AUBURN, Ala. – In the final weekend before the start of Southeastern Conference play, No. 20 Auburn softball (16-1) is set to honor Auburn Athletics trailblazer Dr. Jane B. Moore by hosting its inaugural Jane B. Moore Memorial tournament at Jane B. Moore Field.
"I don't want to sound like an old cliché, but there are things that we are looking at to improve on this weekend," said head coach Mickey Dean. "The one thing we've really tried to instill is to play the game and not your opponent. We want to continue to hammer that into our team. We are playing the game how we play the game no matter who the opponent is."
The Tigers will welcome North Carolina A&T, Toledo and Chattanooga to the Plains for the three-day tournament. Auburn opens the tournament on Friday against North Carolina A&T at 3 p.m. CT before facing Toledo at 5 p.m. CT.
Saturday's schedule is reversed with Auburn taking on Toledo at 3 p.m. CT before facing the Aggies of North Carolina A&T at 5:30 p.m. CT. Sunday's finale against Chattanooga is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. CT.
The late Dr. Jane B. Moore was one the most influential women in Auburn Athletics history. Auburn's softball complex was named Jane B. Moore Field in her honor in 2002 and dedicated on April 26, 2003, in recognition of Moore's service to athletics at Auburn.
In 1975, Moore became the first woman to serve on the Auburn University Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics. She served on multiple athletics committees for men's and women's sports for more than 40 years.
Moore made significant professional contributions to Auburn University over a 28-year career on the faculty of the College of Education and the Department of Health and Human Performance (now the School of Kinesiology). Her service to Auburn has been recognized with the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award and the Pamela Wells Sheffield Award, which recognizes Auburn women exemplifying grace, character and a selfless service and commitment to Auburn University and the Auburn family.
On Saturday, the Tigers will honor Dr. Moore in a special pregame ceremony as Auburn softball unveils the Jane B. Moore Endowment for Softball Excellence.
Fans can receive free admission into either game of Saturday's doubleheader by showing their ticker from Saturday's men's basketball game versus South Carolina. The first 300 fans to arrive at Jane B. Moore Field on Saturday will receive a free Auburn softball Sherpa blanket.
All five of Auburn's contests can be heard on the Auburn Sports Network with JJ Jackson and Brit Bowen on the call. Sunday's finale against the Mocs is available on the SEC Network+.
LEADING OFF
- Honoring one of the trailblazers in women's athletics at Auburn, the Tigers host the inaugural Jane B. Moore Memorial Tournament this weekend while announcing the Jane B. Moore Endowment Fund for Softball Excellence.
- 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.
- A total of nine different Tigers have slugged home runs during the first month of the 2022 season with six student-athletes recording two or more. Makayla Packer and Bri Ellis are tied for the team lead with five.
- With help of her SEC Co-Player of the Week Performance, Makayla Packer enters Wednesday's midweek with an eight-game hit streak. Packer stands fourth overall in the league with 24 hits.
- Behind another undefeated performance at the plate, Auburn rose one spot to No. 20 in three of the four major softball polls.
ON DECK
In the final test before opening conference play, Auburn will make the short trek to Montgomery, Ala., to face Alabama State on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. CT.