With Mizzou baseball’s season officially in the books — for all the wrong reasons — I figured it was the perfect time to look back at the worst conference records in each SEC team’s history. Just a little something to lift everyone’s spirits.
Disclaimer: Due to rule changes over the years and teams shifting conferences, not all have played a full 30-game SEC schedule. These records reflect each team’s worst conference finish in a season with at least 24 games.
Auburn: 8-22 (2024)
Coming off back-to-back seasons hosting Regionals—including a trip to Omaha in 2022—the 2024 Auburn Tigers, led by ninth-year head coach Butch Thompson, didn’t expect things to go nearly as poorly as they did. Auburn finished last in the SEC West and failed to make a Regional, ending the year outside the Top 50 in RPI for the first time since 2022, at No. 51—one of the lowest rankings in program history. With just eight conference wins for the second straight year and a troubling run differential, 2024 stands as the worst season in school history by that measure.
The struggles for Auburn in 2024 largely stemmed from the mound. Of the entire pitching staff, only one player—Chase Allsup—logged more than 10 starts, and he finished the season with an ERA over 5.50. Behind him, six different pitchers made at least five starts, collectively posting an average ERA above six. The bullpen didn’t offer much relief either, relying on a small core group. Three pitchers made at least 18 appearances, but only four relievers finished with ERAs under 5.00. The most effective out of the pen were Tanner Bauman and John Armstrong, both of whom managed to stay below that threshold.
Offense was the lone bright spot for Auburn in 2024 and the primary reason behind their few SEC wins. In their eight conference victories, the Tigers averaged 8.86 runs per game—production they often needed just to stay competitive. However, the lineup was inconsistent, as Auburn was held to two runs or fewer nine times, winning only one of those games. The team posted a respectable .276 batting average, but that was offset by a pitching staff that allowed opponents to hit nearly .290. Sophomore Ike Irish led the way offensively, pacing the team in average, hits, and RBIs, while ranking second in both doubles and home runs. Among hitters who appeared in at least 25 games, eight batted .275 or better. Still, Auburn ranked near the bottom in most offensive categories across the SEC, finishing ninth in team batting average.