After a three-game series ended in victory for the Tennessee Lady Vols, Auburn's women's softball team (29-7, 9-5 SEC) is moving on to challenge the next competitor.
Tennessee (29-6, 7-4 SEC) had an 8-0 victory Sunday that put the Lady Vols ahead in the series 2-1.
The first game ended with the Lady Vols ahead 2-1, the second in favor of Auburn 9-1.
Friday, as a conclusion to the week, Auburn will travel to Starkville, Miss., to challenge Mississippi State in a three-game series in the Super Bulldog Weekend.
The Bulldogs are 19-18 for the season, 7-6 in SEC play.
"I don't know much about Mercer or Mississippi, but I know they bring it every year," said Caitlin Stangl, senior outfielder.
The Bulldog's highest batting average belongs to Ali Bainbridge with a .380.
Freshman first baseman and outfielder Morgan Estell leads the Tigers with a .388 average.
Mississippi isn't the only upcoming competition for the Tigers.
"Mississippi and Mercer will be tough, but the SEC as a whole this year is much more balanced," said Mark Ryal, assistant coach. "The main thing we need to work on for upcoming games like Mississippi is not letting so many go by.
"We're being selective, but not too selective," Stangl said.
Florida, LSU and Georgia are a few of the upcoming series for the Tigers which will all be played in Auburn.
"The competition has been strong this year, and teams have gotten better, but we've gotten better too," said Kyndall White, senior infielder.
The challenges and victories in the SEC so far this season are what have earned the Tigers a No. 21 ranking in the ESPN/USA Softball Collegiate Women's top 25.
"The competition will continue to be tough, but we've combated it," Stangl said. "The SEC is always going to be tough, and we embraced that this year."
The softball program has received many comments that it has been moving in the right direction this year, Ryal said.
"We've done a good job and opened a lot of eyes," he said.
However, as major ranked SEC teams quickly approach on the Auburn softball schedule, players admit that results are unpredictable.
"Competition is always big, and you never know what can happen," White said. "Ups and downs that you never thought would happen to that team can happen any given day."
Auburn has taken no time in resting from the previous weekend in Tennessee; the team is already gearing up for the next game.
"We mostly need to practice on being aggressive," Stangl said. "That's something that we lacked compared to Tennessee."
With the SEC Championships and the College World Series approaching in the summer, the Tigers are taking it one game at a time, gaining a fan base in the process.
"I would love to see a crowd out there Wednesday," said Ryal. "It's bound to be an interesting game."
Auburn's game against Mississippi State will start at 5:00 p.m.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
