Auburn baseball is less than 24 hours from hosting an NCAA Regional for the second consecutive year at Plainsman Park for the first time in program history.

The Tigers (34-21-1) will look to Chase Allsup as the starting pitcher when the team opens their regional action against Penn (32-14) at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+ and the Auburn Sports Network.

Allsup is looking to bounce back from a five-inning outing where he allowed three runs on three hits in a loss against Vanderbilt in Auburn’s second game of the tournament.

Auburn had a chance to win the game when Bryson Ware hit his 23rd home run of the season and tied Hunter Morris (2010) for the single-season record. He broke the record in the tournament-ending loss against Alabama with Morris as an assistant coach for the Crimson Tide. It was the second time Ware hit home runs this season on three consecutive days.

Ware enters the game against Penn with a nine-game hitting streak and an 18-game reached base streak. He’s got five homers in the last six games. Don’t mistake Ware for an old-school masher that’s either feast or famine with home runs and strikeouts. He’s also reached base in 54 of Auburn’s 56 games this season.

Next up on the mound would likely be Tommy Vail on Saturday in the second game for the Tigers against either Southern Miss (41-17) or Samford (36-23). Ideally, for Auburn, Vail’s turn would come with a chance to push the team toward a regional final.

Vail struggled with finding the plate during his 3 2/3 inning outing, where he allowed four walks to five strikeouts and gave up five runs against Missouri last week at the SEC Tournament. It wasn’t what Vail would’ve wanted for himself, but Auburn got the win.

Wins in Vail’s starts are becoming a trend for the Tigers heading into the NCAA Tournament. Vail is 5-1, and Auburn has won 14 of the 16 games he pitched this season. Vail also leads the team in ERA (3.46), strikeouts (77), innings pitched (65), and batting average against (.181).

Chase Isbell contributed to Auburn’s win against Missouri at the Hoover Met. Isbell pitched three scoreless innings and earned the win in the tournament-opening contest. It wasn’t an easy outing, as he allowed two walks and three hits but pitched out of danger.

Isbell could have something figured out in postseason play. He threw scoreless outings in Corvallis Super Regional against Oregon State and College World Series last year.

Auburn bounced back from a 5-10 start in SEC play to a 12-3 finish, with contributions from several hitters and pitchers. The Tigers hope to keep the party rolling as the No. 13 national seed, hosting Penn Friday at 6 p.m. CT and on Saturday, will play either Samford or Southern Miss.

If you’re lucky enough to have a ticket to the sold-out series, remember that Plainsman Park gates open one hour before the first pitch. The stadium will be cleared of fans between all regional games.

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group.