College baseball teams know why they skip midweek games this time of year. Jacksonville State's game against Auburn on Tuesday night is Exhibit A—a picture-perfect trap setup that had the script written before first pitch. The Red Hot Tigers, coming off a win against Texas A&M and a series split with OU at home, fell flat 4-1 in what looked like the ultimate letdown.
Auburn was positioned for momentum heading into the weekend, but instead they stumble right before hosting Georgia—one of the most consistent, hottest teams in the land. The Bulldogs arrive Thursday through Saturday looking to put an exclamation point on a stellar season, while Auburn needs to steal at least one game to keep their regional hosting hopes alive (or lock in hosting a super regional, depending on how the rest of the bracket shakes out).
Credit Jacksonville State, though. They're no slouch—they sit atop a fairly competitive C-USA with legitimate credentials. Five to six batters swinging over .300, three starting pitchers under a 3.00 ERA, and solid fundamentals across the board. On paper, they're exactly the kind of team Auburn should handle easily. On the field, they delivered a late-season RPI killer.