All-American and Auburn softball standout Emily Carosone serves as the program’s associate head coach for the 2024 season. She was elevated to the position on August 1, 2023. Carosone previously served three seasons as an assistant coach for the program.
In her lone season as associate head coach, Carosone helped the Tigers to a 29-21-1 overall record while playing the 11th toughest schedule in the nation. The 2024 season featured Auburn’s most wins over Quad 1 teams since the 2018 season with nine. The Tigers earned their first series win in Baton Rouge since 2015 after taking two wins at No. 6 LSU. Auburn also clinched back-to-back series wins over in-state rival Alabama for the first time since the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Auburn also earned its 10th consecutive NCAA Regional appearance traveling to Tallahassee. The Tigers advanced to Sunday’s championship round for the second straight season.
Playing a key role in coaching the Tiger defense, Auburn finished second in the SEC and 12th in the country with a .976 fielding percentage. A total of seven Tigers posted perfect fielding percentage while the Tiger outfield committed just one error over the entire 2024 season.
Carosone’s third season as an assistant coach saw Auburn post a 43-19 overall record, its most wins in the Mickey Dean era. The Tigers also posted a 15-9 record in SEC play to finish third in the league, their first winning record and highest league finish since 2017. Auburn also earned its first series win over LSU and its first series win at Alabama since 2017 during its historic run. Auburn earned its ninth consecutive NCAA Regional appearance and forced the “if necessary” game at No. 10 Clemson.
Nelia Peralta was the heart of Auburn’s offense during the 2023 as she led the Tigers in hits (54), runs scored (39), walks (43), batting average (.329) and on-base percentage (.479). Peralta was the first Tiger to record 50 or more hits in a season since 2019 and her efforts were rewarded with an All-SEC Second Team and NFCA All-Southeast Region Third Team honors. Denver Bryant joined Peralta as an All-SEC Second Team member after tuning in a .322 batting average in SEC play.
With one of its best defensive performances in recent history, Auburn finished sixth in the SEC with a .973 fielding percentage. The Tigers bested that number in SEC play with a .981 fielding percentage in league play, the second highest team fielding percentage in conference play. Aubrie Lisenby was highlight of the defense with a perfect fielding percentage behind the dish to tie Auburn’s single-season record. Her efforts including throwing out eight would-be base stealers. Lisenby closed her sophomore season with a .998 career fielding percentage, which currently sits first in school history.
In her second season as an assistant coach on the Plains, Carosone guided the Tigers to their eighth straight NCAA Regional appearance behind a 40-17 overall record. Auburn picked up top-10 wins over No. 8 Kentucky and No. 7 Florida.
With the addition of Krista Harrell on staff, Carosone specifically worked with the Tiger infielders during the 2022 season, including SEC Freshman of the Year Bri Ellis. Ellis committed just three errors at first base to post a .989 average. With just one error behind the plate, freshman Aubrie Lisenby posted a .996 fielding percentage, the third highest mark by an individual during a single season at Auburn.
Carosone continued to make Auburn softball history during the season as she was inducted into the Tiger Trail as a member of the Class of 2022. Carosone is the first softball student-athlete to receive the honor.
Fighting the challenges of COVID-19 during her first season as an assistant, Carosone helped the Tigers to their seventh straight NCAA Regional appearances as Auburn boasted the seventh-toughest schedule in the country. Auburn won 27 games, highlighted by the program’s first victories in Columbia, Mo., College Station, Texas, and Baton Rouge, La., since 2015. The Tigers also upset No. 12 Kentucky picking up the series win at Jane B. Moore Field.
Defensively, four Tiger infielders and catchers posted a perfect fielding percentage during the 2021 campaign. The Tigers set a program record with four freshmen selected to the SEC All-Freshman Team, including second baseman Sydney Cox. Maddison Koepke earned a spot of the SEC All-Newcomer Team for her performance at third base during league play.
Carosone first joined coach Dean’s staff as a graduate assistant prior to the start of the 2017 fall season. The three-time all-American went on to serve as the program’s volunteer assistant over the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Carosone left the program before the 2020 season began to train for the Tokyo Olympics as part of the Italian National Team.
A National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American and All-SEC performer, Carosone lifted Auburn softball to new heights and countless program firsts. She helped capture the 2015 and 2016 SEC Softball Tournament titles. Carosone also led the Tigers to back-to-back Women’s College World Series appearances.
She is Auburn’s all-time leader in career batting average (.406), hits (285), runs (267), on-base percentage (.534) and hit by pitches (85). She also ranks in the top three in the Tigers’ record books in career RBI, doubles, home runs, slugging percentage and games started. Carosone also holds Auburn’s single-season records for runs, slugging percentage and hit by pitch.
A veteran in the professional ranks, Carosone has four seasons of professional experience under her belt. After being drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 National Pro Fastpitch Draft, she signed with the Chicago Bandits, playing with the organization through the 2018 season. Carosone began 2019 as a member of the Cleveland Comets before being traded to USSSA Pride.
Over her professional career, she has amassed 113 hits, including 14 home runs, to go along with 73 RBI and 73 runs scored. Carosone also touts a .273 career batting average with a .370 on-base percentage and a .411 slugging clip. In 2018, she tied Megan Wiggins and Lauren Chamberlain for the league’s home run title, closing the season with 12.
During her rookie season with the Bandits, the team captured 2016 Cowles Cup behind a thrilling come-from-behind win against the USSSA Pride in the championship series.
After a three-year process to earn dual citizenship, Carosone competed with the Italian National Team at the 2019 Europe/Africa Olympic qualifier in the Netherlands. Italy swept the tournament, defeating Great Britain, 5-0, in the qualifier’s final game to advance to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Carosone recorded two hits for Italy in the finals. The 2020 Olympics were postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Carosone is a 2016 graduate from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in business.