AUBURN, Ala. – Winning seven straight contests after sweeping the Plainsman Invite, No. 20 Auburn softball (15-1) defend its streak in a midweek tilt at Georgia State (5-7) Wednesday.
First pitch at Bob Heck Softball Complex is set for 5 p.m. CT. Wednesday's contest will not be streamed, but JJ Jackson will have the radio call on the Auburn Sports Network.
"We purposely scheduled a lot of our early midweeks on the road," said head coach Mickey Dean. "We're a young team. I want to see how we respond in these situations, because in a true road game that atmosphere is different for your team. These midweek tests prepare us for what we will experience in conference play."
LEADING OFF
- Hitting the road for its second midweek of the season, Auburn treks to Georgia State. Auburn is looking for its 12th consecutive victory over the Panthers and its seventh straight win of the 2022 season.
- After hitting .667 behind 12 hits and 10 runs scored over Auburn's last six contests, sophomore Makayla Packer was tabbed SEC Co-Player of the Week. She is the first Tiger to win the award since Alyssa Rivera in 2020.
- With a 1.34 career earned run average, sophomore Shelby Lowe ranks third among all active, qualifying pitchers in Division I Softball for lowest ERA. Lowe has allowed just five earned runs in 43.2 innings pitched in 2022.
- The tale of the tape doesn't lie as Auburn's offensive output is staggering compared to a season ago. Auburn has totaled 22 home runs through its first 16 games of 2022, matching its 2021 season home run output of 22. The Tigers played 51 total games in 2021.
- A perfect 26-for-26 in stolen base attempts over her career, sophomore Makayla Packer has moved into a tie for 15th in program history with Tiffany Howard (2013-16).
- The only two pitchers in the SEC with 70 or more strikeouts this season, Maddie Penta leads the league with 73 while Shelby Lowe ranks second in the league with 70.
- The Tigers currently lead the SEC in both total home runs (22) and home runs per game (1.38). Auburn's 1.38 home runs per game average ranks 14th in the country. Auburn's freshman class has slugged 10 of Auburn's 22 homers.
- Behind three consecutive shutouts, Auburn has outscored its opponents 45 to 5 over its seven-game winning streak.
ON DECK
In the final nonconference tournament of the season, Auburn hosts North Carolina A&T, Toledo and Chattanooga for the inaugural Jane B. Moore Memorial Tournament. Auburn opens the tournament on Friday with a doubleheader against North Carolina A&T and Toledo. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m. CT.