AUBURN, Ala. – Looking to secure a second consecutive Southeastern Conference series and build on its four-game win streak, No. 19 Auburn softball (26-9, 4-2 SEC) hosts Ole Miss (20-14, 1-5 SEC) at Jane B. Moore Field.
"Ole Miss is a well-disciplined team," said head coach Mickey Dean. "They take care of the ball on defense. Our numbers are very similar when it comes to the pitching staffs, but both teams do it in different ways. They force a lot of ground balls and are one of the best teams in the country in turning double plays. It's going to be another competitive series."
The series begins on Friday at 6 p.m. CT. Friday is the first of the team's "Friday Night Lights" promotions, which will feature a light-up giveaway on Friday SEC contests. This week's giveaway is a free Auburn softball light-up cowboy hat while supplies last. Friday's contest will air on the SEC Network+ with Brit Bowen and three-time Auburn All-American Kasey Cooper on the call.
Saturday is Military Appreciation Day at Jane B. Moore Field. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. CT. Mark Neely and two-time Arizona All-American Kenzie Fowler will have the call on the SEC Network. Sunday's finale is set for 1 p.m. CT. Bowen returns to the booth with Auburn softball alumna Amy Reif on the SEC Network+.
Fans can also hear all three games on the airways via the Auburn Sports Network.
Auburn has dominated the all-time series with a 46-21 advantage. The Tigers have won nine of the last 10 series, dating back to 2008. Ole Miss snapped Auburn's streak at nine consecutive series wins after taking two games in Oxford in 2021. The Rebels are returning to Jane B. Moore Field for the first time since 2017. Auburn holds a 19-13 record in games played on the Plains.
Ole Miss enters the weekend coming off a 6-0 win against Memphis on Tuesday. The Rebels hosted No. 10 LSU last weekend. Ole Miss took the first of the series 5-1 before dropping the final two contests to the Bayou Bengals. The two losses were decided by a combined four runs. The Rebels opened conference play versus then-ranked No. 10 Tennessee. The Lady Vols swept the series with help of a pair of shutouts.
Jalia Lassiter has led the Rebels as of late. Lassiter is batting .379 over the last 10 games with 11 hits, eight runs scored and seven RBI. Ole Miss boasts one of the nation's top defenses, ranking inside the top 10 in the nation in both fielding percentage and double plays turned per game. The Rebel pitching staff has posted a 1.92 earned run average, the 20th lowest in the country.
The Tigers enter the weekend on a four-game win streak after topping Samford 10-0 in five inning Wednesday. Lindsey Garcia secured the run rule as she matched her career high with five RBI with help of two extra-base hits. She now leads the team with 31 RBI this season.
The reigning SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week, Maddie Penta earned the win at Samford. Over her last three starts, Penta has tossed 18 innings, striking out 33 and allowing one earned run. Penta leads the SEC in victories (14), while ranking second in both strikeouts (166) and earned run average (0.94).
Auburn's pitching staff picked up its 15th shutout of the season on Wednesday, the seventh most in a single season on the Plains. The Tigers have the second most shutouts in the SEC and the fourth most in the country. As a staff, Auburn leads the country with 296 total strikeouts and a 7.74 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
The Tigers continue to slug a big bat as Auburn enters the weekend second in the league with 41 home runs. Garcia and fifth-year standout Aspyn Godwin both went yard in Wednesday's midweek win.
Thirteen different Tigers has knocked a home run this season with eight slugging at least two. Bri Ellis currently ranks ninth in the SEC with eight home runs. Tracking towards another program record, Ellis needs just 11 home runs throughout the remainder of the season to shatter the program's sophomore record held by Cooper. Just 35 games into her sophomore season, Ellis stands in a tie for 11th in school history for career home runs with 28. She needs just three to move into 10th outright.
Nelia Peralta has reached base safely in 34 of Auburn's 35 contests and ranks sixth in the SEC with a .530 on-base percentage. Peralta leads the team with 28 walks. She averages 0.80 walks per game to rank fourth in the SEC. Carlee McCondichie ranks 12th in the league with 35 hits and leads the squad with a .372 batting average.
Auburn continues league action next week as the Tigers trek to Gainesville for a three-game series against No. 11/13 Florida. The series begins on Thursday at 5 p.m. CT and is available on the SEC Network+.