Lindsey Garcia – Syndication Server

Auburn softball season preview: A look at Auburn softball’s top returning hitters

As we prepare for Auburn’s season-opening game on Friday, let’s examine the Tigers’ top lineup pieces.

Auburn softball returns to the diamond this week and will have plenty of experienced lineup pieces to work with this season.

The Tigers lost several talented members of its 2023 roster last season due to the transfer portal such as [autotag]Bri Ellis[/autotag], [autotag]Lindsey Garcia[/autotag], and [autotag]Denver Bryant[/autotag]. However, Auburn is a top-25 team in several national polls due to the players that stayed.

Among those returning are the team leaders in average, runs, hits, and stolen bases. From Nelia Peralta to Icess Tresvik, here is a look at the top ten returning hitters to Auburn’s lineup.

Auburn checks in at No. 20 in Softball America’s preseason top 25 poll

The Tigers are one of nine SEC squads to be featured in Softball America’s initial poll for the 2024 season.

The Auburn Tigers are poised for another strong season in 2024 and will begin the season ranked in the top 25 of one publication’s preseason poll.

Softball America has released its preseason top 25 poll ahead of the 2024 season, and Auburn checks in at No. 20.

The Tigers are one of nine SEC squads to find a place in the preseason poll. Tennessee is the conference’s highest-rated team at No. 2. Georgia (No. 6) and Arkansas (No. 8) round out the SEC’s top-10 representation. LSU, South Carolina, and Texas A&M are in the top 20 with a No. 12, No. 17, and No. 19 ranking respectively. Auburn is next at No. 20, followed by Alabama (No. 21) and Florida (No. 24).

Future SEC members Oklahoma and Texas are also in the poll. The Sooners will begin the season as the nation’s No. 1 team while Texas is not far behind at No. 7.

The Tigers are looking to earn a spot in the Women’s College World Series for the first time since 2016. Last season, Auburn finished the season with 43 wins, the most since the 2017 season. Pitcher [autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag] and shortstop [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag] headline Auburn’s returning stars for the 2024 season, a year in which head coach Mickey Dean will look to find replacements for key contributors such as [autotag]Bri Ellis[/autotag], [autotag]Denver Bryant[/autotag], and [autotag]Lindsey Garcia[/autotag].

Auburn opens the 2024 season on Friday, Feb. 9 against Virginia Tech as part of the Tiger Invitational.

The Preseason Top 25 is here 👀 https://t.co/JQuT8vHV3P pic.twitter.com/QNNzV06XW0

— Softball America (@SoftbalAmerica) January 11, 2024

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Jessie Blaine set to transfer to fellow SEC program

Four members of the 2023 roster have found new homes, with three remaining in the SEC.

So far, four members of Auburn softball’s 2023 roster have found new homes out of the transfer portal. Three of them have announced that they will stay within the SEC.

First baseman [autotag]Bri Ellis[/autotag] kicked off the trend by committing to Arkansas on June 18, and third baseman [autotag]Denver Bryant[/autotag] announced that she would be transferring to South Carolina earlier this week. Now, former Auburn utility player [autotag]Jessie Blaine[/autotag] will make the move to a fellow SEC program, Mississippi State.

Blaine appeared in 110 games in two seasons at Auburn, making 86 starts. During her time at Auburn, Blaine saw time at catcher, designated player, first base, and right field. During her final season at Auburn, she started 27 games as the Tigers’ designated player and made four starts at catcher.

At the plate, she hit for a .263 average in two seasons with 64 hits, 11 home runs, and 55 RBI. She walked 42 times and struck out 33 times. She hit .285 with 39 hits, 9 home runs, and 37 RBI as a freshman in 2022.

Outside of the three SEC transfers, [autotag]Lindsey Garcia[/autotag] will make the move to Clemson for her final season of eligibility. Two players from Auburn remain in the transfer portal according to D1Softball, [autotag]Maia Engelkes[/autotag] and [autotag]Carlee McCondichie[/autotag].

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Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Lindsey Garcia commits to ACC program

Garcia becomes the second former Tiger to find a new home out of the transfer portal.

Former Auburn outfielder [autotag]Lindsey Garcia[/autotag] did not have to go far to find her new home.

After ending the season with Auburn at McWhorter Stadium against the No. 16 overall seed Clemson Tigers in the Clemson Regional last month, Garcia has announced that she will use her final season of eligibility to stay in Clemson and play for the Tigers.

Garcia announced the news via Twitter on Wednesday in a concise manner. She tweeted a photo of her wearing Clemson’s purple uniform with a caption that featured just the paw print emoji. Her announcement featured just one character more than former teammate Bri Ellis’ announcement, where she tweeted just a photo of her wearing the Arkansas home uniform.

Garcia declared her intention to enter the transfer portal before Auburn’s trip to Clemson for the Clemson Regional. Garcia graduated from Auburn in May and shared that she would be entering the portal as a graduate student.

The native of Coral Springs, Florida appeared in 181 games for Auburn in four seasons and made 159 starts. She clubbed 21 home runs and sent 94 runs home while batting .270. She slugged .486 and struck out just 69 times in 444 total at-bats.

Garcia joins a talented Clemson team that has competed in two-straight NCAA Super Regionals. The Tigers return two-way star Valerie Cagle, slugging outfielder McKenzie Clark, and a solid run producer in Alia Logoelo for next season. Adding Garcia, who can produce equally at the plate and in the field, will definitely boost Clemson’s chances to make the Women’s College World Series for the first time in program history.

So far, two of Auburn’s six transfer portal occupants have found new homes. Garcia is heading to Clemson while former first baseman, [autotag]Bri Ellis[/autotag], is staying in the SEC after announcing her commitment to Arkansas. [autotag]Denver Bryant[/autotag], [autotag]Carlee McCondichie[/autotag], [autotag]Jessie Blaine[/autotag], and [autotag]Maia Englekes[/autotag] remain in the portal as of the timing of this post.

Auburn has added one player from the transfer portal to this point, as Big East 2nd team selection from DePaul, [autotag]Anna Wolhers[/autotag], announced her commitment to Auburn on Wednesday.

🐾 pic.twitter.com/nOEYmzgKlU

— lindsey (@lindseeygarcia) June 21, 2023

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Bri Ellis announces transfer destination

The 2022 SEC Freshman of the Year has found a new place to call home.

Auburn first baseman [autotag]Bri Ellis[/autotag] surprised Tiger fans last month by announcing she was entering the transfer portal after spending the first two seasons of her college career on The Plains.

Late Sunday, Ellis revealed she has found a new place to come home. In a simple tweet, Ellis announced she will remain in the SEC by transferring to Arkansas.

Ellis was a staple of Auburn’s lineup since arriving on campus in 2022. During her freshman season, the Houston, Texas, native hit .302 with 20 home runs and 49 RBI. She ended her rookie season by earning several honors such as SEC Freshman of the Year.

Her 2023 season was just as special. She hit .275 with 14 home runs and 47 RBI. Over the last two seasons, Ellis led Auburn in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage.

The move to Arkansas should be a positive one for Ellis. Arkansas head coach Courtney Diefel has had a positive track record in developing acquired talent from the transfer portal.

Recently, former Alabama outfielder KB Sides was named SEC Player of the Year in 2022 after shattering personal bests in average, home runs, hits, RBI and stolen bases. The Razorbacks’ ace pitcher this season, Chenise Delce, also reached her full potential in Fayetteville after transferring from Tulsa. Over the last two seasons, Delce recorded 381 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.07.

At the time of this post, Ellis is the first of six Tigers on the 2023 roster to announce their destination after entering the transfer portal. [autotag]Denver Bryant[/autotag], [autotag]Carlee McCondichie[/autotag], [autotag]Lindsey Garcia[/autotag], [autotag]Maia Engelkes[/autotag] and [autotag]Jessie Blaine[/autotag] remain in the transfer portal.

pic.twitter.com/QZRrxb1Drh

— Bri Ellis (@briellis1) June 19, 2023

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Softball year in review: Lindsey Garcia

Up next in our “year in review” series is Lindsey Garcia, who set several career-best stats during her fourth season on the Plains.

The Auburn Tigers’ wonderful season came to a close during the Clemson Regional last weekend, as Auburn fell to the hosts, 5-1 in game seven of an exciting regional.

The season ended with a 43-19 record, which is the most wins for an Auburn team since [autotag]Mickey Dean[/autotag] took over the program prior to the 2018 season. The Tigers also went 15-9 in SEC play to finish as the No. 3 team, behind just Tennessee and Georgia.

As the season ends, it is now time to reflect on the year that was. Next up in our series is senior, [autotag]Lindsey Garcia[/autotag]. Garcia started 159 games in four years on the Plains before entering the transfer portal ahead of Auburn’s run in the Clemson Regional.

The outfielder is coming off her best season yet, she started 61 games for the Tigers and set or tied several career bests at the plate.

Here’s a look back at the season that was for senior, Lindsey Garcia.

Denver Bryant becomes fifth Auburn Tiger to enter transfer portal

Bryant started in 81 games over three seasons at Auburn.

The tough news keeps coming for Auburn softball.

One day after three players announced their intention to enter the transfer portal, another key member of Auburn’s lineup has also declared that she will be looking for a new home.

Justin McLeod of Extra Innings Softball and Justin’s World of Softball reported that Auburn’s primary third baseman, [autotag]Denver Bryant[/autotag], has entered the transfer portal, becoming the fifth member of the 2023 roster to announce such a move. Bryant later shared a message via Twitter that seemed to confirm the decision.

“Thank you Auburn. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to play here. Thank you for the endless support. I’m excited to see where this path leads me,” Bryant tweeted Tuesday.

Bryant is yet another productive member of the Auburn lineup that will be moving on. In 2023, Bryant started in 42 games and appeared in 56 total games. She recorded career-highs in at-bats (116), hits (37), and walks drawn (14). She ends her Auburn career with a .312 average, 37 hits, 12 home runs, and 39 RBI. She also fielded at a .887 clip.

Bryant joins [autotag]Lindsey Garcia[/autotag], [autotag]Bri Ellis[/autotag], [autotag]Carlee McCondichie[/autotag], and [autotag]Jessie Blaine[/autotag] as members of the 2023 roster that have entered the transfer portal.

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Lindsey Garcia to enter the transfer portal

A valuable piece to Auburn’s lineup will enter the transfer portal as a graduate student.

A valuable piece to Auburn softball’s lineup is reportedly entering the transfer portal as a graduate student.

[autotag]Lindsey Garcia[/autotag], who has started in 157 games over the last four seasons for Auburn, will enter the transfer portal for her fifth season of eligibility. Justin McLeod of Extra Innings Softball first reported the news, and D1Softball has officially added her name to their Transfer Portal tracker.

Garcia entered the transfer portal prior to Auburn’s stay at the Clemson Regional but played in all five of Auburn’s games. She recorded five hits and three RBI over the weekend.

Garcia has been a productive member of Auburn’s lineup over the last four seasons, but her best season came in 2023 as a senior. The Coral Springs, Florida product started in all 59 games for the Tigers this season, which marks the second straight season in which she has started every game for Auburn. She hit .277 for Auburn in 2023, and recorded career-bests in doubles (23), home runs (10), and RBI (43).

She ends her Auburn career with an average of .269 with 21 home runs and 94 RBI. As an outfielder, Garcia recorded 115 putouts in her four-year career and fielded at a .939 clip.

Garcia is the first-known player to enter the portal from the 2023 roster. Auburn had a total of four seniors on their roster this season, including [autotag]Carlee McCondichie[/autotag], [autotag]Maia Englekes[/autotag], and [autotag]Aspyn Godwin[/autotag].

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Titan takedown: Auburn earns win in Clemson Regional opener

The Tigers advance to the winners bracket of the Clemson Regional by crushing Cal State Fullerton on Friday.

Auburn Softball entered the Clemson Regional with a chip on its’ shoulder after just missing the opportunity to host an NCAA regional.

In the Clemson Regional opener on Friday, Auburn took out its’ frustrations on Cal State Fullerton. The Tigers used an eight-hit effort, plus a big swing by Bri Ellis, to earn a 12-2 run-rule win over the Titans on Friday at McWhorter Stadium in Clemson.

Head coach [autotag]Mickey Dean[/autotag] says that his team used a “stay where your feet are” approach to the game with Cal State Fullerton, which paid off.

“We weren’t looking forward, we weren’t looking backward. We were focused on today’s game, and we stayed there the entire five innings,” Dean said Friday. “We didn’t carry any bricks. If we made a mistake, we just moved forward. That’s what it is all about. It’s about your teammate having your back, trusting in your teammates, and believing in your teammates. That’s when you can go out on the field and play free and easy.”

Auburn struck first in the bottom of the 1st inning on a pair of RBI by [autotag]KK McCrary[/autotag] and [autotag]Lindsey Garcia[/autotag] to give Auburn the 2-0 lead. In the 2nd inning, Bri Ellis answered Fullerton’s RBI single by crushing a grad slam to extend the lead to 6-0. The grand slam would be Ellis’ lone official at-bat, as she would walk twice and get hit by a pitch throughout the remainder of the game.

Makayla Packer would score two runs over the next two innings on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single. McCrary and Garcia scored their second runs of the day, while [autotag]Rose Roach[/autotag] and [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag] would score the games final runs in the 4th inning to seal the win.

Auburn ended the day with eight total hits and four players would end the game with multiple RBI. That bodes well for Auburn, as they shut down Myka Sutherlin, who entered the weekend with 227 strikeouts, which was 10th best in the country. Sutherlin ended the game by allowing five hits and seven runs while issuing three walks, and striking out just one batter.

“We just stuck to our plan,” McCrary said after the game. “We talked about the changeup. We attacked that early in the count. I just approach the plate when I’m facing two outs like I have nothing to lose. We know we belong here. We’re trying to take a few games.”

Maddie Penta got the win for the Tigers by tossing 4.0 innings and allowing one earned run on three hits while striking out three batters. [autotag]Shelby Lowe[/autotag] struck out a batter in her lone inning of relief.

Auburn now advances to the winners bracket to face host Clemson, who defeated UNC Greensboro, 17-2 on Friday. First pitch is set for noon CT on ESPN.

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Auburn softball enters Clemson Regional with ‘extra motivation’

After missing a chance to host a regional this season, the Auburn Tigers are driven to make a statement in Clemson.

When it came to picking a regional host, the No. 16 Auburn Tigers had a resume worthy of such honor. However, the NCAA Tournament selection committee failed to share those sentiments, thus moving Auburn into the traveling category.

Auburn will compete in the Clemson Regional, hosted by the No. 16 overall seed, Clemson. Should Auburn come out of the weekend on top, their next destination would be Norman, Oklahoma to face the postseason’s top overall seed.

D1Softball’s Rhiannon Potkey understands Auburn’s frustrations and feels that the orange and blue Tigers will have extra drive heading into the weekend.

The Tigers certainly have enough reasons to be miffed by their placing in the bracket. Not only did the committee not give Auburn a national seed, they sent the Tigers back to Clemson for the second straight season. Auburn beat Alabama and LSU head-to-head in SEC play, and both squads received national seeds over the Tigers. If they needed extra motivation, they got it.

This bracket will not be a breeze for any team, as the Clemson Regional features three of the game’s top pitchers in Auburn’s Maddie Penta, Clemson’s Valerie Cagle, and Cal State Fullerton’s Myka Sutherlin. Auburn’s performance against regional hosts such as Alabama and LSU should boost Auburn’s chances of winning the regional, as Potkey has predicted that Auburn will upset Clemson for the weekend victory.

Potkey likes Auburn’s chances should they get past Cal State Fullerton on Friday.

The Tigers have plenty of pop in the lineup, led by [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag], [autotag]Lindsey Garcia[/autotag], and [autotag]Denver Bryant[/autotag] among others. Auburn is 1-2 all-time in games against Cal State Fullerton. The two teams last met in Fullerton in 2015 with the Titans beating Auburn 3-2. That is where Auburn will start. They are just hoping for a better finish than the last trip to Clemson.

Auburn’s run to the Women’s College World Series begins Friday at 4:30 when the Tigers face Cal State Fullerton at McWhorter Stadium.

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