AUBURN, Ala. – In the final tune-up before the start of Southeastern Conference play, No. 18 Auburn softball (20-2) kicks off four consecutive games in Georgia with an afternoon midweek tilt at Georgia Tech (11-8) on Wednesday.
First pitch from Mewborn Field is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT. The non-conference battle will air on the ACC Network with Kevin Brown and Michele Smith on the call. Brit Bowen and JJ Jackson will have radio coverage on the Auburn Sports Network.
"It's going to be a tough road environment," head coach Mickey Dean said. "Georgia Tech has been playing good ball. Their program has come a good way that last few years. They have put themselves in contention in the ACC. It is going to be a great challenge for us."
Auburn is facing the Yellow Jackets for the first time 2012 and is making its first trip to Mewborn Field since the 2010 NCAA Atlanta Regional. The Tigers are making their first regular season visit to Georgia Tech since 2003 and are looking for their win in the series at Atlanta.
Georgia Tech enters the midweek on a three-game win streak after sweeping UNI, Southern Miss and Brown at the 1-75 Tournament last weekend.
Auburn's consecutive shutout streak came to an end at the Jane B. Moore Memorial tournament, but the dominate arms of the Tiger staff continued to quiet offenses and keep runs at a premium. Auburn enters the midweek with a nation's leading 13 shutouts and ranks fourth in the country with a 1.00 earned run average.
Maddie Penta has yet to allow an earned run to score this season and leads the country in both ERA and victories behind her 11-0 record. Penta has tossed 34.0 consecutive scoreless innings, the third longest streak in program history and is just 27 strikeouts shy of becoming just the fourth player in program history to reach 500 strikeouts in a career.
Joined by Shelby Lowe and Annabelle Widra, Auburn has three of the 12 lowest ERAs among individual pitchers in the SEC.
Despite being challenged at the plate last weekend, Auburn's offense power was still on display. The Tigers lead the conference in runs scored, hits and RBI while ranking second in total bases, triples and home runs.
Bri Ellis currently ranks sixth in the SEC with her team-leading seven home runs. Tracking towards another program record, Ellis needs just 12 throughout the remainder of the season to shatter the program's sophomore home run record held by Kasey Cooper. Just 22 games into her sophomore season, Ellis stands 12th in program history with 27 career home runs. She currently ranks seventh in the country with 27 RBI.
The only player on the roster to reach base in all 22 games to start the season, Nelia Peralta is thriving in the top spot of the lineup. Peralta ranks 11th in the country with a .592 on-base percentage with help of a team-leading 17 walks. She ranks second on the squad with a .442 batting average, totaling 23 hits this season.
Auburn's Georgia road trip continues this weekend as the Tigers open SEC play in Athens, facing No. 19 Georgia 17-5). The three-game series begins on Friday at 5:30 p.m. CT.
