AUBURN, Ala. – It's another top-25 battle at Jane B. Moore Field to welcome Southeastern Conference play to The Plains as No. 25 Auburn softball (13-4-1, 1-2 SEC) hosts No. 20 Arkansas (20-5, 0-0 SEC) for a three-game series.
"Arkansas has been pitching it well," said head coach Mickey Dean. "They are more of a power-hitting team. Our team is excited, especially with that first series being on the road. They are excited to be home. I'll be ready to get through that first inning. Let everyone get the jitters out of the way and settle in."
It's Paradise on the Plains for Friday's opener. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. CT. Auburn students will be able to snag a Hawaiian shirt while supplies last. The first 100 students that arrive at The Patio will receive Holloway BBQ.
Auburn honors its past legends on Saturday with its annual Alumni Day. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. CT. Following Saturday's contest, Auburn alumni in attendance will compete in a slow-pitch game, which is free and open to the public.
Sunday's finale is set for 1 p.m. CT. In honor of St. Patrick's Day, the first 200 fans at Jane B. Moore Field will receive a free Auburn softball green stein.
All three games are available on the SEC Network+. Brit Bowen and Mark Fuller will have the call for Friday and Saturday. JJ Jackson and Auburn softball alumna Amy Reif take over the booth on Sunday.
Fans can also hear radio coverage for the series on WEGL 91.1 FM and the Auburn Sports Network. JJ Jackson and Riley Kelton will have the call for Friday's opener. Jackson is joined in the booth by Carson Meier on Saturday. Bowen and Jack Corbett will have the call for Sunday's finale.
Auburn opened SEC play at No. 12 Missouri last weekend. After dropping the first two games of the series, Auburn played spoiler on Sunday with a complete-game shutout from Maddie Penta and a pair of home runs from Amelia Lech to earn a 4-0 win.
The Tigers lead the all-time series with the Razorbacks with a 38-34 mark, but Arkansas holds the advantage of late with nine straight wins. Auburn is searching for its win in the series since 2018.
Arkansas received a BYE in the first weekend of SEC play and is opening league action in Auburn this weekend. The Razorbacks hosted the Razborback Rumble at Bogle Park last weekend, picking up wins over Northern Iowa and South Alabama. The Jaguars edged out a 2-1 win to open the tournament on Friday.
On the verge of history, Penta is one win shy of becoming Auburn softball's all-time wins leader as she currently stands tied with Kaylee Carlson with 67 career wins. Penta is tied for the national lead with six shutouts and ranks second in the SEC in strikeouts (97) and seventh in earned run average (0.80).
Over the last two seasons, Penta holds a 19-2 record at Jane B. Moore Field with the help of nine shutouts. She holds a 0.66 ERA in Auburn since 2023.
Making a splash in her SEC debut, Lech continues to pace the offensive side of the ball for the Tigers. Lech ranks second in the SEC in home runs per game (0.39), third in slugging percentage (.902) and fourth in both runs batted in per game (1.17) and total home runs (7). Of her 13 hits this season, seven have been homers.
"This week we've been focusing on sharpening up the things that each individual player is good at while cleaning up areas that need improvement," Dean added. "You have to embrace and love the journey during the conference season. You can't get so hyped that every breath in a game is life or death. We learn from our mistakes, build on our successes and trust our teammates."
