AUBURN, Ala. – Hype continues to grow for Maddie Penta's junior campaign as Extra Inning Softball honored the right-handed threat in its Extra Elite 100: Pitcher Rankings this week.
Already receiving a No. 47 overall ranking form the publication, Penta was selected the No. 14 overall pitcher in the country to rank fourth overall among pitchers from the Southeastern Conference.
Auburn's first All-SEC First Team honoree since 2017, Penta was the workhorse in the pitching circle as the staff suffered through injuries. Her record-setting performance earned her All-Southeast Region honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as she became the first pitcher in program history to ever win First Team All-Region honors.
The right-handed pitcher led the SEC and ranked 15th in the nation with 24 wins in the circle, which included a streak of nine consecutive winning decision to set a program record. Her 24 victories were tied for the second most by an Auburn pitcher in a season. She ended her sophomore campaign with 23 wins in her 35 starts.
Ranking in the top 20 in the nation in total strikeouts, Penta closed the season second in the SEC with 269. She was one of just seven pitchers in program history to record 250 strikeouts in a season and was the first to do so since Anna Thompson in 2010. Her strikeout total set the program's sophomore record and ranked fifth overall in Auburn single-season history. Penta recorded eight double-digit strikeout games as a sophomore, bringing her career total to 12.
Penta allowed just 49 earned runs over 195.0 innings of work for a 1.76 ERA, the lowest among qualifying pitchers in the SEC. She issued just 53 walks compared to her 269 strikeouts and held opponents to a .181 average at the plate.
The Chesapeake City, Maryland, native also led the SEC in innings pitched and ranked third in the league in strikeouts per seven innings (9.8) and fourth in both hits allowed per seven innings (4.59) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.08).
To go along with her sophomore strikeout record, Penta also set the program's single season record for starts. Penta closed her sophomore season ranked fourth in Auburn single-season history in strikeouts per seven innings, fifth in opponent batting average, tied for seventh for combined shutouts (6), ninth in appearances (42) and tied for 10th for complete games (15).
Penta enters her junior campaign with 374 career strikeouts, the fifth most in program history.
Auburn opens its 2023 season traveling to Clearwater, Florida to compete in the NFCA Leadoff Classic. The Tigers open the season with a twin billing on Friday, Feb. 10, taking on St. John's at 12:30 p.m. CT before facing Fordham at 3 p.m. CT.