May 10, 2017
By Will Sahlie
Communications Intern
Following an historic series win in Tuscaloosa, the Auburn softball team looks to make history once again this week at the SEC Tournament.
Auburn, the SEC's No. 2 seed, begins play Thursday in Knoxville, Tenn. vs. the winner of Wednesday's game between No. 7 Kentucky and No. 10 South Carolina. The Tigers are looking for their third straight SEC Tournament title, a feat that has never been accomplished.
"That would be something that would be very, very special," Auburn head coach Clint Myers said. "First, it's never been done and two, it would make a statement that we are a team that has a chance to win a national championship."
The Tigers finished the regular season 45-9 and second in the SEC. Auburn played well down the stretch, winning six of its final seven games and 11 of its last 13.
"We are peaking at the right time. We have a very strong chemistry," senior Kasey Cooper said. "It took something to make it happen, to make this glue what it is. We're starting to peak. We're starting to find confidence. We're starting to trust."
The Tigers are showing signs of Myers' three keys to success: spotless defense, excellent pitching and timely hitting. Myers said he saw those pieces come together over the weekend at Alabama.
"We finally got some timely hitting, we did some things right. We played great defense, and we got phenomenal pitching," Auburn's fourth-year head coach said. "If we can carry all of those into the SEC, it will be us and Florida on Saturday night (in the championship game)."
With final exams and the spring semester completed, the Tigers are able to devote all their attention to the diamond.
"For once, you have two weeks, three weeks, where we can just have fun and play softball," Cooper said. "This is the [most fun] moment for me because we get to wake up and get to go work out, then take a break and come to practice. We finally can be 100 percent all softball."
Auburn will play the third quarterfinal game of the tournament on Thursday. The Tigers took two-of-three at South Carolina this season, but have not played Kentucky. As for who the Tigers play, All-SEC First Team pitcher Kaylee Carlson is flexible.
"I don't really have a preference," Carlson said. "If you play Kentucky, they haven't seen us. So we get to go out there and they won't know exactly what to expect. But with South Carolina, we kind of know what we are going to get. Either way we are going to go out there and do our best."
Auburn will play either the Gamecocks or Wildcats at 4 p.m. CT Thursday on the SEC Network.