Class 7A baseball: FSU commit Jace Riggan pitches Hewitt-Trussville past Auburn in Game 1
Jace Riggan scored a run as the Huskies’ leadoff hitter and was as dominant as usual on the mound in leading his team to a 4-1 win over Auburn Thursday at Oxford’s Choccolocco Park.
Olivia Bennett 
Hewitt-Trussville junior Jace Riggan proved why he is a Florida State commit, putting on a gutsy display to pitch the Huskies to a 4-1 victory over Auburn in Game 1 of the Class 7A state championship series on Thursday at Oxford’s Choccolocco Park.
Despite taking a hit to the wrist with a pitch, the Huskies' leadoff hitter and ace showed no signs of slowing down, going the distance to keep Hewitt-Trussville just one win away from its first state title in a decade.
A Masterclass on the Mound
Riggan was locked in, facing only 29 batters over seven innings. He racked up eight strikeouts and allowed just four hits—two of which were soft rollers that never cleared the mound—while walking four, including one intentional pass.
“I thought Jace was pretty dominant most of the day,” said Hewitt-Trussville coach Jeff Mauldin. “It was a good win against a high-level team.”
For his part, Riggan credited the Huskies' preparation. “I feel like I could have commanded the zone better early in the count, but big props to coach Mauldin for such good scouting,” Riggan noted. “And big props to our trainer. Every time I’m in the dugout he puts a towel on my neck and kept me cool.”
Key Moments at Choccolocco Park
Auburn struck first in the fifth when South Alabama commit Brady Sack ripped a ground-rule double to left-center, scoring Ryan Farr. However, Riggan clamped down to escape the inning without further damage.
The Huskies answered in the bottom of the frame. After a walk and a hit batter, sophomore Hudson Mitchell delivered a clutch double into the right-field corner, driving in two runs to flip the script. “The first two at-bats I didn’t have a good approach going into the box,” Mitchell said. “But you’ve got to stay confident and know you can do it when you get in a big spot.”
Hewitt-Trussville added breathing room in the sixth with two more runs, fueled by singles from Andrew Walker and Wes Hardy and a pair of bases-loaded walks.
Auburn starter Ethan Wade, an East Carolina commit, was impressive through four scoreless innings before the fifth-inning surge. “Ethan Wade did what he has been doing all year with his quality start,” said Auburn coach Tommy Carter. “Hewitt got the big knock and that was the key to the game. I told them we’ve got to win two games anyway, so we might as well win the last two.”
What's Next
The series shifts to Jacksonville State University for Game 2 on Friday at 4 p.m. If necessary, a deciding third game will follow immediately. As Coach Mauldin emphasized, despite the momentum, “this series is far from over.”
