Auburn Tigers Cap Off Regular Season in Storybook Fashion With Peralta’s Dramatic Walk-Off That Electrifies Plainsman Park

There’s something about baseball in May that invites magic. The air is different. The weight of the season hangs heavier with each pitch, each swing. And on a sun-drenched Saturday afternoon in Auburn, Alabama, that magic found a home at Plainsman Park as the Auburn Tigers concluded their regular season in the most dramatic fashion imaginable — with a walk-off single by freshman sensation Angel Peralta that sent teammates pouring out of the dugout and fans roaring in disbelief.

For a team that has battled through ups and downs all season, Auburn could not have scripted a more fitting finale. In front of a near-capacity crowd, with the scoreboard locked in a tight game and the tension so thick you could cut it with a bat, Peralta delivered the moment that will be etched into Auburn baseball lore.

Coming into the bottom of the ninth tied 4-4 with rival Mississippi State, Auburn found themselves with runners on second and third and two outs. The stage was set. Coach Butch Thompson, never one to shy away from trusting his younger players in big spots, kept Peralta in the lineup, and the freshman delivered like a veteran.

On a 2-1 count, Peralta turned on a hanging slider and smacked it through the right side. The ball shot past the second baseman, rolling into shallow right field as the runner from third came sprinting home. The dugout erupted, the crowd erupted, and Plainsman Park turned into a sea of orange and blue jubilation. Peralta, barely able to contain his own disbelief, rounded first base as his teammates swarmed him.

It was a poetic ending to a regular season that saw Auburn claw back from adversity on more than one occasion. The Tigers entered the series with their SEC Tournament berth all but secured, but momentum was the name of the game. A strong finish could mean a better seed. More importantly, it could mean confidence — the kind of swagger that propels a team deep into the postseason. With that in mind, Auburn took the field against Mississippi State looking to send a message.

Throughout the afternoon, it was a back-and-forth affair. Auburn jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the second inning behind a two-run blast from senior catcher Nate LaRue, who has provided steady leadership all season. But Mississippi State responded quickly with three runs in the fourth, capitalizing on a pair of defensive miscues and a timely double to seize a 3-2 advantage.

From there, it became a pitching duel. Auburn starter Drew Nelson, in perhaps his grittiest performance of the year, limited further damage and gave the Tigers a chance. He scattered seven hits over six innings, walking just one and striking out five. Nelson’s ability to minimize big innings kept Auburn within striking distance and gave the bullpen a manageable workload.

In the bottom of the seventh, Auburn tied it up with a sacrifice fly from Ike Irish, who has blossomed into one of the team’s most consistent hitters. Then, with two outs in the eighth and a runner on third, sophomore third baseman Caden Green dropped a bunt down the third-base line. It wasn’t textbook — more of a gutsy, instinctive play — but it worked. The runner scored and Auburn took a 4-3 lead.

But just as quickly as Auburn had claimed the advantage, Mississippi State stole it back in the top of the ninth with a clutch solo homer off Tigers reliever Will Cannon, setting the stage for Peralta’s heroics in the bottom half.

Baseball, especially in the SEC, is a grind. The season is long. Injuries happen. Slumps happen. For every walk-off, there are countless strikeouts. For every big win, there are heartbreaking losses. But the walk-off — that’s the golden moment. It’s the payoff. And for Peralta, it was the culmination of a freshman season marked by growth, confidence, and undeniable potential.

Angel Peralta wasn’t even supposed to be the hero this early. When the season began, he was more of a depth piece, a player expected to develop over time. But baseball doesn’t follow scripts. Peralta played his way into more innings with sharp defense, clutch plate appearances, and the kind of baseball IQ that made coaches take notice. Saturday’s walk-off didn’t just win the game; it affirmed everything the coaching staff believed about the young infielder.

In the postgame huddle, Butch Thompson didn’t hold back. “That’s what this team is all about,” he said. “Resilience. Belief. Fight. Every guy in that locker room has had a moment this year. And today, it was Peralta’s turn. He’s earned it. They’ve all earned this.”

The win also underscored the strength of Auburn’s culture — one built not just on talent, but on togetherness. Throughout the season, whether it was battling through tough SEC road trips, adjusting to injuries, or integrating new players into key roles, the Tigers never splintered. They leaned on each other. Saturday’s victory was as much about that unity as it was about any one play.

Veteran leaders like LaRue and Bryson Ware have shouldered the load on and off the field, helping younger players like Peralta, Green, and Irish find their footing. The result has been a team that looks dangerous at exactly the right time. Peaking in May is the dream of every coach. And with the postseason looming, Auburn seems to be doing just that.

With the regular season now officially in the books, Auburn finishes with a record of 34-21 overall and 15-15 in SEC play — a mark that should earn them a solid seed in the conference tournament. More importantly, they head into Hoover with the kind of emotional lift that only a walk-off win can provide.

For the fans at Plainsman Park, many of whom stayed long after the final run crossed the plate, the afternoon felt like a reward. They had weathered the highs and lows alongside the team, and Saturday gave them something unforgettable. Kids waved hats. Parents hugged. Students screamed Peralta’s name. It was a celebration not just of one win, but of a journey — one filled with late nights, hard practices, and moments where it would’ve been easy to fold.

The Tigers didn’t fold. They never do under Butch Thompson. This is a team that plays hard-nosed baseball, that thrives in pressure, that finds a way. That’s been the story all season, and Saturday’s finale was simply the exclamation point.

As the SEC Tournament awaits and Auburn begins preparing for the road to Omaha, they’ll carry with them more than just a win. They’ll carry the memory of a walk-off. They’ll carry the confidence that comes from finishing strong. And they’ll carry the belief — the kind of belief you can’t coach — that in any game, at any moment, someone will step up.

On this day, that someone was Angel Peralta. And on this day, the Auburn Tigers wrote a storybook ending to the regular season that won’t soon be forgotten on the Plains.