Auburn Tigers are Alabama Baseball’s opponent for 2025.

The 2025 college baseball season is shaping up to be another pivotal campaign for the Alabama Crimson Tide, and one matchup that always looms large on the schedule is the fierce in-state rivalry with the Auburn Tigers. The Iron Bowl of baseball might not get the national headlines that football does, but make no mistake—when Alabama and Auburn meet on the diamond, pride, history, and postseason implications are always in play.

The Auburn Tigers come into the 2025 season with a mixture of new talent and experienced leadership, looking to bounce back from a somewhat up-and-down 2024 campaign that saw flashes of brilliance but also inconsistencies that kept them from making a deep run in the SEC tournament or NCAA Regionals. Head coach Butch Thompson, entering his tenth season at the helm, has built a reputation for crafting competitive, resilient teams that are often underestimated but never outworked.

Alabama, meanwhile, enters the 2025 campaign with aspirations of asserting itself among the SEC’s elite. The program has been steadily building momentum, with strong recruiting classes and a newfound focus on pitching depth and offensive versatility. The Crimson Tide knows that to rise in the national conversation, they must handle their business in the SEC—and that includes not just competing with Auburn, but outplaying them.

The 2025 series between these two rivals promises to be electric. Last year’s matchups were a rollercoaster, with both teams trading blows in a tightly contested weekend series that drew massive crowds and plenty of emotion. Auburn took the series 2-1 at Plainsman Park in 2024, with Alabama narrowly missing opportunities in the late innings of both losses. It was a bitter pill to swallow for the Tide, who believed they were the more complete team but failed to execute in critical moments.

Fast forward to 2025, and both squads have retooled their rosters. Auburn’s offense will once again be anchored by senior outfielder Braxton McNeal, a dynamic leadoff hitter who led the Tigers in batting average and on-base percentage last season. McNeal is the quintessential table-setter, combining elite speed with a keen eye at the plate. Alabama’s pitchers will have their hands full trying to keep him off the basepaths.

Complementing McNeal in the Auburn lineup is slugger Trevor Danvers, a junior first baseman who mashed 17 home runs in 2024 and enters this season as a preseason All-SEC selection. Danvers’ raw power and ability to change the game with one swing make him a dangerous presence in the middle of Auburn’s lineup. Alabama’s scouting report will be tailored to avoid giving Danvers anything over the plate, and pitching him backwards might be the key to neutralizing his bat.

Pitching, however, remains the biggest question mark for the Tigers. Their ace, left-hander Jackson Calloway, returns for his junior year after a sophomore campaign that saw both brilliance and struggle. When Calloway is on, he’s virtually unhittable, commanding a fastball that sits in the low-90s and a devastating changeup that keeps hitters off-balance. The issue has been consistency and command. Auburn’s success in the series will likely hinge on whether Calloway and the rest of the rotation can throw strikes and avoid falling behind in counts against Alabama’s patient lineup.

Alabama’s offense, on the other hand, enters the season with firepower and depth. The return of star infielder Caleb Thompson gives the Crimson Tide a proven bat in the heart of the order. Thompson, a junior who flirted with the MLB Draft before opting to return, brings power, contact, and leadership. He hit .328 with 12 homers and 55 RBIs in 2024 and will be counted on again to produce in key situations.

Joining Thompson in the lineup is sophomore catcher Trey Andrews, who emerged as one of the top young players in the SEC last season. His defensive acumen is matched by a bat that is growing more confident with every at-bat. Andrews threw out 41% of would-be base stealers in 2024 and added 9 home runs of his own. His presence behind the plate is a stabilizing force for Alabama’s young pitching staff.

Speaking of the mound, Alabama’s rotation could be the difference-maker in the 2025 Auburn series. Head coach Rob Vaughn has emphasized building depth in the bullpen and developing front-line starters who can go deep into games. Leading the charge is right-hander Landon Murphy, a junior who posted a 2.97 ERA last season and earned Second Team All-SEC honors. Murphy’s fastball-curveball combo is electric, and he thrives in big-game environments. Expect him to take the ball in Game 1 of the Auburn series, setting the tone for the weekend.

Behind Murphy, Alabama has a trio of talented arms in sophomore lefty Tyler Griggs, freshman phenom Connor Bell, and senior swingman Jayden Marks. Griggs has deceptive movement and excels at jamming right-handed hitters, while Bell has scouts buzzing with a high-90s heater and a sharp slider that could make him the SEC Freshman of the Year. Marks offers experience and poise, often stepping into tough situations with the kind of mental toughness every contender needs.

Defensively, Alabama has improved markedly, and that could play a pivotal role in the Auburn series. Infielders Jack Rowe and Ethan Grant form one of the most reliable middle infield duos in the conference, turning double plays with fluidity and providing solid range up the middle. Outfield coverage is another strength, with junior center fielder Malik Rivers patrolling the gaps with speed and confidence.

The intangibles of this rivalry also cannot be overlooked. The crowd, the pressure, the legacy—it all amplifies during Alabama vs. Auburn. Both programs recruit against each other, fight for the same state pride, and look to plant their flag with a series win that resonates far beyond the box score. There’s no love lost between the fanbases, and that energy pours into the players who carry the weight of tradition and expectation.

In terms of standings, both Alabama and Auburn have postseason aspirations. The SEC remains a gauntlet, with Arkansas, LSU, Florida, and Vanderbilt consistently crowding the top of the league. That means that head-to-head series like this one carry massive implications not just for bragging rights, but for seeding in the SEC Tournament and beyond. A series win can provide a jolt of momentum; a sweep could catapult a team toward national recognition.

Weather and scheduling quirks also often play a role in the Iron Bowl of baseball. Rain delays, extra-inning thrillers, and walk-off dramatics have become staples of recent series. In 2023, Alabama walked off Auburn in the rubber match with a two-out single in the 11th inning. In 2024, Auburn returned the favor with a ninth-inning rally in front of their home crowd. If history is any guide, fans should buckle up for another dramatic chapter in 2025.

The coaching chess match between Rob Vaughn and Butch Thompson adds another layer of intrigue. Vaughn, in his second year, is known for aggressive base running, defensive shifts, and relying heavily on analytics to exploit matchups. Thompson, a more traditionalist coach, emphasizes fundamentals, timely hitting, and steady pitching. Their contrasting styles make for a fascinating weekend of strategy and execution.

Looking beyond the rivalry, both teams understand what this series means. It’s a measuring stick, a test of toughness, and a statement of where each program stands in the larger SEC hierarchy. For Alabama, winning the series could validate the steps they’ve taken to reestablish themselves as a perennial postseason contender. For Auburn, it’s a chance to reassert their own identity and remind everyone that they are never to be counted out.

As the 2025 season unfolds and the calendar inches closer to that pivotal series weekend, anticipation will continue to build. Fans will circle the dates, players will study the film, and coaches will prepare game plans. But once the first pitch is thrown, it all comes down to execution, heart, and a little bit of magic—the kind of magic that only Alabama vs. Auburn can deliver on the baseball field.