, AL 18 IKE IRISH C / 6’2” / 203 lbs Sophomore / Hudsonville, MIOUR TOP LINE UP! ® FAVORITE CHIP OF THE SEE US ONLINE AT GOLDENFLAKE.COM WWW.UTZSNACKS.COMA SOLID FOUNDATION & A TRADITION OF SUCCESS JUST LIKE THE AUBURN TIGERS13 2024 ROSTER 19 CHRISTIAN HALL IF/OF / 6’2” / 254 lbs Graduate / Calera, AL 25 TANNER BAUMAN LHP / 6’5” / 225 lbs Senior / Jacksonville, FL 27 BOBBY PEIRCE OF / 6’0” / 187 lbs Graduate / Scottdale, AZ 21 MASON MANERS OF / 6’0” / 191 lbs Senior / Vestavia Hills, AL 22 HAYDEN MURPHY RHP/IF / 6’3” / 191 lbs Sophomore / Chula, GA 20 DYLAN WATTS RHP / 6’2” / 187 lbs Sophomore / Enumclaw, WA 29 CHRISTIAN HERBERHOLZ RHP / 5’11” / 195 lbs RS Senior / Scottsboro, AL 23 PARKER CARLSON RHP / 6’1” / 188 lbs Junior / Mobile, AL 33 WILL CANNON RHP / 6’1” / 201 lbs Junior / Phenix City, AL 26 COOPER MCMURRAY IF / 6’3” / 261 lbs RS Junior / Tulsa, OK 24 CARSON MYERS LHP / 6’2” / 204 lbs Junior / Bowling Green, KY 38 CONNOR MCBRIDE RHP / 6’1” / 205 lbs Junior / San Diego, CA 32 GRIFFIN GRAVES LHP / 5’10” / 184 lbs Freshman / Jackson, TN 40 CAM TILLY RHP / 6’1” / 201 lbs Freshman / Newburgh, IN 41 JOHN ARMSTRONG RHP / 5’11” / 223 lbs Junior / Marietta, GA14 2024 ROSTER 45 JOSEPH GONZALEZ RHP / 6’4” / 233 lbs RS Junior / Humacao, P.R. 49 DREW SOFIELD LHP / 6’2” / 206 lbs Freshman / Young Harris, GA 47 CAMERON KESHOCK RHP / 6’5” / 224 lbs Sophomore / Spanish Fort, AL 46 CHASE ALLSUP RHP / 6’2” / 235 lbs Junior / Dothan, AL 52 SAM ROBERTSON IF / 6’2” / 176 lbs Freshman / Oxford, AL 77 ZACH CROTCHFELT LHP / 6’3” / 215 lbs Sophomore / Jackson, N.J. 53 KONNER KEPLINGER LHP / 6’0” / 183 lbs Freshman / Morris, AL 54 KONNER COPELAND LHP / 6’2” / 181 lbs Fifith Year / Mobile, AL 51 TY MAULDIN IF / 5’11” / 187 lbs RS Junior / Trussville, AL 43 ALEX PETROVIC RHP / 6’5” / 232 lbs Freshman / Cypress, TX CLICK EACH PHOTO FOR FULL BIO© 2023 Regions Bank. 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In an SEC world, we’re the SEC bank.16 BASEBALL STAFF KARL NONEMAKER Associate Head Coach EVERETT TEAFORD Pitching Coach GABE GROSS Associate Head Coach GREG DRYE Director of Operations SCOTT FOXHALL Director of Player Development ADAM NEBEL Graduate Assistant of Sports Science CHRIS JOYNER Strength and Conditioning Coach CLICK EACH PHOTO FOR FULL BIO ANTHONY SANDERSEN Senior Assistant Athletic Trainer SARA ELIZABETH JACKSON Special Assistant to the Head Coach(334)Next >