AUBURN, Ala. The No. 4 Auburn Tigers have won six consecutive Southeastern Conference series for the first time since 1995, and at the heart of this historic run is a freshman who is quickly becoming one of the most feared hitters in the league .
Ethin Bingaman, a utility player from Redlands, California, has been named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week for the third time this season following a dominant performance in Auburn’s road series victory over Mississippi State .
The award, announced by the league office on Monday, marks the ninth Freshman of the Week honor for an Auburn player this season and solidifies Bingaman’s status as a cornerstone of the Tigers’ lineup as they approach the postseason .
Dominance in Starkville
The Tigers entered Dudy Noble Field looking to bounce back after dropping the series opener. Behind Bingaman’s clutch hitting, Auburn did exactly that, securing the program’s first series win in Starkville since 2017 .
In the three-game set against the Bulldogs, Bingaman went 5-for-12 at the plate, scoring three runs, driving in three RBI, and launching his tenth home run of the season .
His most significant contributions came in the pressure-packed final two games. In the middle game a tight 5-4 Auburn victory Bingaman delivered a two-out RBI single in the fifth inning to provide the Tigers with a crucial insurance run .
However, it was the series finale where the freshman truly left his mark. With Auburn already leading, Bingaman stepped to the plate in the top of the fifth inning and blasted a two-run home run over the left-field wall, capping off a five-run explosion that extended the lead to 8-0 . The Tigers would go on to win via run-rule, 13-2, improving to 6-1 in rubber matches this season .
A Historic Hot Streak
Bingaman’s production is not a recent development; it has been the engine behind Auburn’s ascent to the top of the SEC standings. During Auburn’s six-series winning streak, Bingaman leads the entire team with a staggering .394 batting average (26-for-66) .
During that stretch, he has accumulated 20 runs scored, six home runs, and 23 RBI, proving to be one of the most reliable run-producers in the conference .
On the season, Bingaman has recorded 46 runs, 10 home runs, and 36 RBI . He currently leads all SEC freshmen with 27 RBI in conference play, and his seven home runs against SEC opponents are tied for the most among first-year players .
Early-Season Fireworks
Bingaman’s ability to perform on big stages was evident long before SEC play heated up. The freshman first introduced himself to the national audience in February during the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
In a neutral-site matchup against Louisville, Bingaman crushed two solo home runs, including a 413-foot bomb in the seventh inning, to lead the then-No. 5 Tigers to a 10-6 victory . Those blasts were the first of his collegiate career and set the tone for a debut season that has exceeded all expectations.
“It felt great,” Bingaman told the Auburn Network after the Arlington game. “Winning three straight shows that we can do a lot” .
Team Momentum and Postseason Outlook
The Tigers (35-15, 16-11 SEC) are entering the final week of the regular season playing their best baseball of the year. The victory over Mississippi State marked the team’s sixth consecutive SEC series win, the program’s longest single-season streak since 1995 .
Auburn is the only team in the league to have won its last six series . With a top-eight national seed in the NCAA Tournament firmly within reach, the Tigers will look to close out the regular season strong. They face a midweek road test at Jacksonville State on Tuesday before returning home to host the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs in a pivotal season-ending series starting Thursday .
Head coach Butch Thompson has praised his team’s resilience, and with Bingaman anchoring the top five of the lineup, the Tigers possess the firepower to make a deep postseason run.
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