AUBURN, Ala. – In the final midweek tilt of the season, Auburn softball (24-21) travels to the Troy Softball Complex to face Troy (28-17) on Wednesday.
First pitch on ESPN+ is set for 6 p.m. CT. JJ Jackson will provide radio coverage on WEGL 91.1 FM. Fans can also listen via the Auburn Tigers website and mobile app or stream the booth cam on the Auburn Softball Facebook page.
“Any time that you play an in-state school, you know they are going to come gunning for you,” said co-head coach Kate Malveaux. “We played them earlier in the season. I watched those games on the drive home from Florida. They are gritty. They are going to come at you because they want to beat you. This is a game that they’ve probably had circled since we played in February.
“Troy is playing good ball overall and isn’t to be overlooked. Every team that you play is fighting for something. If you get too wrapped up in whatever they are or aren’t, you lose what you’re chasing. Ultimately, we’re keeping our eyes on us and how we’re going to attack.”
Wednesday marks the third meeting between Auburn and Troy this season. Troy traveled to Jane B. Moore Field in February for the Jane B. Moore Memorial. The Tigers won both contests, outscoring the Trojans 18-11.
Auburn looks to build momentum after a strong weekend in Gainesville. The Tigers returned to the win column in Southeastern Conference play by shutting out No. 4 Florida, 4-0, on Saturday.
Troy is coming off a Sun Belt Conference series sweep of Georgia Southern. The Trojans will also face Florida A&M in Tallahassee on Tuesday evening before returning home to host Auburn.
Slugging has been a major part of Auburn’s success this season with 37 percent of its hits going for extra bases. The Tigers have hit 53 home runs as a team, the ninth-most in a single season in program history. Junior Ma’Nia Womack leads the team with 11 home runs.
Freshman Ava Ratliff is coming off a strong performance in Gainesville, leading the team with a 3-for-7 effort against the Gators with at least one hit in each game of the series. Ratliff added a clutch insurance hit in Auburn’s win on Saturday with a two-out, two-run single in the sixth. She also connected for her first SEC home run in Sunday’s finale.
Junior Ella Harrison leads Auburn’s pitching staff with a 3.78 ERA and 11 wins. She ranks ninth in the SEC with 213 strikeouts and is averaging 6.7 strikeouts per seven innings. Harrison earned her third victory against a ranked opponent as she went the distance against Florida on Saturday, marking the first time the Gators had been shut out at home since Feb. 19, 2024.
The Trojans are led by Makaley Boswell, who paces the Sun Belt Conference with 15 doubles this season while ranking third in the league in both batting average (.411) and total hits (58). Her 42 RBI are fifth in the conference.
Abby Lovell anchors the Trojan pitching staff. She holds a 2.36 ERA, the fourth lowest in the Sun Belt, and has recorded eight wins and three saves. Lovell has totaled 97 strikeouts and averages 6.7 strikeouts per seven innings.
Auburn has won 15 consecutive games in the series, dating back to 2014.