After going 4-1 in its opening weekend in Clearwater, Fla., No. 21 Auburn returns to The Plains for the home opener, the Tiger Invitational, from Friday, Feb. 17 through Sunday, Feb. 19.
With those four victories in Clearwater, all of them being shutouts and the only loss being a one-run defeat to Pittsburgh, the Tigers are looking to pick up right where they left off, especially at the plate and in the pitching circle.
“It felt like home games down in Clearwater with how well our fans travel. We’re excited to be home and perform in front of our fans because we appreciate them,” said head coach Mickey Dean.
As a pitching staff, Auburn had as good a season opener as one could hope for last weekend, especially when it came to workhorse and preseason All-SEC junior pitcher Maddie Penta and sophomore Michigan transfer Annabelle Widra.
Penta accounted for three of the Tigers’ four wins, pitching for the nation’s lead in both victories and strikeouts. Along with being named the SEC Pitcher of the Week, Penta also collected her 400th strikeout, making her only the fifth Auburn pitcher to do so in her career.
Widra started last weekend off strong for the Tigers, tossing a complete game in the victory over St. John’s on Friday, Feb. 10. The Hoover, Ala., native collected 10 strikeouts in her Auburn debut while only allowing two hits. The two-way athlete also contributed at the plate, notching two home runs alongside senior catcher Aspyn Godwin.
“It was really exciting to be out on the field with the girls,” Widra said. “I’m very proud of myself for being able to perform at both the plate and in the circle. I’ve been doing that my whole playing career. I’m just thankful for the opportunity to do it all.”
Alongside the early power demonstrated by Godwin and Widra, junior Carlee McCondichie and sophomore Nelia Peralta also had stellar weekends.
Both picked up eight hits in the tournament, with McCondichie notching one triple and four RBIs. Peralta burst upon the scene with a home run in the first game against St. John’s while also collecting two triples and three RBIs on the weekend.
“This past weekend was great for us,” Peralta said. “It was good to see competition. I’m excited to go over areas we saw weaknesses [in] and clean up mistakes so we can go into this weekend with a new mindset and a new plan.”
With Dean emphasizing the need to clean up mistakes, the Tigers are headed into this weekend with the team goal of picking up their game, especially in front of the home crowd.
Auburn is set to take on Austin Peay and Villanova at 3 p.m. CST and 5:30 p.m. CST on Friday to begin the tournament. The Tigers are then slated to square up against the Wildcats again at 2:30 p.m. CST and then face Dayton at 5 p.m. CST on Saturday. Auburn will finish out the tournament with a Sunday rematch against Austin Peay at 2:30 p.m. CST, with all games from the Tiger Invitational being streamed on SEC Network+.
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Emily Porch is a senior from Sylacauga, Alabama. She joined The Plainsman in fall 2021.
Twitter: @emilycporch
