With five SEC games still to play, Auburn baseball has been eliminated from postseason contention after it blew a five-run lead and lost to Missouri 12-11 Friday night.

It’s the mathematical end to a frustrating and disappointing season. Auburn was ranked or received votes in several preseason polls this year. Early in the season, Auburn climbed into the D1 Baseball top 25 poll, the most widely accepted college baseball rankings.

But the season spiraled once SEC play began for Auburn against Vanderbilt in March. Auburn has played eight SEC series and lost all of them. It has been swept four times.

Auburn’s SEC record is now 4-21. Auburn’s program record for SEC losses is 22 in 2016, Butch Thompson’s first season as Auburn’s head coach.

This is the sixth season in program history Auburn has lost 20 or more SEC games.

The most detrimental faults for Auburn were inconsistent and unreliable pitching. Midway through SEC play, Auburn had a team ERA above nine in SEC games, more than a run worse than any other team.

Allowing six total runs in the 7th and 8th inning to Missouri — the other team on track to miss the SEC Tournament this year — and in turn blowing a five-run lead is a quite symbolic way for Auburn to see its postseason hopes end.

Over the second half of the SEC schedule, the pitching improved and Auburn’s team ERA decreased by more than a run and Ole Miss surpassed Auburn for the worst team ERA in SEC games.

But as the pitching made steps forward, Auburn’s lineup tailed off due to injuries and poor performance. After a Saturday loss to Ole Miss, Auburn’s two most productive hitters — Ike Irish and Cooper McMurray — had a combined one hit in their last nearly 50 at bats against SEC teams.

How Auburn will close the season now will be with an eye to the future. Thompson has emphasized this season has been difficult and focused on maintaining a group that will not quit on the season, even with nothing to play for at this point.

Thompson will likely keep shuffling his lineup and pitching to see what his best options might be going ahead into next season. Auburn has several key pieces of its lineup in place, but the pitching staff needs to find a reliable or go-to option.

Whether that answer is on this roster as it stands remains to be seen.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at [email protected]