Good morning. The No. 14 Auburn gymnastics team hosts rival No. 7 Alabama tonight at 8 p.m. CT, and fans are encouraged to be prepared for a full arena—go here for ticketing and parking info.
 
Here are a couple of reminders for fans during the meet…

• WEAR ORANGE!

• It's Rodeo Night in Neville Arena—orange cowboy hats will be available for fans (while supplies last), and students have a chance to win Auburn rodeo tickets!

In more gymnastics news, Junior Sophia Groth joined the Flipping Out Podcast to chat about Auburn's unmatched fanbase and the energy that Neville Arena brings to the team. Gear up for the game by watching on YouTube or listening anywhere you get your podcasts!

What else can you find mixed into today’s Brew?

⚾️ Bobby Peirce and Ike Irish earn preseason All-SEC recognition
🎾 Women’s tennis begins run at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships
🐅 And much, much more!

WAREAGLE+: FACE-TO-FACE - HAL BAIRD

Legendary Auburn Baseball coach Hal Baird sits down with Andy Burcham for a Face-to-Face interview to talk about his amazing life and career.

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Baptism By 🔥. Opening Day on The Plains arrives this afternoon as No. 20/19 Auburn softball prepares for a tough test to open the 2024 season, welcoming Virginia Tech, Belmont and Illinois to Jane B. Moore Field for the Tiger Invite.
 
"Out of our first nine games, we'll play five ranked opponents," head coach Mickey Dean said. "We wanted to have an early test. We feel that we have a strong team in all areas, but we really need to see who we are and where we are in the beginning so we can work on those areas ahead of SEC play. That was the idea behind our schedule."
 
A top-25 battle awaits the Tigers in their first contest of the season when Auburn faces No. 23 Virginia Tech at 1 p.m. CT on Friday. Auburn is facing the Hokies for the first time in over a decade, and it marks the first time Auburn has opened a season with a top-25 opponent since taking down No. 1 Oklahoma in 2017.

Go here for more info on what the first 100 fans at the field will receive on Opening Day on The Plains, upcoming contests and the ones to watch.

🔼 Accolades in Spades. Auburn standouts Ike Irish and Bobby Peirce have earned preseason All-SEC recognition, the Southeastern Conference announced Thursday. Irish was tabbed the First Team Preseason All-SEC designated hitter/utility player, and Peirce was named a Second Team Preseason All-SEC outfielder.

This is the second preseason recognition for Irish, who was named NCBWA Preseason Second Team All-America earlier this week, and the first for Peirce.

Irish finished last season seventh in the league and fourth among freshmen nationally in hits, while his batting average was good for a top-10 mark in the SEC.

Elected a Legacy Leader by his peers for 2024, Peirce returns to The Plains coming off a 2023 campaign in which he hit a career-best .343 and is the Tigers’ most experienced returning position player with 102 games played and 85 starts.

🔼 Final Meet, First Chance. Auburn Swim and Dive gets ready for its final meet of the year before championship season. The Tigers host Alabama, Georgia Tech, Florida State and Emory for the AU Invitational today and tomorrow inside the James E. Martin Aquatic Center. The action begins at 10 a.m. CT on both days.

Head coach Ryan Wochomurka and his crew are coming off a dominant performance in Tuscaloosa over in-state rival Alabama. Both the women's and men's teams earned victories over the Crimson Tide.
 
Entering the weekend, the Auburn men are sitting at No. 10 in the latest CSCAA Coaches Poll, with the women boasting a No. 15 ranking.
 
The Orange and Blue have their sights set on the SEC Championships Feb. 19-24. Auburn will host the event for the first time since 2020 and the eighth time in program history.

🔼 Not-So-Sleepless in Seattle. No. 14 Auburn will begin its run at the 2024 ITA National Team Indoor Championships this weekend in Seattle. The event takes place at the Nordstrom Tennis Center and Seattle Tennis Club. This marks Auburn's third consecutive appearance in the championships.
 
Teams will compete in the opening round today, the quarterfinal round and consolation matches will be held on Saturday, the semifinals and additional consolation matches will take place on Sunday. The finals will be held on Monday.
 
Auburn earned its bid to the prestigious event by defeating Denver and No. 15 Duke during ITA Kickoff Weekend in Durham last month. It also swept a doubleheader at home against Texas Tech and South Alabama before making the trip to the West Coast.
 
Live video and stats for each match are available online at wearecollegetennis.com.

🔼 Lickety Split. The Auburn track & field team will split the squad between the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson, South Carolina, and the Music City Challenge in Nashville, Tennessee, today and tomorrow.  

Action from the Clemson University Indoor Complex will begin today at 10 a.m. CT with the men's weight throw while action from the Vanderbilt Multipurpose Facility begins Saturday at 9 a.m. CT with the women's shot put.  

Going toe-to-toe with Auburn in Music City will be the host Vanderbilt, Georgia, South Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, and Samford.  

In Clemson, the Tigers will line up against Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas A&M and the host Clemson. 

"You are going to see a lot more competitive track and field from the Tigers as we move into the championship season," Auburn Track & Field head coach Leroy Burrell said

Go here for the full scoop and how to access live results from both events.

🔼 They Play Tennis in the Midwest, Don’tcha Know. Men's tennis is set for two road tests this weekend, battling Wisconsin on Friday and Notre Dame on Sunday. Auburn's match against Wisconsin is set for 5:30 p.m. CT on Friday, and its Sunday match with Notre Dame will be played at 11 a.m. CT. These two contests will mark the Tigers' first road dual matches of the season.

Wisconsin has had a difficult start to its 2023-24 campaign, dropping each of its six matches this season. The Tigers have never lost a match in the all-time series, leading 5-0.
 
"It'll be somewhat of a long travel day on Saturday heading into Notre Dame, who arguably might have one of the best number ones in the country," said Coach Bobby Reynolds. "Also, the courts are going to be a little bit quicker, so we have to make sure that we are practicing and adjusting to that."

Go here for more info, including live video and stats for both matches.

🤔 TIGER TRIVIA

🐅 ONE BIG THING

Not All Heroes Wear Capes. Help Auburn Athletics and Ford recognize and honor military personnel and their families from right here in Alabama. Nominate a veteran in your life TODAY for the chance to be honored at an Auburn Athletics event!

🏆 VICTORY FORMATION

We’re calling on YOU to be part of our On To Victory movement! 

Become a member of On To Victory today to support Auburn student-athletes. Your support fuels their success and our success. Let's go, Auburn Family!

📬 FORWARDED BY A FRIEND

Did someone send you the Bodda Getta Daily Brew? Well, the first thing you should do is thank them. The next thing you should do is subscribe here and get it in your inbox every weekday morning just in time for your first cup of coffee!

📅 THE WEEK AHEAD

Friday 2/9

⛳️ Men's Golf vs (R1) Amer Ari Invitational

🌊 Swimming & Diving vs. Auburn Invitational

👟 XC/Track @ Tiger Paw Invitational

👟 XC/Track @ Music City Challenge | Live Video

🎾 Women’s Tennis vs. ITA National Team Indoor Championships

🥎 Softball vs. Virginia Tech @ 1 p.m. CT on SEC Network+ | Live Video | Live Stats | Tickets 

🥎 Softball vs. Belmont @ 4 p.m. CT on SEC Network+ | Live Stats | Tickets 

🎾 Men’s Tennis @ Wisconsin | Live Stats 

🤸🏼‍♂️ Gymnastics vs. Alabama @ 8 p.m. CT on SEC Network | Tickets 

Saturday 2/10

👟 XC/Track @ Tiger Paw Invitational

👟 XC/Track @ Music City Challenge | Live Video

🎾 Women’s Tennis vs. ITA National Team Indoor Championships

⛳️ Men's Golf vs (R1) Amer Ari Invitational

🐎 Equestrian at Georgia

🌊 Swimming & Diving vs. First Chance Meet

🥎 Softball vs. Virginia Tech @ 1 p.m. CT on SEC Network+ | Live Video | Live Stats | Tickets 

🥎 Softball vs. Illinois @ 4 p.m. CT on SEC Network+ | Live Video | Live Stats | Tickets 

🏀 Men’s Basketball @ Florida @ 2:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network | Live Audio 

Sunday 2/11

🎾 Women’s Tennis vs. ITA National Team Indoor Championships

🎾 Men’s Tennis vs. Notre Dame | Live Stats 

🏀 Women’s Basketball @ Missouri @ 1 p.m. CT on ESPN2 100.3 | Live Video | Live Stats 

🥎 Softball vs. Belmont @ 2 p.m. CT on SEC Network+ | Live Video | Live Stats | Tickets 

🐅 Click here to view the entire Auburn Athletics Calendar

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Ike Irish set an Auburn freshman record with 24 doubles last season.

He also earned SEC All-Freshman Team and Auburn Regional All-Tournament Team honors.

Irish led Auburn in average (.361), hits (86) and doubles (24) while ranking second in RBI (50) and total bases (130) and third in runs (48). His 24 doubles were good for the sixth most in program history, including the most since 2005, and were tied for second most in the SEC and the most among freshmen nationally.

 🐅 Have a great Friday, y’all