AUBURN, Ala. – Are you ready for it? Non-conference action returns to Jane B. Moore Field as Auburn softball (16-11-1) continues its nine-game homestand with a midweek tilt versus in-state foe Samford (9-24) for Taylor Swift Night on Wednesday.
"It's an in-state opponent," said head coach Mickey Dean. "It doesn't matter who it is, those games are always competitive. Doesn't matter where you are from, those games matter. We have to be ready and play hard. Samford can put runs on the board. It's not going to be easy. It never is."
First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT. Lynn Rollins and Auburn softball alumna (and Swiftie) Amy Reif will have the call on the SEC Network+. Brit Bowen and Micah Farmer will have the call locally on WEGL 91.1 FM and the Auburn Sports Network.
Auburn softball friendship bracelets will be available to fans upon entry while supplies last.
The Tigers are coming off their first win over a top-five opponent since the 2019 season as Auburn snapped No. 4 Tennessee's 20-game win streak on Sunday with a 4-1 victory. It was the 700th Division I win in Dean's career. Auburn is 3-1 in Sunday SEC games. The Bulldogs are coming off Southern Conference action after earning a series win at Wofford.
Samford is trekking to Jane B. Moore Field for the first time since the 2015 season. Auburn leads the all-time series 17-6 with a 9-3 mark in games played on The Plains. Auburn has won 10 straight games in the series. Seven of those 10 wins have been shutouts. There's no bad blood between these two in-state opponents as Samford is led by Auburn softball alumna Kimball (Pratt) Cassady.
The leader of Auburn softball's staff, Maddie Penta continues to put up dominate numbers in the circle, especially in home contests. Since the 2023 season, Penta is 21-4 at Jane B. Moore Field behind a 1.05 earned run average and nine shutouts. She enters the midweek ranking third in the nation with 138 strikeouts and ranks fourth nationally in shutouts (6).
Coming off an impressive weekend against her former program, KK McCrary totaled five hits in the Tennessee series, including two home runs and a triple. She turned in her first multi-home run game of her career and set a career high with three total hits in her efforts on Saturday.
The transfer duo of Anna Wohlers and Amelia Lech still pace the Auburn offense. The duo has combined for 29 runs scored, 37 hits, 35 RBI and 18 extra-base hits through the first 28 games.