Auburn softball has had six Tigers named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s All-Southeast Region teams Thursday, May 14.
Juniors Jade Rhodes, Tiffany Howard and Emily Carosone were named to the first team along with sophomore Kasey Cooper. Senior Branndi Melero was named to the second team and redshirt senior Morgan Estell was named to the third team.
These six mark the most players Auburn has ever had in one All-Region selection. Carosone, Cooper and Melero are All-Region veterans, returning for a second-straight year. Rhodes, Howard and Estell have been selected for the first time in their careers.
Carosone, hero of the SEC Tournament who scored the game-winning run against Tennessee, leads the team with a .482 batting average. She’s scored 81 runs, had 79 hits, 17 doubles, 17 home runs and 75 RBI. The junior was named SEC Tournament MVP last week and is one of 10 finalists named for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.
Howard is a second team All-SEC selection and was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team. She holds a .446 batting average in the leadoff position and reached base in 52 straight games until the last week of the regular season.
Rhodes has had a standout year with 18 home runs, tying the Auburn single-season record. Heading into this weekend’s NCAA Regionals, she holds 47 hits, 53 RBI and a .688 slugging percentage. This year the Florida native became the 13th player in Auburn history to ever have 100 or more RBI in a career.
Third baseman Cooper is one of three Auburn players hitting over .400 this season, sitting comfortably at .401. This year is Cooper’s second posting 17 or more home runs and is third-best on the squad with 65 hits and 56 RBI.
Senior Melero finishes her career one year after becoming Auburn’s first-ever NFCA first team All-American, hitting .317 with 53 hits, 10 home runs and 57 RBI. Last week she reached the 200 RBI mark for her career and is currently at 201. She is the only player in Auburn history to ever have 200 or more RBI in a career.
Fifth-year senior Estell managed to hit .370 with five home runs and 37 RBI. She is the all-time leading run scorer with 226 and is tied for the Auburn career record for doubles (58). She has also played in the fourth-most games in Auburn history (241) and has 250 hits, the second-most ever by an Auburn player.
The Tigers are set for the NCAA Softball Auburn Regional, beginning Friday, May 15, at Jane B. Moore Field. Auburn is slated as the one-seed in the regional and will face four-seed Tennessee Tech Friday at 5:30 p.m.
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