Good Morning, Auburn Family. Don’t call him a closer.

While sophomore reliever Ryan Hetzler leads No. 4 Auburn with seven saves, he defines his role differently.

“I’m an outs collector,” Hetzler said. “I don’t see myself as a closer, I see myself as an outs collector.”

The difference, you may ask?

“All the closers in the league, they have amazing stuff,” Hetzler said. “I don’t think I have that, but I just collect outs, and I know how to handle innings.”

Hetzler has handled 31.2 innings in his first Auburn season, collecting 95 outs. At 5-foot-11, 176 pounds, he mixes a fastball, slider and changeup to keep hitters off balance.

⚾️ : MORE ON HETZLER

What else have we mixed into today’s steaming hot Brew? Check it out below!

🎾 Hrastar + Bennett selected to participate in US Open Wild Card Playoffs
👟 Valdes and Koivun named First Team All-American
🐅 And much, much more!

🔼 Aces Are Wild. Auburn junior DJ Bennett and graduate student Ava Hrastar have been selected to participate in the US Open Wild Card Playoffs. Bennett is one of four players in the women’s singles field, while she and Hrastar are one of four teams selected for the doubles competition.

The USTA’s newly announced event aims to more than double the average number of college athletes receiving US Open wild cards. A total of six wild card entries are guaranteed. Winners of the singles and doubles competitions will earn main draw wild cards for the US Open, while the men’s and women’s singles runners-up will receive wild cards into the qualifying draw.

🔼 “Hold My Clubs.” Senior Brendan Valdes and sophomore Jackson Koivun of Auburn men’s golf were among the 10 Division I players to be named a First Team All-American by PING and the Golf Coaches Association of America Wednesday. Koivun and Valdes became the first two players in program history to be named two-time First Team All-Americans.

Not only has the duo amassed a joint resume that includes four individual wins, 17 top-10 finishes, 51 subpar rounds and over 300 birdies, but they were also Auburn’s low men at the 2025 NCAA Championship, where they led the Tigers to the program’s third Elite Eight appearance.

🏆 : MORE ON THEIR ACCOLADES

🤓 TIGER TRIVIA

🐅 ONE BIG THING

Plainsman = Place to Be. The No. 4 seed is ready to get to work. Are you ready to do your part as a fan? Go here for everything you need to know about the upcoming Auburn Regional.

🅿️ : PARKING INFO FOR AUBURN BSB REGIONAL

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📅 ON THE DOCKET 

Thursday, May 29
👟 XC/Track @ NCAA Preliminaries in Jacksonville, Florida

Friday, May 30
👟 XC/Track @ NCAA Preliminaries in Jacksonville, Florida
⚾️ No. 4 Baseball vs. Central Connecticut State @ NCAA Auburn Regional @ 6 p.m. CT | Buy Tickets | Regional Central

Saturday, May 31
👟 XC/Track @ NCAA Preliminaries in Jacksonville, Florida
⚾️ No. 4 Baseball vs. NC State/Stetson @ NCAA Auburn Regional @ Time TBA | Regional Central

Sunday, June 1
⚾️ No. 4 Baseball vs. TBA @ NCAA Auburn Regional @ Time TBA | Regional Central

🐅 Go here to view the entire Auburn Athletics Calendar

🧐 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Nine games!

One of only seven programs to host a regional in three of the past four seasons, the Auburn baseball team improved dramatically from last season, going from 8-22 to 17-13 in SEC play against the nation’s toughest schedule. The nine-game turnaround in the league marks the largest by an SEC team in the last decade.

🐅 Happy Thursday, Auburn Fam!