Head-to-Head
AuburnvsUsc
#30 vs #30 — 2026 Preseason Power 25
TierBubble
2025 Record32-26
PostseasonNone
Key Players
Bobby Peirce (INF)Trace Bright (RHP)Cole Foster (SS)
BSI Outlook
Butch Thompson has a young roster with upside. The pitching development pipeline produced arms nobody saw coming. The Tigers are building toward something.
TierContender
2025 Record37-23 (18-12 Big Ten)
PostseasonNCAA Tournament
Key Players
Rhylan Thomas (.318, 14 HR)Jagger Haynes (3.34 ERA, 101 K)Chase Davis (.301, 18 HR — from Arizona)
BSI Outlook
Chase Davis, Tommy Troy, and Landon Marceaux change the math. Haynes and Tredwell give USC an ace-closer combination that can win a regional. Davis and Thomas give them an offensive ceiling that can win a super. Year 3 under Stankiewicz is where results need to follow the talent.
BSI Verdict
Usc holds the edge as a Contender, but Auburn at the Bubble level has the talent to flip the script.