Ole Miss softball returns to the diamond tonight for an SEC weekend series tilt at home as they play host to No. 10 Auburn. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
Ole Miss is coming off of a four-day layoff after the midweek contest at Central Arkansas was postponed due to bad weather. Last week, the Rebels lost the series to No. 16 Alabama 2-1 on the road. Ole Miss defeated the Crimson Tide 10-3 on Saturday for the second win in Tuscaloosa in program-history. Ole Miss came within two outs of claiming the series on Sunday before Alabama won on a walk-off, two-RBI single.
Ole Miss sophomore Kaylee Horton has made herself into one of Ole Miss’ top hitting threats. Horton currently leads the team with a .390 batting average, well over 100 points higher than her .270 from a year ago. Her .419 on-base percentage also leads the team, as does her eight multi-hit games.
Auburn has posted a 31-6 overall record, including 5-4 in SEC play. However, the bulk of those wins have come at Jane B. Moore Field. Auburn has played just seven true road games in 2018, going 4-3 in those games. The Tigers are riding a six-game winning streak, sweeping their most recent SEC series at home against Kentucky.
The Tigers pose a dangerous threat at the plate, batting .305 on the year with 43 doubles and 30 home runs. Four Tigers have gone deep at least five times this season, while six players are batting over .300. The Tigers’ .411 team on-base percentage ranks 12th in the nation. Victoria Draper and Taylon Snow are tied for 11th in the SEC with a .416 average, with Draper scoring 33 runs on the year and Snow registering 18 RBIs as well as runs scored. Courtney Shea is batting .323 with 10 extra-base hits and 24 RBIs, while Justus Perry boasts a .304 average with five home runs and a team-high 30 runs driven in. The Tigers are aggressive on the bases, ranking 11th in the NCAA (1st in the SEC) with 2.19 stolen bases per game. Draper has already broken the single-season school record with 35 steals, being thrown out just four times in 2018.
This season, the Tigers have been impressive at the plate, but Auburn’s true calling card has been its pitching. The Tigers rank second in the country with a 0.88 team ERA and ninth with a 4.48 strikeout-to-walk ratio. One of the primary reasons for the dominance of the Auburn pitching staff has been the play of Kaylee Carlson, who ranks third in the NCAA with a 0.62 ERA, allowing 10 earned runs in 112.2 innings. Carlson is 14-1 on the year, throwing seven complete games in her 19 starts, holding batters to a .194 average. Makayla Martin has also been strong, going 12-3 in 15 starts, registering a 1.21 ERA while matching Carlson’s .194 opponent batting average. The Tigers’ primary relief option, Chardonnay Harris has made 15 appearances, recording a 1.15 ERA in 30.1 innings with 38 strikeouts and just nine walks.
Auburn and Ole Miss have met on the diamond 64 times prior to this weekend’s series. The Tigers lead the all-time series 43-18. Last season, Ole Miss took one game away from Auburn in the series.
Game times are set for the weekend series beginning tonight at 6 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Fans can watch all the action on the SEC Network +.
Adam Brown is the sports editor of HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at adam.brown@hottytoddy.com.
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