The Lake Oconee Wild Things recently signed Auburn pitcher Hayden Murphy to its roster, making him one of the first SEC athletes to join the team.
Murphy made his Wild Things debut on June 13 in the team’s matchup with the Atlanta Crackers.
The 6-foot-4 junior pitcher is a native of Chula, Georgia, and debuted with the Wild Things after Auburn’s dynamic 2025 season concluded in the NCAA Super Regionals.
“I was recruiting late into April,” Wild Things head coach Tony Matos said. “I reached out to a bunch of different guys; I reached out to Hayden, but I didn’t get anything back. I thought nothing would happen. And then he reached out to me in late May, letting me know he’d be on board whenever his season got done.”
According to Matos, Murphy hasn’t had as many chances in his college career to “showcase himself” as an athlete. Matos looks forward to seeing what Murphy can bring to the team.
“He has the ability to play at that level, so I don’t think it’s going to be much of a surprise of what we’re going to see,” Matos said. “I think he’s going to bring velocity, show off speed pitches, and he’s going to put on a show.”
According to Auburntigers. com, Murphy made nine appearances on the mound during the 2024-25 college baseball season. During this time, he pitched 6.2 total innings with eight strikeouts, 11 runs, and 11 hits allowed, and 94 strikes thrown in 172 total pitches.
Murphy pitched for three innings during his June 13 debut with Lake Oconee, throwing 20 strikes in 30 total pitches. He struck out four, allowed one hit, and didn’t give up any runs, walks, or earned runs.
Murphy’s debut was the first time he and Matos met in person, and it was the coach’s first time working with a Division I athlete.
“I’m not sure what to expect because, I mean, D1 guys are coming with a lot of talent, so at the same time, it’s like they don’t really need us as much as some of the other guys,” Matos said. “I’ll be right there with all the fans for the first time, seeing what Hayden’s got.”
With Murphy joining the roster, Matos believes that the team’s current pitching situation will improve due to a wider rotation of pitchers available. As a coach, he has found this area to be a struggle throughout the season.
“I’m just hoping that he can get an amount of innings and give our bullpen a little bit of relief,” Matos said. “Staff is just figuring out how to stretch the pitching for a four-game week. So, he’s coming in with perfect timing because that’s getting done with Monday and Wednesday.”
Overall, Matos looks forward to working with Murphy and helping him gain more exposure as an athlete. He believes Murphy will help motivate the team for the season.
“He’s going to give us a chance, and I think that’s something that we badly need right now because we’re kind of in a little bit of a rut,” Matos said. “We’re just giving these guys a platform to do this thing, and I’m glad he chose us to do that.”