Auburn HS baseball back at T-Mobile for first time since 2007

Trojans were defeated 3-1 by Metro League’s No. 2 Ballard.

By Benjamin Ray • April 24, 2024 2:00 pm

The last time Auburn High School played inside the home of the Seattle Mariners was back in 2007. Then named Safeco Field, the Trojans fell in the state championship to Issaquah High School.

On April 20, the men of Troy were back on the big stage during a regular season non-league game against Ballard inside T-Mobile Park.

“It was great. It’s good for the kids. I’ve played here years ago back when state was here. We played a good game, we just couldn’t hit the ball when we needed to,” Head Coach Gordy Elliott said.

The Trojans couldn’t quite click on offense and fell to the Beavers, 3-1. But the night wasn’t about the final score. It was about being in baseball heaven for three hours and having a shared memory that will last a lifetime.

It’s been a rocky road to say the least for the Trojan baseball team. The first 10 games of the season saw them going just 2-8. But the Trojans have found their way into the playoff picture in a battle for the number four spot in the league.

With five games left, Auburn is tied with Riverside for fourth place and just a half-game behind Thomas Jefferson High School for third.

One man that can get the Trojans to playoff baseball is Freddy Frias. He started on the bump for Auburn at T-Mobile and had two lights-out innings, but ran into some trouble in the third. His final line was 3 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 4K , 3 BB. By T-Mobile Park rules, pitchers can only throw three innings.

“He might have had a little bit of nerves… He did a good job and we have a couple of important series coming up, and we need him to be on in these upcoming games,” Elliott said.

The Trojans took a 1-0 lead over Ballard in the second inning on some combination play from the middle of the lineup. Kaiden McDaniel hit a leadoff single and Chase Rankin drove him in with a single of his own after McDaniel advanced on an errant pick-off move from Ballard.

Auburn viewed this game as a way to get their momentum going in the right direction moving forward. Despite falling to a metro side fighting for a league title, if Auburn can find a way to get going, the time is now.

“I think it is going to help us with these last five games and get us into district. We need to play well and I hope that we do,” Elliott said.