'We can do it together' - Kaylee Carlson senior spotlight

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April 22, 2018

By Jeff Shearer
AuburnTigers.com

AUBURN, Ala. - With each victory, Kaylee Carlson extends Auburn's all-time record.

Before her final regular season home series, the senior pitcher admitted to being nervous.

"If it is our last time on that field, we want to go out and leave a mark," she said.

Shaking off any nerves, Carlson earned victories in each of No. 11 Auburn's two wins over No. 16 Arkansas, a fitting finale for Kaylee and fellow seniors Courtney Shea and Victoria Draper.

"It's going to be sad to leave," said Carlson after securing career win No. 65 Saturday at Jane B. Moore Field. "For me, the emotions haven't really hit yet because it's not the end. Once the end hits, yes, tears will be flowing because I'm going to miss my teammates more than anything."

Carlson arrived at Auburn in 2016 after playing her freshman season at North Carolina. In her first season on the Plains, the Tigers came within one win of a national championship.

"I did have high expectations because I came here to play in the World Series and I came here to play in those big games," Carlson said. "I've gotten to live out part of those dreams but I've never fulfilled it yet, so now this year's our last chance, our last run. I know the other seniors and I want to do what we came here to do."

When her playing career ends this season, Carlson plans to shadow pharmacists this summer before attending pharmacy school, perhaps at Auburn, beginning in 2019, trusting that the discipline she developed as a student-athlete will help her navigate the four-year academic journey.

"Being able to work as a team and being able to work as a group, and knowing how to manage my time," she said. "It's definitely going to prepare for me anything that I'll face in life."

Carlson also intends to grow her sport by teaching pitching.

"Being able to give back to the people who are supporting me is what I want to do," she said.

A "very proud" aunt to her sister's two sons who live in Louisiana, Carlson has lowered her ERA in each of her three season at Auburn, from 2.36 to 1.36 to 0.92.

Statistics, as impressive as they are, do not measure Carlson's contribution to Auburn. While the records are nice, it's the relationships with her teammates that mean the most.

"I've met some of my best friends here," she said. "I don't know what I would do without them. I definitely wouldn't have made it through these three years without them.

"If I just look at the seniors, because we are so close, we three, we've been through a lot. That just helped me in life because now I know that these people will always be there for me because we've faced a lot already, so anything else that we'll face, we'll know we can do it together, knowing that the bond you created with your teammates is strong enough to overcome anything."

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