PREVIEW: Alabama Travels To Auburn for SEC Softball Opener

After a disappointing and lackluster loss to South Alabama, the Crimson Tide needs to find a way to pick themselves up and bear down for the coming onslaught of SEC teams. First off are the Auburn Tigers who would like nothing better than to beat their arch-nemesis. With so many of the other Auburn sports teams losing to Bama this academic year, they would like to change that trend. This underrated Tigers (15-1) team will definitely be up for this series.

PITCHING

Auburn has a staff about as deep as the Crimson Tide’s. Opponents are batting .164 and have just four round-trippers against the five Auburn hurlers.

Shelby Lowe (5-0, 0.61 ERA) was named SEC Freshman of the Week as the left-hander earned three of Auburn’s five wins this past weekend.

Fellow freshman Maddie Penta earned the same honor earlier in February. She is 6-0 with a 1.34 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 41.2 innings pitched.

BATTING

Auburn is led by three big-time hitters:

• Aspyn Godwin: .375, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 3 triples, 4 HR, 14 RBI
• Makayla Packer: .400, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 10-10 in stolen bases
• Makenna Dowell: .409, 4 runs, 1 double, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 5-5 in stolen bases

Lindsey Garcia is currently on a tear with 12 hits in her last 19 at bats for an 8-game hitting streak. Her batting average sits at .522.

As a team, they are hitting .310 and have 11 home runs. They score five runs per game.

DEFENSE

The Tigers have 15 errors and a .965 fielding percentage (90th in the nation) which have led to four unearned runs out of 23 total allowed. After a clean month of February, 3B Lindsey Garcia caught the yips this past weekend committing five errors in four games.

Alabama is a smidge better at .967 (71st).

ALABAMA

Alabama dropped to No. 4/4/6/7 in the polls after their flat showing on Sunday.

The Tide sure could use an injection of vitamin KB Sides who has not played since Feb 21 vs LSU. Fellow outfielder Jenna Johnson has been out since Feb 24 versus UAB.

Lexi Kilfoyl and Montana Fouts will both get starts. It is unclear who will get the third start in the circle but you know who my vote is for.

Kaylee Tow and Elissa Brown both had rough weekends at the plate and need to get right.

Statistically speaking, these two teams match up pretty evenly.

AROUND THE NATION

The Crimson Tide was not the only unbeaten that fell last week:

• Arizona went down to UCF 2-0, but only dropped to No. 3 and 4.
• Florida split a pair with No. 16 FSU.
• No. 6 Texas lost two of three to No. 13 LSU and fell out of the top 10.
• Kentucky is 19-0 but has played enough cupcakes to fill Oprah’s swimming pool. That undefeated streak will probably end as the Wildcats head to Gainesville for a three game set with the Gators.
• Oklahoma stands at 17-0 and has a stranglehold on the top spot of the rankings that may be tough to unbind. They really haven’t played too many big games as of yet. The Sooners beat Arizona State 5-3 and topped Mizzou twice but that is it. This weeeknd, OU faces Missouri-Kansas City, Houston, and Liberty (twice).
• No other major teams have an unblemished record.

SCHEDULE

Friday, March 12 at Auburn 5 pm CT - SECN+

Saturday, March 13 at Auburn 4 pm CT - SECN+

Sunday, March 14 at Auburn 2 pm CT - SECN

#Team25 #RollTide