Slugger Ike Irish announces return to Auburn for 2025 season

Auburn baseball’s season ended on a sour note, but the 2025 season is already off to a great start due to one of its stars announcing his return to the program.

Ike Irish, the team’s leader in several categories in 2024, announced Monday that he plans to return to the program for his junior season.

As a true sophomore in 2024, Irish is not eligible for the upcoming MLB draft. However, his assurance of remaining committed to the program brings a sigh of relief to Auburn fans. The Tigers will lose seven offensive pieces and three pitchers due to a completion of eligibility ahead of the 2025 season. Having Irish’s bat and versatility in the field will be crucial to Auburn’s success next season.

Irish was named to the SEC All-Freshman team in 2023 by recording six home runs and 50 RBI while hitting .361. His average dropped slightly as a sophomore to .319, but he boosted his home run and RBI numbers by recording 14 and 59 respectively despite playing in nine fewer games.

Irish finished the 2024 season by leading the team in average (.319), hits (59), RBI (59), and slugging percentage (.627). He tied Cooper McMurray for the team lead in home runs (14).

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