AUBURN, Ala. – Opening up a nine-game homestand with a top-five opponent, Auburn softball (15-9, 2-7 SEC) returns to Jane B. Moore Field to host No. 4 Tennessee (25-4, 6-0 SEC) for a three-game series.
"Tennessee is good in all areas," said head coach Mickey Dean. "They are strong in the circle. They have very good defense. Their lineup is full of speed and power. They've been putting up a lot of runs. We have our work cut out for us. We have the second toughest schedule in the country. We weren't looking for easy. That's not going to make us better down the stretch. Tennessee is one of the better teams in the country. We're going to get an opportunity to take it to them."
Auburn opens the series on Friday at 5 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. Tiffany Greene and Madison Shipman will have the call. The first 100 students in attendance will receive a voucher to redeem at the Philly Connection food truck located in left field as part of Food Truck Friday. Members of the Aubie's Kids Club presented by Chappy's Deli are invited to participate in a postgame Easter egg hunt.
Friday's game is also sponsored by Auburn Veterinary Medicine. With the Raptor Center in attendance, fans will be able to get a photo with the Auburn eagles prior to first pitch.
Makayla Packer Day is set for Saturday as the Tigers will honor their dynamic centerfielder in a pregame ceremony. First pitch on the SEC Network+ is set for 4 p.m. CT. Brit Bowen and Auburn softball alumna Amy Reif will have the call.
"She's been elected as a captain for the last two years," Dean said. "That tells you what her teammates think of her. She does a really nice job of grabbing some of the younger players outside of softball and helping them adjust with classes, social life and guiding them in the right direction. That's always fun to watch. She's battled injuries that last two seasons, and now she is somewhat healthy again. I can show you about 50 videos of her making diving catches at practices. She's always wide open. She's fun to work with."
The first 150 fans in attendance will receive a Makayla Packer "Pac-Man" t-shirt. Packer will also participate in an autograph and photo session after the conclusion of the game. Kids are encouraged to stick round postgame to participate in running the bases with the team.
Sunday's finale is set for 1 p.m. CT. JJ Jackson and Reif will have the call on the SEC Network+. It's Signature Sunday at Jane B. Moore Field as the team will participate in postgame autographs.
All three games can be heard locally on WEGL 91.1 FM and the Auburn Sports Network.
Auburn trails in the all-time series versus the Lady Vols with a 27-44 record, which includes a 14-17 mark in games played in Auburn. Tennessee has won the last six meetings. The Tigers last win came in the 2019 SEC Tournament in College Station, Texas, as Auburn took down Tennessee 2-0 to advance to the semifinals. Auburn's last series win over the Lady Vols also came in 2019.
Tennessee sits on top of the SEC standings with a perfect 6-0 record. The Lady Vols are heading to The Plains after sweeping South Carolina in Columbia. Tennessee used a pair of shutouts to outscore the Gamecocks 17 to 1. Auburn is searching for its first SEC series win of the season after falling in three games at No. 12 Texas A&M last weekend.
Maddie Penta continues to make history for the Tigers as she became just the second pitcher in program history to record 800 career strikeouts. Penta currently ranks fifth among all active NCAA Division I athletes with 803 strikeouts. The Tigers will face the NCAA active leader this weekend in Tennessee's Payton Gottshall as she's recorded 1,011 strikeouts over her career.
Heating up in the month of March, Anna Wohlers has been the heart of the Auburn offense as of late. In her last 14 starts, Wohlers is hitting .361 behind 13 hits, including one double and three home runs, and has totaled 10 RBI. For the season, Wohlers leads the team in batting average (.333), hits (21), runs scored (16) and on-base percentage (.436).
Rose Roach has paced the Tigers in the first three SEC series as she boasts a .409 batting average versus conference foes.
