AUBURN, Ala. - The No. 25 Auburn Tigers (21-12, 0-9 SEC) look to capture an elusive conference-win while they host the No. 4 Florida Gators (30-5, 3-3 SEC) this weekend at Jane B. Moore Field.
The Tigers started the season red-hot, opening the year with a 20-1 record having the No. 1 ranked RPI in all of college softball. However, the Tigers are 2-10 in their last 12 games, and the task gets no easier with the Gators coming to town.
The Gators will mark the third straight top-five opponent Auburn has faced, after the Tigers were swept by No. 2 Texas in Austin and No. 5 Texas A&M on the plains. Auburn currently holds the third toughest schedule in the country with opponents combining for a .689 win percentage.
Auburn has had a couple of shining stars in the lineup including senior shortstop Nelia Parelta and freshman AnnaLea Adams. Peralta so far has posted numbers similar to her outstanding freshman and sophomore campaigns. The shortstop is hitting .337 with 30 runs scored and 21 RBIs.
Adams, on the other hand, is setting the bar extremely high for herself for years to come. The freshman is currently hitting .468 through 62 at-bats, driving in 20 runs with six bombs and six doubles. Adams has only struck-out six times as well, showing she is a seasoned hitter in just her first collegiate season.
However, Florida also has a shining freshman on their roster in Taylor Shumaker. The rookie outfielder turned heads early this season earning the NFCA Player of the Week, D1Softball Player of the Week and Softball America’s ‘Star of the Week’ back on February 11th.
During that week, Shumaker hit five homers in six games, while driving in 11 runs and scoring 11 times herself. Currently, Shumaker boasts a .407 average and has crossed the plate a nation-leading 45 times, while driving in a whopping 52 RBIs.
The Gators have another star in the outfield in senior Kendra Faulby. Faulby currently leads Florida in the average department at .463 and has scored 44 times. Faulby is a blazer on the base-paths, stealing 30 bags so far on just 31 attempts, which is the third-most in the nation.
The last time Auburn has beaten Florida in a series was back in 2005 when the Tigers swept the Gators on the plains. This conference-clash between the Tigers and the Gators will start Friday at 6 p.m. CT. Saturday’s game has first pitch set at 2 p.m. CT, while the finale on Sunday is slated to begin at 11 a.m. CT.
