The Auburn Tigers delivered one of the most electrifying performances of the 2025 college baseball season over the weekend, sweeping the No. 3 ranked LSU Tigers in a dramatic and high-stakes three-game series at Plainsman Park. With postseason aspirations intensifying and every game carrying greater weight, Auburn didn’t just win—they emphatically announced themselves as a contender by dismantling a powerhouse in front of raucous home crowds.
For a team that had spent much of the season climbing in and out of national polls, Auburn’s complete sweep of LSU sent shockwaves across the SEC and the national college baseball landscape. The series marked Auburn’s first sweep of a top-five team in more than a decade, and the energy throughout the weekend was nothing short of electric.
Friday night’s opener set the tone in unforgettable fashion. In front of a packed house under the lights, Auburn came back from a 5-1 deficit to stun LSU with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth. The moment belonged to sophomore slugger Davis Kendrick, who sent a 1-0 fastball deep over the left-center wall to seal a 7-6 victory and ignite the Auburn faithful into pandemonium. Kendrick’s heroics capped off a furious late-game rally, which included a clutch two-run double by senior outfielder Cam Hill in the eighth inning.
The game was a showcase of resilience. Auburn starter Ty Copeland struggled early, giving up four runs in the first three innings, including a towering solo shot by LSU’s All-American first baseman Dylan Freeman. But Auburn’s bullpen, a point of concern earlier this season, was spectacular on Friday. Freshman reliever Mason Pruitt came in with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth and escaped the jam with a strikeout and a groundout. He would go on to pitch three more scoreless innings, keeping Auburn within striking distance and earning the win in what turned into a classic.
Saturday’s game featured a different kind of drama—less of a comeback and more of a battle of wills. Auburn leaned on the right arm of ace Carter Ridgeway, who turned in the best start of his collegiate career, going eight innings and striking out 11 without walking a single batter. Ridgeway was dominant from the first pitch, pounding the zone with precision and mixing a biting slider with a mid-90s fastball that LSU’s fearsome lineup couldn’t seem to square up.
Offensively, Auburn struck early and never looked back. Leadoff hitter Gavin Blackwell set the tone with a double in the first, and designated hitter Jackson Holley followed up with a towering two-run homer to put the home team up 2-0. Auburn tacked on single runs in the fourth, fifth, and seventh, with key RBI singles from Hill and sophomore catcher Dylan Carson. The Tigers’ 5-2 win was as methodical as it was impressive, and it set up a potential sweep on Sunday that few had expected at the start of the series.
Sunday’s finale brought another thriller—and Auburn’s final statement. The game started as a pitcher’s duel, with both starters, Auburn’s lefty freshman Kyle Temple and LSU’s veteran right-hander Matt Serino, exchanging zeros through the first four innings. But the bats came alive in the middle frames. Auburn broke the scoreless tie in the fifth with back-to-back doubles by freshman third baseman Tyler Monroe and shortstop Jake Armstrong. An error on a routine grounder by LSU in the same inning allowed another run to score, and suddenly Auburn had a 3-0 lead.
LSU didn’t go quietly. In the seventh, down 4-1, they mounted a rally, scoring twice on a two-out, bases-loaded single by Freeman. With the score 4-3 and the tying run on second, Auburn closer Nathan Vines was summoned from the bullpen. The junior right-hander, pitching for the third time in four days, needed just three pitches to induce a ground ball and preserve the slim lead.
The bottom of the eighth was when Auburn delivered the knockout punch. With two outs and the bases loaded, Hill again came through—this time with a triple to the right-center gap that cleared the bases and sent Plainsman Park into another frenzy. Auburn would go on to win 8-4, sealing the sweep and finishing off one of the most complete weekends of baseball the program has played in years.
The significance of the series sweep cannot be overstated. Auburn, a team that entered the weekend on the NCAA Tournament bubble, now finds itself in prime position not just for postseason inclusion, but potentially hosting a regional if the momentum continues. Head coach Butch Thompson, who has methodically built this program into a perennial SEC threat, called the sweep “a statement of identity, grit, and belief.”
“This weekend was about our players believing they could beat anybody,” Thompson said after Sunday’s win. “We didn’t talk about rankings or pressure. We talked about competing pitch to pitch. LSU is a great team—one of the best in the country—but our guys stayed focused, stayed together, and played with heart.”
Indeed, heart was the defining trait of Auburn’s weekend performance. From Kendrick’s walk-off blast to Ridgeway’s gem and Hill’s clutch hitting, Auburn got contributions from nearly every corner of the roster. Freshman Kyle Temple, whose poise on the mound belied his age, said after the game that the confidence in the clubhouse has “never been higher.”
“We knew we could play with anyone,” Temple said. “Now we’ve proven it. But we’re not satisfied. We want more.”
The crowd certainly wanted more. Each game in the series was played in front of near-capacity attendance, with fans staying long after final outs to cheer, celebrate, and even chant “Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!” as players thanked the student section. The energy was reminiscent of Auburn’s College World Series run just a few years ago and signaled that this year’s squad may be on a similar path if they can maintain the momentum.
For LSU, the series was a wake-up call. Coming into the weekend as winners of eight straight and holding a firm grip on first place in the SEC West, the Tigers were outplayed in virtually every facet. Head coach Jay Johnson credited Auburn’s execution and admitted his team didn’t respond well to adversity.
“Auburn deserved to win all three games,” Johnson said. “They were tougher in the late innings, they were more clutch with runners in scoring position, and their pitching was outstanding. We’ve got to be better—plain and simple.”
Despite the sweep, LSU still holds an impressive overall record and will remain a national title contender, but the cracks exposed by Auburn will need to be addressed before the postseason begins. Meanwhile, the Tigers from the Plains are riding a high they hope carries into the heart of SEC play.
With the sweep, Auburn improved its conference record to 12-6 and overall record to 29-12, setting the stage for a pivotal final stretch of regular season games. They’ll face a tough road test next weekend against a ranked Florida team, but if the LSU series is any indication, this Auburn team thrives under pressure.
Several individual performances deserve additional spotlight. Cam Hill’s weekend was nothing short of spectacular. The senior leader went 7-for-11 with six RBIs, two triples, and one home run. He raised his season average to .344 and showed why he’s one of the most valuable players in the SEC. Ridgeway’s dominance on Saturday continued what’s becoming a breakout season, while Kendrick’s walk-off on Friday may go down as one of the most iconic moments of Auburn’s 2025 campaign.
Auburn also played error-free baseball on defense throughout the series, a testament to their discipline and focus. The infield, anchored by shortstop Jake Armstrong and second baseman Tyler Reese, turned several key double plays that stalled LSU rallies and flipped momentum.
Looking ahead, Auburn finds itself with a unique opportunity. The SEC, as always, is a gauntlet, but the sweep gives Auburn the kind of resume win that can propel them to national relevance and possibly a top-16 seed come tournament time. More importantly, it has galvanized a fan base that’s hungry for more postseason magic.
As students and families poured out of Plainsman Park on Sunday, the mood was jubilant, the hope tangible. Auburn baseball, once on the fringe of the conversation, is now squarely in the spotlight—and if this weekend proved anything, it’s that these Tigers are ready for it.
They didn’t just beat LSU. They owned the moment.