AUBURN, Ala. – Another top-caliber team awaits Auburn softball (19-11, 1-8 SEC) as the Tigers prep for their second road series of the Southeastern Conference schedule with a showdown in College Station against Texas A&M (25-9, 4-5 SEC) at Davis Diamond.
"They always play tough at home," said head coach Mickey Dean. "It doesn't matter who it is. They always play tough. The crowd is always raucous. They swing the bats. I know they've lost some SEC games, but even in those losses, they are scoring an average of five run. They've got power. They've got speed. We're going to have to play well. We're going to have to pitch well and play great defense. Those two are going to have to give our offense an opportunity to win the game."
The series begins Friday at 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. Saturday features a nationally televised contest on the SEC Network. Eric Frede and Madison Shipman will have the call with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m. CT. Sunday's series finale is slated for 11 a.m. CT and will also be available to stream on the SEC Network+.
Brit Bowen will have remote coverage of the series from the Plains and can heard via the Auburn Sports Network.
Auburn is coming off a tough showdown at Jane B. Moore Field with conference standings leader Arkansas. The Razorbacks swept the three-game series. Shelby Lowe continued her dominating effort in the circle with another double-digit strikeout performance in conference play to become just the fifth Auburn freshmen in program history to record 100 strikeouts in a season.
LEADING OFF
- Making just its second road trip of the conference season, Auburn travels to College Station to face Texas A&M for a three-game series. The Tigers are searching for their first series win in conference play this season. Auburn won the last series between the two programs, sweeping the Aggies in three games on the Plains.
- Shelby Lowe added another piece of Auburn history to her storied freshman campaign, becoming just the fifth Auburn freshman to record 100 strikeouts during their debut season. She is the first Auburn freshman since Marcy Harper in 2013 to hit the milestone. She leads all SEC true freshman with 118 strikeouts this season.
- Head coach Mickey Dean is just seven wins shy from his 600th career coaching victory. His career record currently stands at 593-229. Earlier this season, he surpassed 100 coaching wins at head coach of the Tigers.
- Alyssa Rivera enters the weekend with 121 career RBI. She is just two shy of jumping into a three-way tie with Carlee Wallace and Tatiana Fernandez for 10th in Auburn career history.
- Shelby Lowe enters the weekend with an SEC leading 0.88 earned run average, allowing just 11 earned runs in 88.0 innings of work. She is on pace to set Auburn's single-season ERA record and become the first pitcher in program history to close a season with an ERA under 1.00.
- Freshman Makayla Packer ranks eighth in the SEC with 11 total stolen bases over her debut season. She is a perfect 11-for11 in stolen base attempts. Her 11 stolen bases are tied for the fourth most by an Auburn freshman in program history.
- With her 142 putouts this season, Justus Perry is just the sixth Tiger to reach 1,000 putouts during their Auburn career. Perry is just two shy of overtaking Kendall Veach for fifth in program history.
- Shelby Lowe joined her teammate Maddie Penta and Anna Thompson (2007) as the only Auburn pitchers to be named SEC Freshman of the Week multiple times in the season. Both Lowe and Penta have been named SEC Freshman of the Week twice in 2021.
ON DECK
The Tigers wrapped up its home nonconference slate on Tuesday with a midweek contest against Alabama State. First pitch from Jane B. Moore Field is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.
--WarEagle--