Slugging sensation AnnaLea Adams: 'I was meant to be at Auburn'

AUBURN, Ala. – Growing up on the family farm in Liberty, Indiana, AnnaLea Adams balanced complementary commitments: cattle in the barn and a batting cage in the backyard.

She benefited from both.

“We are built different, we truly are,” Adams said of farm kids. “Knowing that there’s stuff you always have to get done, whether it’s feed or water the cattle. Knowing that I’ve always had something that I had to do has helped me work harder. I knew I could go out, feed the cattle then come back and hit 10 balls off the tee.”

Basketball, of course, was also part AnnaLea’s Hoosier state upbringing.

“We spent all summer shooting around in the barnyard,” Adams recalled. “We have an old pig lot that we made into a basketball court.”

After her freshman year at Union County High School, Adams focused solely on softball, a decision that helped her achieve the No. 10 national ranking in her recruiting class, resulting in scholarship offers from coast to coast.

“I knew this was my dream,” she said. “I knew it was going to take all my time to get here.”

Adams’ path to the Plains began Sept. 1, 2022, when former Auburn coach Mickey Dean called to invite AnnaLea, then a high school junior, to visit campus.

“I came down and fell in love with it,” said Adams, a pre-pharmacy major with a horticulture minor who aspires to conduct natural medicine research. “The people here are truly a family. The alumni, the fans, the community, it’s so closeknit and it reminded me so much of home.

“Then I came into the softball facility, and what is there not to love? These are the best softball facilities I’ve ever seen. It’s been amazing since I’ve gotten here. Our tools, our coaches, everything.”

When Dean stepped down after the 2024 season, Adams maintained her commitment to Auburn, playing for first-year co-head coaches Kate and Chris Malveaux.

“I was locked into Auburn,” she said. “I knew whatever happened, I was meant to be at Auburn. From the moment I stepped onto the campus, I just knew. My mom says, ‘I knew when we got here, this is where you were meant to be.’ I’m loyal to Auburn. I love it here. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Adams credits her coaches for helping her hit a team-leading .415 with nine home runs and 35 runs batted in heading into Auburn’s last series before postseason play.

“Chris has really helped me elevate my swing to the next level,” said Adams, whose .392 average in SEC play is the highest ever for an Auburn freshman. “Working with Coach Kate on defense, I’ve learned so many things.”

Chris Malveaux attributes Adams’ instant impact to a blend of competitiveness, work ethic, skill and emotional stability.

“Blue collar perfectionist but in a healthy way,” he said. “With her upbringing, she’s not afraid to fail and she’s not afraid to work for whatever she wants to accomplish. She’s always looking to get better. She’s never satisfied with anything. It’s crazy to see somebody that young who can operate like that. She’s a worker.”

Adams’ process has earned the respect of her teammates.

“They see it’s not a fluke,” Chris Malveaux said. “She has to work for everything, and they know she gives this team a chance to win. She is definitely special, and we are incredibly lucky to have her.”

Adams steadily earned a larger role throughout the season, going from pinch-hitter to designated player to starting at first base the last month of the season.

“I knew that if I wanted to be in that starting nine, which I did, I knew it was going to take extra hours, extra reps, extra video,” she said. “Knowing I had to work hard from the beginning helped me.”

Adams faced strong pitching in high school, but the SEC aces she encounters every weekend provide a different challenge.

“We had good competition, but we didn’t have anything like we face here,” she said. “You’ve got to know what pitch they’re coming at you with and know they’re going to try to attack your weakness. You’ve got to know how to adjust to that.”

Adams attracted attention from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, which selected AnnaLea as one of 25 finalists for national freshman of the year.

“So blessed, so happy and so thankful that the NFCA recognized me,” she said.

In her first career start at first base, Adams drove in the winning in Auburn’s 3-2 victory over Jacksonville State Feb. 23 in Madison, Alabama, foreshadowing clutch hits to come.

“Having that moment with my team and seeing how much that meant to them as well as me was so awesome,” she said. “Seeing them run at me, I was like, this is so unreal. I’ve always dreamed about this, I’ve always wanted to have this moment, and it was there.”

The Tigers head into next week’s SEC Tournament at Georgia having won three of their final four conference series.

“You want to get hot toward the end,” Adams said. “Like Coach Kate said the other day, when we play together, we’re scary. We’re everyone’s worst nightmare. Knowing that will help us come together in postseason and keep winning.”

To label AnnaLea Adams as a future star would be inaccurate. She’s already a standout, continuing a journey that began on a farm in Indiana and continues on a diamond in Auburn, Alabama.

“I have my teammates by my side who have supported me and are always willing to help me in the cages,” she said. “It’s been so rewarding to see the hard work and time that’s been put in in the cages and on the field really pay off.”

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer