As the beginning of my super senior year looms, I have been thinking about the previous four athletic seasons I have spent on the Plains. I have been lucky to attend a number of sporting events and even travel to many. I decided to think back and rank my top 10 Auburn athletic moments. This list will only consist of games I have personally attended and experienced on a firsthand account! Most of these events are so memorable because the people I spent them with – good friends and family; my Auburn Family.

Let’s get started with number 10!

10. Baseball Double Header in Tuscaloosa (April 20-21, 2018)

This was an incredible day because of the way Auburn beat up on Alabama and the great people I met. I had the pleasure of meeting multiple Alabama fans I met and have become friends with through Twitter. One of those Twitter friends, Roger, treated me to a great meal in the luxury suites. But enough about the people, what happened during the game? Auburn shellacked Alabama by scores of 19-5, 5-0, and 20-5 to finish the weekend outscoring the Tide 44-10. This was also on the same weekend of Alabama’s spring football game, so many Alabama fans were at the game on Saturday. It gave my heart such great pleasure as they started filing out so early, and by the end of the game, there were maybe 100 Bama fans left in attendance!

9. Conor Davis Hits Three-Run Walk-Off Home Run vs South Carolina (April 2nd, 2017)

Conor Davis’ walk off was wonderful, because it won Auburn the series against the number six team in the country! It was also noteworthy as it was the first walk-off home run for Auburn since February of 2013. I remember sitting in Section 111, and before the inning started. I got up and walked to the end of the row and just stood there with my rally cap on. Jonah Todd started things off with a single, followed by a Daniel Robert single to put runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. A fielder’s choice and a pop out quickly gave the Tigers two outs. True freshman Conor Davis then stepped to the plate to pinch hit and laced one over the left field wall for his first career home run, giving the Tigers a 6-5 win! It was a spectacular way for Auburn to win the series.

8. Baseball Sweeping Florida for First Time Since 1987 (March 19, 2017)

Rather than sitting in the stands, I was actually working this game with the event management staff. I was in a box to the right of the press box and had already finished all my duties for the day. I was getting a little too loud and energized for press box discipline, so I excused myself and went outside behind home plate to sit next to my boss.

JJ Schaffer was brought on to pinch run. He advanced to second as Jonah Todd put a sacrifice bunt down to move the runners over to 2nd and 3rd with a single out. But things did not go as planned. The bunt went straight to the pitcher allowing him to get the easy force out at third. Except, the throw to third was an errant one and went by the third baseman allowing Schaffer to score. And the Tigers SWEPT THE NUMBER 5 TEAM IN THE COUNTRY TO OPEN CONFERENCE PLAY!

7. Basketball Defeats Kentucky 75-70 & Storming the Court (January 16, 2016)

Auburn was having a rough 2016 season as the powerhouse Kentucky Wildcats came to town. Even with the win, Auburn was only at .500 with an 8-8 record. Auburn upset the #14 team in the country and it was the start of good things coming in the Bruce Pearl era. I remember the event staff lining the floors – as was their job. But as Rod Bramblett would have said, “YOU AREN’T KEEPING US OFF THE COURT TONIGHT!” I had dreamed about storming a court, but never thought I would have the opportunity. Lots of pressure was lifted when that clock hit all zeros and the court was flooded as Auburn ended an 18 game losing streak to the Wildcats!

6. 40-17 Victory over Georgia (November 11, 2017)

This was a special memory because the energy in Jordan-Hare Stadium was incredible, with the #1 team in the nation coming to our place. Auburn was playing great football leading into this game and they showed up ready to play. Kerryon Johnson rushed for 167 yards on 32 carries, shredding through the Bulldog defense. The real storyline was the Auburn defense allowing ONLY 46 rushing yards to the dynamic Georgia runningback duo of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. The atmosphere was rocking the entire 60 minutes and played a huge part in the beat down of the Dawgs!

5. Destroying Alabama 26-14 (November 25, 2017)

This was the first time I saw Auburn beat Alabama as a student. I wanted this win so badly, because it meant a trip to the SEC Championship game as well. The atmosphere wasn’t comparable as ESPN College Gameday was on campus for the first time during my tenure as a student. The #6 Auburn Tigers had just knocked off #1 Georgia two weeks prior and came ready to play!

With just about two minutes on the clock and Auburn leading 26-14, the inevitable was in store. Auburn students and fans alike stormed the playing surface with pure joy as the Tigers had just knocked off the #1 team in the nation for the second time in three weeks! The Tigers were headed to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game!

4. NCAA Tournament Win vs College of Charleston in San Diego (March 9, 2018)

I was fortunate enough to make the trip out to San Diego for Auburn’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2003. The entire trip was incredible as I got to stay at the team hotel and spend lots of time with fellow Auburn fans. The game was close the entire time, but Jared Harper hit two free throws in the closing seconds to seal the 74-70 victory. I had grown up watching NCAA Tournament every year dreaming how cool it would be to watch Auburn play in the tournament. I finally got that opportunity and to see it in person was an indescribable experience.

3. Clinching the Raleigh Regional with a 15-7 Victory over NC State (June 3rd, 2018)

Visiting North Carolina in Chapel Hill and Duke Univeristy in Durham would be a highlight for most any trip. But seeing Auburn and Coach Butch Thompson do something special in person tops everything. Auburn played their best baseball of the entire season in the three games at Raleigh, ending with a 15-7 victory over a strong NC State team at their home field. The moment was incredible when those guys came flying over the dugout wall to celebrate with each other and advancing to their first Super Regional in 19 years!

2. Basketball Clinching the Regular Season SEC Championship (March 3, 2018)

Auburn has not won anything in basketball since the days of Kyle Davis and has struggled greatly the last 15 years. Coach Pearl built the program in just four seasons from the bottom of the SEC to the very top. This was only sweeter considering everything Auburn had gone through that season, with the Chuck Person FBI investigation and two of the teams best players being ruled ineligible for the entire season.

The moment that clock hit zero, I reminisced about how far this program has come in the Pearl era. Following the game, South Carolina head coach Frank Martin said to the press that the Tigers have created “as good a home court environment as I’ve ever been in.” After getting celebratory pictures on the court, I headed over to Plainsman Park. The Auburn baseball team finish a doubleheader with Brigham Young, earning 21-4 and 9-5 victories. It truly was a great day to be an Auburn Tiger!

1. Women’s College World Series Final Round Game 2 (June 7, 2016)

This was the closest I’ve ever been to seeing Auburn winning a national championship. The entire game could not have been scripted better. From Tiffany Howard’s amazing catch to Emily Carosone’s clutch grand slam, game two of the WCWS Final was an event I’ll never forget. It also did not hurt I got to sit by Jay Jacobs, Bruce Pearl, and Gus Malzahn. The overall experience will likely never be matched just because everything that happened that day. I was so fortunate and blessed to get the opportunity to make the trip out to Oklahoma City with two of my good friends, Clint and Daniel Richardson, and had a wonderful week plus exploring the area.

Honorable Mentions:

TJ Dunan’s buzzer beater vs Mercer (December 18, 2016)

Defeating Murray State in Kentucky (December 19, 2017)

Thumping UCONN basketball on the Plains (December 23, 2017)

Auburn will always be home. These are just a few of the amazing moments I have had during my time as a student. I can’t wait to see what the upcoming season has in store!