AUBURN, Ala. – After picking up a pair of midweek wins, Auburn softball (23-12, 3-9 SEC) jumps right back into the heat of Southeastern Conference play, welcoming No. 12/12 Kentucky (29-8, 5-7 SEC) for a three-game series at Jane B. Moore Field.
"Heading into the Kentucky series, we're just working on and focusing on ourselves," said head coach Mickey Dean. "We have to mentally be there. We must get physically ready. Kentucky is going to be a tough three-game series. We're going to play them one at a time."
The series begins Friday at 5 p.m. CT on the SEC Network+ with Brit Bowen and three-time Auburn All-American Kasey Cooper on the call. Saturday will feature a nationally televised contest with an 11 a.m. CT first pitch on the SEC Network. Kayla Braud and Mark Neely will have the call. Sunday's series finale is slated for 1 p.m. CT and will be available to stream on the SEC Network+. Bowen and Amy Reif will have the call.
JJ Jackson and Bowen will split the radio coverage over the series and can be heard via the Auburn Sports Network.
Auburn is coming off a pair of midweek victories against Alabama State and Georgia State. Behind fantastic pitching from Shelby Lowe, Maddie Penta and KK Dismukes, Auburn gave up just one run over 14.0 innings and struck out 24 in the two midweek contests. Timely hitting and aggressive base running manufactured nine Auburn wins in the midweek sweep.
LEADING OFF
- Facing its seventh ranked opponent of the season, Auburn returns to Southeastern Conference play, hosting No. 12 Kentucky at Jane B. Moore Field for a three-game series. The Tigers are looking for their second straight conference series win of the 2021 and their first over Kentucky since 2018.
- With her SEC leading fourth save of the 2021 season, KK Dismukes is now tied for sixth with six other Tigers for the most saves in a single season in program history. The last Tiger to record at least four saves in a season was Kaylee Carlson during the 2017 campaign.
- Head coach Mickey Dean is just three wins shy from his 600th career coaching victory. His career record currently stands at 597-229 (.719). Earlier this season, he recorded his 100th coaching victory as the head coach of the Tigers.
- Freshman Makayla Packer is a perfect 13-for-13 in stolen base attempts this season and ranks seventh in the SEC in total stolen bases. She is tied with former Tiger and current assistant coach Emily Carosone (2013) for the second most stolen bases in school history by an Auburn freshman.
- Picking up a pair of RBI at Texas A&M, Alyssa Rivera is now tied with Carlee Wallace and Tatiana Fernandez for 10th in school history with 123 career RBI. She needs two more to be ninth outright in program history
- Earning up her third straight victory with two-hit performance at Georgia State, Shelby Lowe improved to 11-3 over her debut season. She ranks eighth in the SEC with her 11 victories. She has 131 strikeouts to her credit this season, which is the third most by an Auburn freshman in program history.
- With 173 putouts this season, Justus Perry became just the sixth Tiger in school history to reach 1,000 career putouts. Perry is now fifth in program history with 1,112 career putouts.
- With just six strikeouts over 88 at-bats, Tyler King enters the weekend ranked as the sixth toughest player in the Southeastern Conference to strike out as she averages just one every 14.7 at bats
ON DECK
The Tigers round on nonconference action on Wednesday, April 21 as Auburn treks to Chattanooga for a midweek showdown. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT.