AUBURN, Ala. – After a record-shattering freshman season to put her name on the softball map, Bri Ellis was selected one of the top first basement in the country in Extra Inning Softball's Extra Elite 100: Position Rankings.
Ellis was tabbed the No. 7 overall first basemen in the country by the publication and was the second highest ranked player from the Southeastern Conference behind only LSU's Georgia Clark. Extra Inning Softball also tabbed Ellis the No. 77 overall player in its Extra Elite 100 rankings earlier this month.
The most powerful bat in the Tiger lineup, 20 of Ellis's 45 hits were home runs. Ellis led all SEC freshmen and ranks third in the conference in both total home runs and home runs per game (0.36). Her home run total finished 13th in Division I softball.
Ellis was just the second Auburn freshman in program history to slug at least 10 home runs in their debut season. The Houston, Texas, native surpassed three-time Auburn All-American Kasey Cooper for the program's freshman home run record and finished the year tied for the second most home runs hit in a single season at Auburn.
Adding eight doubles and a triple to her power numbers, Ellis was fifth in Auburn single-season history with a .772 slugging percentage. The mark was the seventh highest slugging clip among SEC hitters.
Ellis led the team with 49 RBI, averaging 0.88 runs batted in per game to rank 12th in the conference. She ended the season with 115 total bases, the 13th most in the SEC, and added 32 runs scored. Behind 13 walks, she held a .378 on-base percentage. Starting 56 games at first base, Ellis turned in an .989 fielding percentage with 251 putouts, 11 assists and just three errors.
She rounded out her debut season with the program's second highest slugging percentage, total bases and RBI recorded by a freshman.
Becoming the first player in program history to be named SEC Freshman of the Year outright, Ellis was also tabbed All-SEC Second Team and to the Extra Inning Softball All-Freshman Team. She was also a top 10 finalist for Schutt Sports/NFCA National Freshman of the Year.
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.