After Auburn softball debuted at No. 20 in the USA Softball poll Monday, Jan. 23, the SEC named senior pitcher Maddie Penta and junior infielder Nelia Peralta as Preseason All-SEC selections while also selecting the Tigers to finish fifth in the conference.
Penta continues to rake in the preseason awards, adding the All-SEC nod to her No. 3 pitcher ranking by Softball America and her No. 9 player ranking by D1 Softball and Softball America.
The 2023 SEC First Team selection, NFCA First Team All-American and reigning SEC Pitcher of the Year is going to be key for the Tigers’ success in the upcoming season.
Penta is following up a huge junior season that consisted of multiple career milestones. She became the second pitcher in program history to surpass 300 strikeouts in a single season, finishing the season ranked second in the nation with 303.
Penta collected 27 wins in the 2023 campaign, tying the program record and leading the SEC. Penta also ranked second in the conference in innings pitched (220.2), earned run average (1.33) and shutouts (eight).
After a stellar sophomore campaign that included a start in every single game and an All-SEC Second Team nod, Peralta is returning her huge bat to the top of the lineup.
Peralta led the team in 2023 in batting average (.329), hits (54) and runs scored (39). With an on-base percentage of .479, Peralta also led the team with 43 walks. She reached base safely in 29 straight games of the 2023 campaign, which is the sixth-longest streak in program history.
After a 15-9 conference record in 2023, the best finish since 2017, the Tigers were picked to finish fifth in the SEC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll. Tennessee was picked as the preseason champion, followed by Georgia, LSU and Arkansas.
The first contest of the season for the Tigers is set to take place at Jane B. Moore Field on Feb. 9 against preseason No. 23 Virginia Tech in the Tiger Invitational. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. CST. The Tigers will then follow up with a contest against Belmont at 4 p.m. CST.
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Emily Porch is a senior from Sylacauga, Alabama. She joined The Plainsman in fall 2021.
Twitter: @emilycporch
