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Melero homerun secures Auburn softball win over Tennessee

April 4

In the second straight sold out game of the season, the Tigers headed into the third and final match of the Tennessee series 1-1. Auburn had a shaky start as the Vols brought in 6 runs in a two-outs rally in the first inning.

'Nothing stood out negatively' in Saturday’s scrimmage for offense

April 4

Expectations are higher than ever for the offense this season with the loss of key players. However, the offense fell to the newly reconstructed defense in regards to evident progress and overall plays made in Saturday’s scrimmage. Although Gus Malzahn said the offense wasn’t moving in a negative direction, there weren’t any plays that stood out as anything spectacular.

Defense bests offense in Saturday scrimmage

By Eric Wallace | Sports Writer | April 4

“The defense probably got the best of the offense today,” Malzahn said. “There were probably more big hits than in any of the scrimmages we’ve had up to this point.”

Tigers drop heartbreaker to Razorbacks in series opener

By Derek Thompson | Sports Reporter | April 3

Auburn (18-12, 3-7 SEC) baseball lost its first of a three-game SEC series 10-7 this weekend after a back and forth battle with the Arkansas Razorbacks (15-4, 4-6 SEC) Friday, April 3, at Plainsman Park. “It’s just a tough loss for Friday night,” said coach Sunny Golloway.

Softball falls to Tennessee in second series game

April 3

Auburn softball fell to no. 11 Tennessee, 8-6 in its second match of the weekend’s three-game series after a nail-biting finish Friday, April 3, at home. The loss broke the team’s spotless home-field record of 21-0 for the 2015 season. The Vols took the lead in the first half-inning with a homerun by Gretchen Aucoin after Tiffany Howard’s first left field catch of three total throughout the game. At bat, the Tigers couldn’t muster a run, and gave the inning to Tennessee, 1-0. The Tigers wouldn’t respond until the bottom of the second with Jade Rhodes’ sixteenth career homerun this season, tying the game 1-1. In the third, Emily Carosone’s hit merely missed the right-field wall and gave her a double, bringing in Tiffany Howard for another point on the board. Kasey Cooper then nailed a pitch to center field for a single that allowed Carosone to plate another run, giving Auburn their first lead of the game, 3-1. The Tigers didn’t hold on to the lead for long, when Tennessee’s Scarlet McSwain nailed one over the fence to plate three for the Vols. No response came from the Tigers directly after at bat as Auburn headed into the fifth trailing by one, 4-3. Although the Tigers held Tennessee on defense in the fifth with Lexi Davis on the mound, opposing pitcher Rainey Gaffin dished out three straight strikeouts to Howard, Carosone and Cooper. “We knew coming in what she threw,” said coach Clint Myers.

Auburn fails to beat the 8th ranked Aggies

By Patrick Lucas | Sports Writer | April 3

Auburn’s men’s tennis team traveled to College Station, Texas, on Friday, April 3, to play the highly ranked Texas A&M Aggies. The Tigers played strongly, but fell 4-0 in their third top ten match-up of the season. Auburn fell in doubles despite winning on court one.

Collegiate equestrian faces an uncertain future with the NCAA

By Eric Wallace | Sports Writer | April 3

Lost in recent discussions of autonomy and student-athlete compensation, one of Auburn’s most successful athletic sports faces an uncertain future with the NCAA. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics recommended to remove equestrian from a list of emerging sports in October 2014 after the sport failed to meet the minimum of 40 schools in 10 years. According to Leah Fiorentino, executive director of the National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA), 24 schools currently sponsor equestrian at the NCAA level. While that number falls short of the NCAA requirements, recent organizational changes have many convinced the sport’s future may be brighter than it seems. “We have all these plans laid out and ready to go, but we’re just waiting in limbo for the NCAA to make a decision one way or the other,” Fiorentino said.

Gymnast embraces pressure during record season

By Andrew Monson | Sports Writer | April 3

Before she was an All-American at Auburn, and even before she was a national recruit as a teenager, Auburn gymnast Caitlin Atkinson knew she had the talent and the drive to become great. “I always kind of knew when I was younger because, even from the start, I always wanted to go more, always wanted to train more hours,” Atkinson said.

Muschamp: Secondary making steady progress early in spring practices

By CJ Holmes | Sports Writer | April 3

Days away from Auburn’s first spring scrimmage in Jordan-Hare Stadium, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said he is pleased with the progress the secondary has made thus far this offseason as coaches continue to define roles at key positions. “We purposely, some days, throw a lot at them to see how they adjust and how they handle it,” Muschamp said.

Softball kicks off UT series with win

By David McKinney | Assistant Sports Editor | April 2

Softball kicks off UT series with win By David McKinney Assistant Sports Editor Even without the long ball, the Auburn softball team found a way to win Thursday night, April 2.

Auburn golfer Ben Schlottman named SEC Freshman Golfer of the Week

By Andrew Monson | Sports Writer | April 2

Auburn golfer Ben Schlottman named SEC Freshman Golfer of the Week Auburn’s Ben Schlottman was named SEC Freshman Golfer of the Week on Thursday, April 2 following his performances at the Schenkel Invitational and the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate. At the Schenkel, Schlottman finished second at 11-under, including a career-low 6-under first round.

Successful track and field career ends with Smith’s SEC gold

By CJ Holmes | Sports Writer | April 2

For those who don’t know of former track and field star D.J. Smith, they may not know of one of the most storied careers in Auburn history. Originally a two-sport athlete, Smith excelled in both basketball and football, receiving high-level college interest in both sports.

Auburn swimmer selected for Pan Am Games

By Derek Thompson | Sports Reporter | April 1

Auburn junior swimmer Annie Lazor was honored with a spot on the USA Swimming roster for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, Wednesday, April 1. The junior will compete in the 100m and 200m breaststroke for the USA team in the third-largest international multi-sport event in the world on July 14-18. Lazor is coming off strong swims in the 2015 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships where she and five other Tigers earned All-America honors. Touching in at 2:08.41 in the 200-yard breaststroke in the consolation final was the second-best swim in school history and a only .18 seconds shy of the school record.

Senior leads young tennis players

April 1

This season, the Auburn men’s tennis team is credited for showcasing the talents with students from around the world.

Auburn women’s tennis team loses to Miss. St.

By Patrick Lucas | Sports Writer | April 1

Auburn’s women’s tennis team headed to Starkville, Mississippi, on Wednesday, April 1, to take on SEC rival Mississippi State.

Jason Smith makes full-time move to wide receiver

By Derek Thompson | Sports Reporter | April 1

The nation’s No.1 JUCO athlete told his coaches that he wants to concentrate on being a receiver have a smaller role as a quarterback, Malzahn said.

Auburn responds to first SEC loss with Missouri victory

April 1

The No. 8 Tigers are now 35-4 after defeating the No. 20 Missouri Tigers in an away match Sunday afternoon, March 29. Both Tigers battled back-and-forth for the lead throughout the game, with a standstill tie at 4-4 in the sixth inning.

Auburn pulls away late, defeats Samford 9-4

By Sam Butler | Sports Writer | April 1

The visiting Auburn Tigers continued their winning ways Tuesday, defeating the Samford Bulldogs 9-4 behind strong performances from Anfernee Grier and Kyler Deese. The Tigers (18-11) were locked in a tight battle early, tied at three after four innings, but they broke the game open in the seventh when Deese launched a two-run homer to put Auburn up 8-4. Starter Rocky McCord threw five strong innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and five strikeouts to pick up the win, and Justin Camp closed the game to claim his fifth save of the season. Daniel Robert extended his career-best hitting streak to nine games on a double in the fourth inning, and he later scored on a single from Deese.