The SEC placed eight teams — tied for the nation-best total with the Big 12 — into the 64-team tournament. The Tigers, however, were not among them.
Auburn didn't finish with an especially impressive record (31-25, 11-19 SEC). It also didn't play especially well down the stretch.
Before winning four of its last five games, the Tigers lost 12 of 13 SEC games.
Still, Auburn had some reason for hope because it finished ranked 32nd in the RPI, according to WarrenNolan.com.
However, they ended up with the highest RPI of any team not invited to the tournament.
Auburn opened the season 22-10 and 6-6 in the SEC, but watched the season spiral out of control from there. This marked the second consecutive season that Auburn endured a second half swoon.
The Tigers' biggest problem all year came from the mound, where they posted a 6.12 ERA — 10th among SEC teams. The Auburn pitchers also allowed a league-worst .321 batting average against.
Still, Auburn's record-setting offense nearly proved strong enough to muscle the team into the tournament. The Tigers shattered a program single-season record by belting 103 homers — second in the conference to Alabama.
