The Auburn Tigers entered last season as a Top 25 club, with much of the core of their 2019 Omaha team still intact. But they seemed snake-bitten almost from the jump, as injuries and tight losses (10 by one run, another six by two runs) piled up, and they finished with a 25-27 overall record and an ugly 10-20 mark in SEC play.

The two young catchers, Ryan Dyal and Nate LaRue from 2021 have improved. Both Dyal and LaRue looked great in the fall world series scrimmage. LaRue, who arrived at Auburn as a two-way player, has always...