Dutton Delivers Another Scoreless Outing in No. 9 Auburn’s Series-Opening Win

Auburn right-hander Chase Dutton walked off the mound in the seventh inning to a chorus of cheers Friday night, having just completed another masterpiece of a performance. The sophomore flamethrower delivered his second consecutive scoreless outing, leading No. 9 Auburn to a 6-0 victory over visiting Arkansas in the opening game of a crucial SEC series at Plainsman Park.

The Tigers leaned heavily on Dutton’s dominance, which has become a consistent theme over the past month. For a program with Omaha ambitions and a rotation still finding its groove, Dutton’s emergence as a Friday-night ace could not be more timely. On a night when runs were hard to come by early and every pitch felt magnified, he was calm, clinical, and commanding.

Dutton tossed seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits, striking out nine, and walking one. The performance was vintage Dutton—mixing mid-90s heat with a biting slider and a newfound confidence that seems to grow with each start. He worked efficiently, throwing 97 pitches and retiring the final seven batters he faced.

“He’s just in a different zone right now,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. “Chase is throwing with conviction, and you can tell he believes he can get anyone out. That’s what you want from your guy on Friday night. He set the tone for the weekend, and the rest of the team fed off that.”

It was Dutton’s fourth straight quality start and third in a row without allowing an earned run. Over his last 26 innings, he has given up just two earned runs, striking out 34 and walking only five. But beyond the numbers, it’s the composure and presence that have impressed Thompson and the Auburn coaching staff most.

“He’s grown so much since last year,” Thompson added. “There’s a poise and a maturity to how he’s going about things. He’s not getting rattled, not trying to do too much. He’s just executing.”

The Tigers’ offense eventually came alive in the middle innings after being held in check early by Arkansas starter Mason Greene. Auburn broke a scoreless tie in the fourth on a two-out RBI single by sophomore designated hitter Carter Wright, who poked a 2-2 slider into right field to plate Cole Foster from second.

That small spark opened the floodgates for a Tigers lineup that has shown the ability to strike quickly once it gains momentum. Auburn added two more runs in the fifth thanks to back-to-back doubles from senior shortstop Brody Wortham and sophomore slugger Ike Walton, who extended his hitting streak to nine games. Then in the sixth, freshman sensation Gavin Sims launched a two-run homer—his eighth of the year—over the left field wall to push the lead to 5-0.

“We knew once we got one across, things would start rolling,” Sims said. “Chase was dealing out there, so we just had to do our job and give him some run support. We’ve got a lot of confidence in our lineup top to bottom.”

Sims, who has emerged as one of the top freshmen in the SEC, finished the night 2-for-4 with a homer, a double, and three RBIs. His sixth-inning blast electrified the home crowd and effectively put the game out of reach, given the way Dutton was throwing.

“Gavin’s a stud,” Walton said. “He’s not afraid of the moment, and he’s been huge for us all year. That home run was a dagger.”

Behind Dutton, Auburn’s bullpen remained sharp. Junior left-hander Kyle Leonard pitched a clean eighth inning with two strikeouts, and closer Brady Nelson worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth to finish off the shutout. The Tigers did not commit an error and turned two double plays, continuing a trend of strong defense that has accompanied their recent hot streak.

Friday’s win marked Auburn’s eighth in its last nine games and improved the Tigers to 27-10 overall, including 10-5 in SEC play. More importantly, it gave them a leg up in a series that could have significant implications for postseason seeding. With Dutton anchoring the rotation and the offense clicking in key moments, Auburn looks every bit the part of a national contender.

“Every SEC game is a grind, but especially at this point in the year, you want to start the weekend strong,” Thompson said. “That’s a really good team over there in Arkansas, and to hold them scoreless is a testament to how locked in our guys are.”

For Dutton, the performance was the latest affirmation that he’s evolving into the ace Auburn hoped he could be. After showing flashes of brilliance last season in spot starts and midweek appearances, he has taken a leap forward in 2025. His fastball is crisper, his command sharper, and his mentality stronger.

“I’ve been working hard on staying consistent with my mechanics and trusting my stuff,” Dutton said. “Coach Thompson and Coach Bush have helped me a lot with pitch sequencing and keeping hitters off balance. I’m just trying to go out there and compete every time I get the ball.”

Dutton’s development has helped stabilize a rotation that faced question marks early in the season following the graduation of ace Will Sanders and an injury to junior righty Cooper Mills. With Dutton emerging as a go-to guy, the Tigers have found a formula that works—play clean defense, trust the arms, and grind out enough offense to support elite pitching.

The fans at Plainsman Park have taken notice, too. The Friday night atmosphere has grown more electric with each of Dutton’s starts, and the sophomore is quickly becoming a fan favorite. His demeanor on the mound—fiery but focused—has resonated with a fanbase hungry for another deep postseason run.

“He’s a bulldog,” Walton said. “You love playing behind a guy like that because you know he’s going to fight for every out. He gives us energy.”

With two more games left in the series and several key SEC matchups looming, Auburn is hitting its stride at the right time. The pitching staff boasts a team ERA of 3.21, good for second in the conference, and the offense ranks among the league leaders in doubles, walks, and on-base percentage.

Yet for all the firepower and depth, it’s the emergence of a true ace in Dutton that might give the Tigers their biggest edge. In a league where elite starting pitching often separates the contenders from the pretenders, Auburn appears to have found their man.

“We’ve still got a long way to go,” Thompson said. “But when you’ve got a guy who can shut down a lineup like that and give you seven scoreless, it gives you a chance to do something special.”

As the sun set behind the grandstands and the crowd filtered out into the cool April night, there was a sense of quiet confidence around the Auburn clubhouse. The Tigers had won in dominant fashion, yes—but more importantly, they had watched their ace take another step toward greatness.

Dutton, ever modest, shrugged off the praise and pointed to the next challenge.

“I’ll enjoy this one tonight,” he said with a grin, “but I’m already thinking about next week.”

And if the last few weeks are any indication, so is everyone else in the SEC.