April 5, 2018
No. 8 Tennessee at No. 11 Auburn
Auburn Game Notes | Tennessee Game Notes
AUBURN, Ala. -- No. 11 Auburn softball is set to host the eighth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers to the Plains for a three-game series beginning Friday at 5:30 p.m. CT at Jane B. Moore Field.
Two of three games will be broadcasted on national television with Friday's game being aired on ESPNU and Saturday's 2 p.m. CT game streamed live on ESPN2. Sunday's finale begins at 2 p.m. CT and will be aired on SEC Network+.
Additionally, all three games can be heard live on 95.9 FM.
Fans can arrive early to Friday's game for a free cooler backpack (one per person), available at the marketing booth. Backpacks are first come, first served.
Trading card set No. 3 will be handed out prior to Saturday's game and Sunday's game will feature a petting zoo and a balloon artist as part of the designated Fair Day (weather pending).
The top-15 showdown between the Tigers and Volunteers marks the 59th time the programs will face off in series history. Auburn enters the weekend at 34-7, 7-5 in SEC play and have won their last three SEC series. Tennessee comes in at 32-6, 4-5 SEC.
Player to Watch: Alyssa Rivera
>> Sophomore Alyssa Rivera has come on strong in the batter's box as of late, tallying a .333 batting clip in the last 10 games played. The Eagle Lake, Fla. product hit four homers in the stretch, two in back-to-back games, and has also batted in eight runs. Rivera has posted a .852 slugging percentage in the last 10 games as well. Three of her four home runs have either tied the game or given Auburn the lead.
Quick Hitters:
- A series win would give the Tigers their fourth-straight SEC series win. It would also be Auburn's first series win over the Vols since April 2015.
- The Tigers and Volunteers have met 58 times dating back to 1997. Tennessee holds the advantage 36-22.
- Tennessee enters the weekend leading the SEC in hits (349), batters struck out looking (72) and saves (7). The Lady Vols are 5-5 vs. top 25 teams this season. They were previously ranked 2nd in the nation while riding a 24-game win streak.
- Auburn is 9-1 in their last 10 games played including a 7-0 mark at home. Alyssa Rivera tallied a .333 batting clip in the stretch with four home runs in eight RBI while Casey McCrackin batted .393. Pitchers Kaylee Carlson and Makayla Martin combined to go 8-0 during that span with Carlson carrying a 0.47 ERA over the stretch.
- Auburn is currently on a five-game win streak vs. ranked opponents.
- Senior Kaylee Carlson moved into a tie for first in career wins at Auburn as she picked up her 62nd Auburn win against Kennesaw State on April 4. Carlson is tied with Lexi Davis for the record, but reached the mark in one less season than Davis.
- Carlson and Makayla Martin have led the charge behind the Tigers posting the third-lowest ERA in the nation this season at 0.94 trailing only Oklahoma (0.76) and Washington (0.88).