The Auburn Tigers’ hard work has begun to pay off, as Butch Thompson’s squad has now earned a first-round bye and a sixth-overall seed in this year’s SEC tournament. Though tournaments like these are notoriously unpredictable, the Tigers seem to have a strong chance to make a deep push, based on their performance this year.But what can Tiger fans expect from their team as the tournament begins? Auburn Tigers on SI takes a look at the team’s history and breaks down three things you need to know about the squad as they head into their first tournament matchup.Top-Tier Tiger PitchingThough the Auburn Tigers struggled to find consistent pitching last season, this year’s staff has been one of the best in the country just about all year. In fact, the Tigers rank first overall in the conference in overall pitching in overall ERA with 3.60, while ranking second in opponent batting average at .234. Led by starting pitcher Jake Marciano, who ranks third in the SEC in ERA with a 2.74 ERA across 14 games played, and relief arm Jackson Sanders, who ranks fourth in the SEC in ERA with a 2.79, the Tigers’ arms are a force to be reckoned with and have shut down many top batters across the SEC.Jake Marciano headlines Auburn's pitchers in 2026. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesAdditionally, former midweek starter turned weekend starter Andreas Alverez has notched an SEC-10th-best 3.54 ERA across 58 innings pitched, so the Tigers have top-tier depth for a tournament that can drag on and wear out a team’s best arms.Consistent Hitting ProductionThe Tigers are currently ranked fourth in the SEC in terms of total batting average with a team-wide .299 batting average, a testament to just how well the Tigers have been putting good contact on pitches this year. Led by Brandon McCraine’s team-high .352 batting average, good for eighth overall in the SEC, the Tigers have managed to get on base quite consistently, even against some of the best pitchers in the league.Chris Rembert ranks just behind McCraine with a .349 batting average, good for 11th in the SEC, while four other Tigers, Mason McCraine, Eric Guevera, Ethin Bingaman and Chase Fralick have all also batted above .300 this season.Auburn's Chris Rembert ranks 11th in the SEC with a .349 batting average. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesIt certainly makes even the best pitchers a bit nervous to face a player who is consistently producing in nearly a third of their at-bats, and the Tigers boast six different players, two-thirds of their batting order, that meet that criteria. If they can keep that pace up, they will be hard to stop in the tournament.Pound the ZonePerhaps one of the most interesting facets of the Tigers’ pitching is the fact that they do not only have one of the best team-wide ERA stats in the league, but they have also issued the fewest walks of any SEC team’s pitching staff, and it is not even really close.The Tigers have issued just 84 free passes this season, 11 less than runner-up Florida, who has walked 95 over the course of the season. From there, only two other teams have issued less than 100 walks this season, so Auburn’s mark at 16 below triple-digits is certainly a good sign for the staff and a testament to just how well the Tigers have been pitching this season.All of the Tigers’ hard work this season has come down to these tournament matchups, and unlike many of their series this year, they only get one shot to advance in the tournament against each team. They will have to continue their production, potentially kicking it into overdrive, if they want to make a deep push in the SEC tournament, before it will be time to head to the NCAA tournament later on this month.Sign up for our free Auburn Tigers newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow