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(05/29/14 3:36am)
One of the best seasons in Auburn softball history racked up more awards on Wednesday, with Branndi Melero, Kasey Cooper and Emily Carosone being named All-Americans.
Melero, a junior from California, became the first Tiger in history to earn first-team All-American honors. Leading Auburn with 78 RBIs, Melero is also currently leading the SEC in that category with the College World Series left to play.
Cooper, who on Tuesday won the NFCA's co-National Freshman of the Year, earned second-team honors. The native of Dothan, Alabama still leads all SEC freshman with 77 RBIs and 18 home runs, both a school record for a freshman.
Carosone, a sophomore from Orlando, Florida, earned third-team honors after recording 62 hits and a .560 on-base percentage while leading off and playing second base for Auburn.
The three Tigers tied Notre Dame, Washington and Oregon for All-Americans from one school.
These were the first Auburn players to earn All-American honors since 2005, when Holly Currie and Paige Jones earned the honor.
All three honorees return next year as the Tigers try to top their 42-19-1 record, which was second best in Auburn history.
(05/28/14 2:59am)
Freshman Kasey Cooper was named a co-champion for the Division I National Freshman of the Year Award on Tuesday night by the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, sharing the award with fellow SEC player Annie Aldrete of Tennessee.
Cooper, a native of Dothan, Alabama, won the award in the first year of its existence.
Leading the Tigers in batting average (.418), Cooper became only the second player in Auburn history to finish with a .400 or higher batting average.
Cooper also broke the Auburn record for home runs in a season, hitting her 18th in the NCAA Regional Tournament in Minneapolis.
During her freshman campaign, Cooper also led the Tigers in hits (74) and slugging percentage (.780), while also being tied for the lead in runs scored (70).
Her season has earned her many other honors, including becoming the first Auburn Tigers to ever be named All-SEC (Second Team) and All-SEC Freshman in the same season.
(05/27/14 5:58pm)
A school-record run in the NCAA Women's Tennis Championships ended in the semifinals for Pleun Burgmans and Emily Flickinger after the pair was defeated in straight sets on Sunday 6-4, 7-5 by Georgia's Lauren Herring and Maho Kowase at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Georgia.
The 15th-ranked Auburn duo finished the season with a 27-7 overall record, recording the most double wins by an Auburn team in the last three seasons.
Their run to the semifinals was the deepest run in Auburn history by a doubles team.
"It was an amazing run by Pleun and Emily this weekend. I could not be more proud of what they have accomplished and the records they broke," Auburn head coach Lauren Meisner told auburntigers.com.
The No. 2 ranked Herring and Kowase took advantage of two break-point chances, converting both in the first set to take a one-set lead.
Tied at 5-5 in the second set, Georgia's duo converted another break point before serving to close out the match.
Burgmans and Flickinger earned Auburn's first All-American selections since 2009. The pair was also selected to the All-SEC team.
"It's a tough loss, but an experience that we can build on for their future," Meisner said. "Coming away with a Final Four appearance and the All-America accolades are huge milestones for the Auburn Tennis program."
To earn a spot in Sunday's match, Burgmans and Flickinger defeated No. 3 North Carolina's Hayley Carter and Jamie Loeb 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, posting their first victory against a top-five team this season.
In the first round of tournament play, the Auburn team defeated No. 18-ranked Michigan's Emina Bektas and Brooke Bolender 6-3, 6-3.
The Tigers continued their momentum by eliminating No. 16-ranked USC's Brynn Boren and Zoe Katx 7-5, 7-5.
"We are going to take some time to relish this great experience and then get back to work for next year to push ourselves further. We want to keep setting the bar higher and higher for this program each year," Meisner said.
(05/21/14 8:55pm)
A turnaround season under first year head coach Clint Myers ended up just short of a spot in the NCAA Tournament Super Regional as Auburn fell to Minnesota 8-6 in the decisive game on Sunday night in regional play.
The Tigers, coming into Sunday needing to win two games from the Minnesota Golden Gophers, won the first game 4-3 on a walk-off home run by pinch-hitter Jenna Abbott in the bottom of the eighth, forcing the second game.
Pinch-hitters kept on coming through for Auburn in the second game as Madi Gipson hit a blooper over the third baseman's head in the second inning, giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
McKenzie Kilpatrick continued the good luck of pinch-hitters in the fourth, hitting a 3-2 pitch over the left-field wall for a grand slam and a 6-3 Auburn lead.
The Tiger held a 6-5 lead going into the 6th inning of the decisive game before the Golden Gophers' Sam Macken hit a 3-run home run to give the hosts the final margin of victory.
"Good teams are good because of the fact that they capitalize on their opponent's mistakes and that is exactly what Minnesota did to us today," Myers said. "We gave them an extra out to play with and they beat us with it."
Auburn was playing their fourth game in two days, each being an elimination game.
Despite being eliminated, Myers was proud of his team.
"Our first year, we had 42 wins and were playing in a championship game with the winner going to a Super Regional," Myers said. "That is the first time that has happened in Auburn's history."
Auburn finished with a 42-19-1 record, tied for the second most wins in program history.
"I am extremely proud of the ladies that we have only had since August," Myers said. "They did a tremendous job."
Myers, in his first year at Auburn after serving as head coach at Arizona State and leading the Sun Devils to two NCAA Championships, revived the program after the Tigers missed the NCAA tournament last year for the first time since 2007.
The Tigers started the year on fire, piling up a 31-4-1 record before a seven-game losing streak began with a loss at Kentucky and then consecutive sweeps at the hands of Florida and Missouri. Auburn then picked up their winning ways with a 7-3 record in their final 10 regular season games.
In the SEC Tournament held in Columbia, South Carolina, the Tigers upset the host Gamecocks 7-5 before losing to rival Alabama 8-4.
Myers, when asked about the future of the softball program, was confident.
"The legacy of Auburn softball began here in Minneapolis," Myers said. "We are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the future."
(05/19/14 5:35pm)
Ruthie Bolton and Bill Cody, both former All-Americans at Auburn, were inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOF) on Saturday at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel.
Bolton, already inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011, was a four-year letter winner from 1986-89, helping lead the Tigers to three SEC Championships and two NCAA Tournament runner-up finishes.
Finishing her collegiate career with 1,176 points, Bolton also ranks fifth all-time in assists with 526.
Bolton also holds the Auburn school record for games played (132), games started in a season (35) and steals in a game (10).
The Lucedale, Mississippi native went on to a 15-year professional basketball career, scoring over 2,000 points in her career and is currently fourth on the WNBA's all-time 3-pointer list.
A member of 10 U.S. National Teams, she won a gold medal in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.
Cody, a native of Greenwood, Mississippi, was a three-year letter winner playing at linebacker for the Tigers from 1963-65. The UPI Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC in 1965, Cody was also named an All-American in the same year.
A member of the 1963 Orange Bowl and 1965 Liberty Bowl teams, Cody went on to a six-year NFL career with the Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles.
While with the Saints and Eagles, he had the honor of serving as Team Captain.
Bolton and Cody joined six other honorees to make up the 2014 ASHOF class. Other inductees include: Red Cochran (posthumously) (Football), Eli Gold (Broadcasting), Travis Grant (Basketball), Walter Jones (Football) David Magadan (Baseball), Major Ogilvie (Football).
(05/19/14 1:24am)
A grand slam by McKenzie Kilpatrick and another solid performance by Lexi Davis proved not enough for the Tigers as they fell to Minnesota 8-6, eliminating Auburn from NCAA Tournament play.
The Tiger held a 6-5 lead going into the 6th inning of the decisive game before the Gophers' Sam Macken hit a 3-run home run to give the hosts the final margin of victory.
Auburn was playing their fourth game in two days, each being an elimination game.
In the first inning, Minnesota took advantage of two illegal pitch calls to take the lead 1-0 on an infield single.
Madi Gipson, at the plate for the Tigers as a pinch-hitter in the 2nd inning, hit a blooper over the third baseman's head, scoring two as Auburn took a 2-1 lead.
After Minnesota answered with two runs to take a 3-2 lead, Kilpatrick hit a 3-2 pitch over the left-field fence to give the Tigers a 6-3 lead.
Macken's heroics would not have been necessary had it not been for Jenna Abbott's heroics in the first game of the day.
Abbott hit a walk-off home run to center field in the first game to give the Tigers the 4-3 win and force the decisive game.
The Tigers were fighting for a spot in next week's Super Regional, which will be hosted by top-ranked Oregon.
Under first year coach Clint Myers, Auburn finished with a 42-19-1 record, tied for the second most wins in program history.
(05/18/14 8:03am)
Lexi Davis threw a shutout and Kasey Cooper provided the only run Auburn needed to stay alive in a 1-0 defeat of North Dakota State on Saturday night in NCAA Regional play in Minneapolis.
Cooper drove in the winning run in the 7th inning after Tiffany Howard hit a lead-off double to start the rally. Emily Carosone dropped a successful sacrifice bunt to move Howard to third before Cooper singled her home.
With their second win of the day, the Tigers advance to play host Minnesota on Sunday at 1:30 p.m, needing to win two games against the Golden Gophers to make the next round.
In the first game on Saturday, the Tigers fended off elimination by jumping on Green Bay with a 5-run second inning, never looking back in an easy 9-1 win in five innings.
Cooper drove in the first run of the game against the Phoenix by hitting a ground ball to the right side, easily scoring Carosone.
In the fourth inning, Cooper broke the Auburn single season record for home runs as she cleared the fence with her 18th home run of the year. Cooper finished with 4 RBIs in the game.
(05/16/14 5:13pm)
Home runs and team defense have led the Auburn softball team to this weekend's NCAA Regional, held in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Head coach Clint Myers, however, knows the team needs more than that if they want to advance.
"For us, it's going to need to be about the whole game," Myers said. "We're going to give up some runs, but we have to go out and score some runs too. That's the key thing."
The Tigers (39-17-1, 11-13 SEC) will face North Dakota State to begin regional play on Friday, May 16 at 4:00 p.m. Green Bay and host Minnesota fill out the rest of the regional.
"Postseason is about playing the best teams," said Myers. "I don't know much about Green Bay, but the other two (Minnesota, North Dakota State), I know they're good programs."
Myers, in his first year at Auburn after serving as head coach at Arizona State and leading the Sun Devils to two NCAA Championships, has revived the program after the Tigers missed the NCAA tournament last year for the first time since 2007.
Auburn is tied for 3rd in the country with 79 team home runs and is No. 1 in scoring with 418 runs.
The Tigers started the year on fire, piling up a 31-4-1 record before a seven-game losing streak began with a loss at Kentucky and then consecutive sweeps at the hands of Florida and Missouri.
Auburn then picked up their winning ways with a 7-3 record in their final 10 regular season games.
In the SEC Tournament held in Columbia, South Carolina, the Tigers upset the host Gamecocks 7-5 before losing to rival Alabama 8-4.
"We're very proud of what this team has been able to accomplish," Myers said.
The coach also knows that his team needs to improve in some areas.
"We have to pitch a little better," Myers said, "and make sure we have an understanding of the little things and take care of business."
The team is also hoping that a little Auburn magic rubbed off on them after a trip to Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, on Wednesday.
Before the game, the Tigers met former Auburn baseball player David Ross, who was on the 1997 College World Series team and now plays for the Boston Red Sox.
Auburn received a tough draw by the NCAA Selection Committee, being placed in the 16th regional which means, if they advance, they will take on No. 1 Oregon in Eugene.
"Would I have rather been somewhere else other than the 16th regional, yeah," Myers said. "This matches us up with the number one team in the country."
Despite that pending obstacle, Myers is confident about his team.
"The nice thing about it is we played Oregon once already," said Myers. "It's postseason. Whoever lines up with you, you have to play."
The Minnesota Regional comes first, though, and the Tigers say they are ready for the challenge.
"We're going to have to play Auburn softball," Myers said. "It's the team that doesn't beat themselves that has the best chance to win."
(04/04/14 5:15pm)
Auburn gymnastics will enter a hostile environment for the NCAA Regional, but it is one they are familiar with. The No. 13 Tigers will travel to Baton Rouge, La., for the second time this year for the meet Saturday, April 5.
Along with host No. 3 LSU, the meet also features No. 10 Stanford, No. 21 Arizona, Kent State and Iowa State.
Back on January 24, Auburn posted the top road score in program history at LSU with a 196.850. This success, according to head coach Jeff Graba, will benefit his team.
"I think it gives us quite a bit of confidence," Graba said. "One of the dilemmas when you go to one of these regional meets is that many times you have never been on the equipment before."
Sophomore Lexus Demers echoed her coach as the team began preparations for the trip to Baton Rouge.
"We are definitely at an advantage," Demers said. "It's immensely helpful that we have already been there, and we know how the equipment works, how the bars swing, how the beam bounces and so it will be easy to settle in."
The Tigers are coming off a fifth place finish at the SEC Championships on Saturday, March 22, in Birmingham.
Junior Megan Walker thinks the team is ready for the challenge of the NCAA Regionals after the team won the SEC Championships' afternoon session for the second season in a row.
"We are finally at a point where our lineups are settled in and people know their position," Walker said. "It's now all about mindset."
After one of the best starts in school history, the Tigers faded slightly down the stretch following a season-ending injury to Bri Guy. Auburn recovered with a strong finish to the SEC schedule in Birmingham. Now the team is ready for the all-important start to the national meets.
"The whole season, we have been working for this meet because we have the talent and the skills and put in the hard work," Demers said. "I don't want to say it is make or break, but this meet is where we can shine and show our potential."
The Tigers will not be intimidated by the opposing crowd, having already competed in tough places like Alabama, Kentucky and LSU.
"It's a young team, but I think they have been seasoned with the SEC schedule," Graba said. "We have had adversity this year, but they have risen to the occasion. In the end, it comes down to being in the moment and being sure you hit your event."
Demers said she thinks the energy of an opposing crowd can be a good thing.
"You can use the energy of the crowd, whether it is negative or positive, in your favor to motivate you," Demers said.
Walker knows the home advantage for LSU will be strong at Regionals, and the Bayou Bengal faithful does not make it easy for visiting gymnasts to compete.
"Last time I was at LSU, I began to wobble on a skill and their student section tried to boo me off the beam," Walker said. "I started to hear that and I said, 'Okay, that [falling off the beam] is not happening.' I regained my composure and completed a good routine."
The Tigers are seeking to earn a place in the NCAA Gymnastics Championships, which will also be held in Birmingham on April 18-20.