Good morning. Auburn soccer senior Maddie Simpson went out with a bang, burying a pair of goals (hence the “brace”) in the sixth and 74^th minutes to secure the Tigers’ 3-0 defeat over LSU Sunday night for her last game on the Plains.
 
Simpson recorded the 89^th brace in program history with the seventh and eighth goals of her career.
 
What else are we mixing into today’s Brew?

⚾️ Revered Auburn coach Hal Baird honored with prestigious award
🏐 Volleyball wins a five-set thriller over South Carolina
🐅 And much, much more!

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📈 STOCK UP

🔼 In a League of His Own. It’s been said that good coaches change games but great coaches change lives, and that’s what was seen on Friday night at Plainsman Park. Surrounded by dozens of the Auburn baseball players he coached from 1985-2000, Hal Baird received the Jack Meagher Award from the legendary football coach's grandchildren.

Presented since 2004 to a person with Auburn affiliation who has contributed significantly to society through athletics, Baird was eloquent when conveying what the award means to him.

"This is a wonderful honor," Baird told attendees at a ceremony on the concourse of Auburn's baseball stadium, the sun setting behind him.

"When I first came to Auburn, I did the best I could to familiarize myself with Auburn's history. It didn't take me very long to be able to say Meagher's Marauders," said Baird, referencing the nickname of the teams Meagher coached on the Plains from 1934-42, including the program's first two bowl appearances.

"I know how judicious Auburn University is when it goes about the process of naming an award for one of its iconic figures like your grandfather was," Baird told the Meagher family. "That even makes it more special."

Auburn's winningest coach in any sport, Baird's teams amassed 634 victories and advanced to the College World Series in 1994 and 1997.

"It's a who's who in Auburn's athletic history, and it's a high-rent neighborhood to be in," said Baird of an honor he now shares with program greats such as Bo Jackson, Pat Sullivan, Mike Kolen, and Rowdy Gaines.

Esteemed for the way he directed Auburn's baseball program, Baird's former players credited their coach for instilling in them a professionalism that carried them to success in baseball, business, and interpersonally.

"He means a lot more to us than he probably knows," said Tim Hudson, who credits Baird for helping him refine the pitching repertoire and approach that helped Hudson win 222 Major League Baseball games. "My family loves him with all of our heart.

"He taught me how to be a professional on the baseball field. There was a certain standard he had here at Auburn. You carried yourself a little differently than most people do. It was a direct reflection of him as the leader of the team. He was a true professional."

Gregg Olson, the 1989 American League Rookie of the Year who recorded 217 MLB saves, chose Auburn over Mississippi State in part because of the Tigers' high-powered offense, not fully knowing just how high the caliber of pitching instruction he would receive.

"He was unbelievable," Olson said. "It was such a blessing. I had no earthly idea that I was going to be walking into the best pitching coach in the country.

After Friday evening's ceremony, Baird officially received the Jack Meagher Award Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, giving 88,043 fans a chance to tip their cap once more to one who is most deserving of the gesture.

Some more Brew headlines to make your day ⏬

🏈 Are you game-day ready for the upcoming game against Mississippi State? Make sure!

🗣 Coach Hugh Freeze previews the upcoming game against the Bulldogs.

🥎 Congratulations to Mickey Dean on his induction into the Radford Athletics Hall of Fame.

👀 Catch one-half of Maddie Simpson’s brace. ⚽️

🏐 Check out this epic block by Kendal Kemp during the five-set thriller against South Carolina.

🔼 All Hail Crouch ‘n’ Crew. No. 23 Auburn Volleyball (15-5, 5-4) captured yet another five-set thriller over South Carolina (8-10, 2-7) in front of a raucous Neville Arena crowd (25-22, 19-25, 25-24, 24-26, 17-15).
 
It took a moment for the Tigers to settle into the opening set. Senior setter Jackie Barrett ran an offense that hit .289 in the opening frame as Madison Scheer did what she does best by laying down four kills while Kyla Swanson and Bella Bell each collected three.
 
Tough serving from the Gamecocks made it difficult for Auburn to gain any rhythm in the second stanza. Even when Bel Zimmerman conjured up one of her patented scoring runs from the service line, the Tigers still found themselves playing from behind. Thankfully, this season has shown that this is when they come on the strongest.
 
To say the start of the third set wasn't ideal might've been an understatement. Stuck in the same rotation, South Carolina opened up on an 8-1 run.
However, Crouch's crew showed no signs of panic. Methodically, the Tigers began to claw their way back. An Akasha Anderson kill here, a Zimmerman ace there, and all of a sudden it was game on as Auburn trailed by only one halfway through, 14-15.
 
The fourth frame proved to be a knock-down drag-out fight once more. Scheer piled up eight more kills on her way to a career-high 24 on .333 hitting.
 
Three aces from the away side, though, plus unforced errors from the Tigers allowed South Carolina to steal the set in extra points, sending the match into a fifth set for the third time in as many meetings.
 
Tensions were at an all-time high in the fifth, and when tensions rise, so does the talent of Crouch’s crew.
 
Even when Auburn trailed, 9-11, the Tiger defense stood strong to help swing the momentum back to the Orange and Blue. Paige Thibault and Sydney Handel came up with huge digs, keeping points alive as the match drifted into extra points. On the fourth match point, Kendal Kemp had enough and rejected the final Gamecock attack, solidifying another dramatic win over South Carolina.
 
The victory also marked Coach Brent Crouch's 50th on the plains, making him the fastest coach to do so in the rally-scoring era.

🔼 Chip Off the Old Block. This week on the Talking Tigers Podcast, we’ve got the only son of Shug Jordan, Ralph Jordan Jr., who grew up during a golden era of Auburn Football. His father guided the Tigers to the 1957 National Championship. Shug was the coach for the 1972 Iron Bowl football game between the Auburn Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide—since nicknamed Punt, Bama, Punt!—in which Auburn blocked two Alabama punts and ran them back for touchdowns to win the game. Shug also coached Auburn's first Heisman Trophy winner, Pat Sullivan.

Shug Jordan was also a veteran of World War II. He was injured in the D-Day invasion and served in both the European and Pacific theaters of the war. This interview is the first of a two-part series.

Check out the podcast for more.

🤔 TIGER TRIVIA

Sweep the Leg. The 1970s were all about bell bottoms, disco, and apparently Auburn showing no mercy against Mississippi State in football.

The year was 1970, and it was Auburn’s biggest win in history over State. Do you know what the final score was?

Think you know? Scroll down to the bottom to find out.

🐅 ONE BIG THING

The Superfans Have Spoken. The hype is real. Reserved season tickets are now SOLD OUT! All is not lost, however, as General Admission season tickets still remain for only $50. Single-game tickets are also on sale NOW.

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📅 THE WEEK AHEAD

Tuesday 10/24

🎾 Women’s Tennis @ ITF 80K

Wednesday 10/25

🎾 Women’s Tennis @ ITF 80K

🌊 Swimming & Diving @ Missouri

🌊 Swimming & Diving vs. Indiana

Thursday 10/26

🎾 Women’s Tennis @ ITF 80K

⚽️ Soccer @ Georgia @ 5:00 p.m. CT

Friday 10/27

🎾 Women’s Tennis @ ITF 80K

🎾 Women’s Tennis @ Roberta Alison Invitational

🏃🏻‍♂️ Men’s Cross Country SEC Championship @ 9:30 a.m. CT

🏃🏽‍♀️ Women’s Cross Country SEC Championship @ 9:45 a.m. CT

🐎 Equestrian vs. South Carolina @ 3:00 p.m. CT

🏐 Volleyball @ Georgia @ 6:00 p.m. CT on SEC Network | Live Video 

Saturday 10/28

🎾 Women’s Tennis @ ITF 80K

🎾 Women’s Tennis @ Roberta Alison Invitational

🏈 Football vs. Mississippi State @ 2:30 p.m. CT

Sunday 10/29

🎾 Women’s Tennis @ ITF 80K

⚽️ Soccer SEC Tournament

🏐 Volleyball @ Alabama @ 11:00 a.m. CT on SEC Network | Live Video 

🐅 Click here to view the entire Auburn Athletics Calendar

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Auburn’s biggest win against Mississippi State ended in a score of 56-0!

Auburn's biggest win over MSU came in 1970 when they obliterated the Bulldogs, battering them 56-0.

Another fun fact: Their longest winning streak over State is 16 games (1964-1979).

🐅 Have a great Tuesday, y’all