After a stellar career on the Plains, Auburn baseball star Ike Irish is heading to the Baltimore Orioles as the No. 19 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, becoming the 10th first-round draft pick in program history and the fourth under head coach Butch Thompson’s tutelage.
A dynamic left-handed slugger, and widely considered as one of the best hitters in the 2025 draft class, Irish finished his junior campaign with a team-high .364 batting average, 78 hits, 19 home runs – 13 of which came in 28 SEC games – and was second on the team with 58 RBIs.
Helping lead the Tigers to a Super Regional – the first-ever at Plainsman Park – Irish possesses the ability to suit up behind the dish as a catcher, or play in the outfield – where he spent the majority of last season after fracturing his right scapula on a hit by a pitch in the early goings of the season.
Irish – who went through the MLB Draft process as an elite high school prospect – was rated as the No. 39 player in the country by Perfect Game out of St. Mary’s Preparatory high school in Michigan. He helped lead the program to a 44-0 record and a Collegiate Baseball, MaxPreps and Perfect Game National Championship as he was named 2022 MaxPreps and Collegiate Baseball First Team All-American.
This offseason alone, Irish became the seventh consensus All-American in program history as he was named First Team All-America by D1 Baseball. In addition, he earned first-team honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association, Baseball America, College Baseball Foundation and Perfect Game.
Irish is the fifth player in program history to amass at least 200 hits, 45 doubles, 35 home runs and 150 RBIs – joining Frank Thomas, Josh Etheredge, Todd Faulkner and Gabe Gross on the list.
The Tigers will await results from the remainder of the draft in hopes of hearing names such as Sam Dutton, Cooper McMurray, Parker Carlson, Carson Myers and other draft-eligible names called.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
