Fall practice is heating up as Auburn softball prepares to return to the field for the 2021 season. Head coach Mickey Dean will lead a squad of 29 student-athletes onto the field to compete, nine of which will be putting on the Auburn uniform for the first time. As the weeks leading up to first pitch count down, we'll introduce the newest Tigers to join the program. Up next is Sydney Cox, a freshman utility player out of Asheboro, N.C.
Q: Why did you choose to play softball at Auburn?
Cox: The deciding factor for me was the community here. You always hear about the "Auburn Family", and it is a real thing. The support you receive here as a student-athlete is unreal.
Q: What do you think makes you unique on the field?
Cox: What makes me unique as a player is being a small, left-handed batter that can hit for power as well as having good footwork on the defensive side of the ball.
Q: Do you have any pregame rituals or superstitions?
Cox: My dad and I always have pep talks before every game. He has been giving them to me since I was six, and I know that even in college we will continue to have them.
Q: Who is your biggest inspiration?
Cox: My biggest inspiration is my grandfather. Before he passed, he and I would always bond over softball. I wish he could've been here to watch me develop as a player and see what all I've accomplished so far.
Q: What is your intended major and how do you plan to use it?
Cox: My major is pre-business. Back home my family has their own business, and I plan on using my major to become a part of that and to help grow and expand it.
Q: What is your favorite dessert?
Cox: Key Lime Pie because my mom has the best family recipe. Fun fact: I get key lime pie instead of cake on my birthday because it's my favorite.
Q: What is your favorite sport to watch outside of softball?
Cox: Football. I am especially excited to watch this year because football is so big in the SEC. I live for game days!
Q: What is your dream job?
Cox: My dream job would be to work for the MLB as a marketer. Having this job would allow me to use my business degree while staying connected to sports.
Q: Do you have any pets either here with you or back at home?
Cox: I have two beagles (Peaches and Belle) as well as a cat named Lucy back home.
Q: If we made a movie about your life, what would it be titled and who would you want to star as you?
Cox: "Struggle Bus" and I would want Melissa McCarthy to play me. The movie would go through the hysterical daily struggles of my life played by my favorite comedian.
Q: Who was the first person to put a softball in your hand and how have they impacted your career since?
Cox: My dad was the first person to get me into softball. He played college baseball so growing up that was the first thing that he got my brother and I involved in. Throughout my career, he has always been my biggest supporter. No one pushes me the way he does. He definitely practices tough love, but without him, I would have never made it to where I am now.
Q: If you could give a message to the Auburn family, what would it be?
Cox: Thank you for blessing me with the opportunity to represent Auburn. The support you have already shown and have yet to show is unmatched. War Eagle!