Auburn (15-6-1, 2-4) will travel to College Station this weekend to take on Texas A&M (25-3, 5-1). After losing the first two series of SEC play, the Tigers hope to win a series finally. The Aggies, however, are a strong team and it will be a tall task for Auburn.
The strength of the Aggies comes in the form of their lineup. Seven out of nine starters are hitting above .300 this season so far, a remarkable accomplishment. Infielder Amari Harper for Texas A&M is hitting an astounding .442 this season. Right behind her outfielder Allie Enright has an average of .418 and six homeruns.
The Aggies have plenty of power in their lineup along with high averages. Five players already have six or more home runs on the year. The team batting average is .329 and in total Texas A&M has hit 39 home runs in just 28 games. Auburn must control the hot Aggies lineup to win the series.
The good news for the Tigers in regards to slowing down Texas A&M at the plate is Maddie Penta. Penta is coming off a strong outing in her last appearance. She threw eight innings only allowing one two earned runs Wednesday night against Troy. Penta will most likely bookend the series for the Tigers and she will need to be at the top of her game.
As for the other game, Auburn is still searching for a strong starter for game two of the series. Shelby Lowe got the start in game two last weekend but struggled. She pitched well Wednesday night, however, to help Auburn beat Troy 4-3.
“Shelby (Lowe) had been paying attention throughout the game,” Auburn head coach Mickey Dean said after Wednesday's game. “She came in and threw the pitches she needed to shut them down."
Despite the focus on pitching the key to winning the first SEC series of the season for Auburn may just be hitting better. The Tigers' struggles at the plate have plagued them throughout the season. Only two players are hitting above .300 this season. The challenge to hit better will not come easy, this weekend, however.
Both Aggie starting pitchers ERA’s are below 2.00 this season. Emiley Kennedy has an ERA of just 1.10 in nineteen appearances for Texas A&M. Can Auburn find success against strong pitching? We will find out.
The first pitch of the series opener is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Friday. The game will air on SEC Network+ and the Auburn Sports Network. Can Auburn get the first SEC series win of the season in College Station?
