AUBURN, Ala. – After opening Southeastern Conference play with back-to-back series wins for the first time since 2019, No. 18 Auburn softball (26-2, 5-1 SEC) faces its toughest league opponent to date with a top-25 showdown at No. 8 Kentucky (20-5, 1-2 SEC).
"This weekend is going to be exciting for our team," said head coach Mickey Dean. "It's going to be a great challenge. We were able to play in a couple road midweek games to get our young group used to that environment. Kentucky is a very good hitting team and has deep pitching. They are athletic and have power as well as the ability to use the short game."
The three-game series at John Cropp Stadium begins Friday at 5 p.m. CT on the SEC Network+. Saturday's contest will feature a nationally televised broadcast on the SEC Network. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. CT and will feature Mike Couzens and Kayla Braud on the call. Sundays' series finale returns to the SEC Network+ and is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT.
Fans can also hear all three games of the series on the Auburn Sports Network. Brit Bowen will have the call in Lexington.
LEADING OFF
- In its first road test in conference play, Auburn treks to Lexington for a top-25 showdown with the Wildcats. Auburn is searching for its second straight conference series win over Kentucky and its first in Lexington since 2016.
- The Tigers are looking to win their consecutive conference series to open the 2022 season. Auburn last opened conference play with three straight series wins in 2015.
- Behind back-to-back, four-RBI performance and two clutch home runs in the South Carolina series, Jessie Blaine was selected SEC Freshman of the Week.
- Auburn's 45 home runs through the first 28 games are the most by a Tiger team since 2015. The Tigers 345 homers currently rank as the 10th most by a Tiger squad in a single season.
- Standing at 32-for-35 in career stolen base attempts, sophomore Makayla Packer enters the weekend series tied for ninth program history for career stolen bases.
- Bri Ellis has slugged the second most home runs by an Auburn freshman in program history with nine. Kasey Cooper holds the program record with 18 home runs in 2014.
- Auburn is one of just three programs in the SEC to have a pitching staff combine for over 200 strikeouts this season as the Tigers lead the league with 265. Maddie Penta leads the SEC with 143 strikeouts, a mark that stands sixth in the country.
- Maddie Penta shattered the program record for consecutive winning decisions with a nine-game streak from Feb. 27 to March 13, 2022. Penta leads the SEC with total wins as she stands 15-0.
- Sixteen of Auburn's 22 runs scored over the South Carolina series all came via a home run. The Tigers have now slugged multiple home runs in four consecutive games.
- Boasting one of the most disciplined pitching staffs in terms of free passes, Auburn leads the SEC and ranks fifth nationally with a team strikeout-to-walk ratio of 6.16.
ON DECK
Auburn returns to nonconference action on Wednesday, March 30 with a midweek tilt against Alabama State at 5 p.m. CT. Wednesday's contest is also Auburn softball's annual Bark in the Park contest as fans are encouraged to bring their favorite four-legged friends with a purchase of a specialty ticket.