Coffee and Magnolia: 9 April 2015

DIAMOND TIGERS

Softball. Auburn's bats led them over UAB on Wednesday evening - as they've done all season. Kasey Cooper knocked two balls out of the park in the 10-6 victory, tying her for the team lead with 16. Three Tigers have 16 home runs and are closing in on the school record for most in a single season. As a team the Tigers are up to 82 home runs, which leads the NCAA.

Junior Emily Carosone (one of those players tied with Cooper at 16 home runs) has been named as one of 26 finalists for the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year.

Baseball. It was more consistent hitting and a great defensive play that led the baseball team to a 4-2 midweek victory over Georgia State. Jacob Milliman picked up the first victory of his Auburn career, Anfernee Grier had his 7th 3-hit game of the season, and Jackson Burgreen snagged a deep ball at the fence that would have tied the game late.

BASKETBALL

It's not much, but I wrote some quick thoughts on what Alabama's hire of Avery Johnson means for Auburn and basketball in general in the state of Alabama.

FOOTBALL

It's not Auburn related, but we'll start out with talking about WarRoomEagle's post on the "Gene Chizik Recipe for Disaster" and which teams in Division 1 college football may be following that plan in 2015.

As for actual football stories, well there's a lot of them, today. The assistant coaches met with the media at the football complex, and that leads to a ton of new articles.

Running back coach Tim Horton says not to expect a starter named at the running back position this spring. That's not really much of a surprise, given that Auburn has gone a few games into the past two seasons before settling on the primary back. Substitution at the running back spot also occurs so often that being the starter really matters in name only. However, once the team starts settling in to keeping the same players on the field for an entire drive to maximize speed, then it could matter a whole lot more who is the primary back.

The cornerback position is thin at the moment - they had to move Josh Holsey back over from Safety and early enrollee Tim Irvin is getting a lot of looks - and Travaris Robinson is looking for players to step up and take over the position.

Special Teams coach Scott Fountain says that Marcus Davis is leading the punt return competition. Could we hear Rob Bramblett call "there goes Davis!" again? Possibly. I think it'll be Davis or Jason Smith who end up with the position.

Jeremy Johnson wants to have the greatest year ever for an Auburn QB. That's going to take a lot. He wants to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards. Rhett Lashlee responds in that article by pointing out that confidence is great, but the QB job is still undecided. I love JJ, but I really kinda wish he wouldn't make boasts like this. He's been extremely confident and almost overly boastful in many of his interviews. I'd rather he just let his play on the field speak for him.

Dameyune Craig believes in him, though, so that does back up the confidence. While a starter hasn't been named, Craig believes JJ and Duke Williams could break all of his passing records.

In not so good news, Justin Garrett has a high-ankle sprain and could miss the rest of spring practice. Garrett is another of those players who have been snake-bitten by injuries that have limited such great potential. Thankfully he should be ready to go by fall practice.

Rhett Lashlee wants more red-zone touchdowns. The lack of converting in the red-zone played a very large part in Auburn's losses to Mississippi State and Alabama. Will this mean more fades to Duke Williams? I almost hope not, since the fade is such an awful play that rarely works. But hopefully the Tigers find SOMETHING to put the ball across the line for 6 more often than through the uprights for 3.

Lance Thompson had his first meeting with the media since being hired away from Alabama. Of course he was asked about the move.\

Where will Byron Cowart play for the Tigers? That decision is still up in the air. I suspect if he's ready to contribute immediately and Carl Lawson is full speed, we'll see Cowart at defensive-end, as Lawson has the Buck position pretty much locked down.

Oh, and The War Eagle Supper Club is closing. I never went there, so it's not a big deal to me. To many of you it is, though. Chadd Scott eulogized it on his site.