Softball Hosts No. 19 Auburn Wednesday Night

TROY, Ala. – Troy Softball returns home for a big mid-week match up Wednesday as No. 19 Auburn pays a visit to the Troy Softball Complex at 6 p.m. Admission to the game is free, and fans are encouraged to arrive early as a big crowd is expected.

Troy fans are asked to wear Cardinal to the game, and the first 300 fans in attendance will receive free Cardinal and White shakers.

Troy (10-5) enters the match-up against Auburn (15-1) following a 4-2 week, which included a narrow 2-1 loss at No. 6 Florida State on Saturday. The Trojans are 6-3 at home this season but are in the midst of playing 17 of 18 games on the road, with Wednesday's contest being the lone home game.

In the circle, the Trojans feature one of the top 1-2 combos in the country in senior Leanna Johnson and freshman Olivia Cato. The pair both rank in the top 50 nationally in ERA, while Cato is 15^th in fewest hits allowed per seven innings, and Johnson ranks in the top 15 in wins (5^th), strikeouts (11^th) and shutouts (13^th). They combined to hold a Florida State team that ranks first in the country in doubles, 30^th in batting average and 34^th in scoring to just two runs and three hits.

At the plate, Taylor McKinney paced the Trojans last week, batting at a .412 clip with a pair of home runs, a triple and seven RBIs, while Libby Baker hit .455 with a double in 11 at-bats. Baker leads the Trojans on the year with a .406 batting average plus four extra-base hits, while McKinney has a team-best three home runs to go along with a .375 average and .675 slugging percentage.

The Trojans also have shown a knack for showing off their speed, with lead-off hitter D'Aun Riggs ranking third in the country with three triples and shortstop Natalie Turner ranking among the nation's best with eight stolen bases.

Auburn is off to a hot start both at the plate and in the circle as the Tigers lead the country with a 0.81 ERA in addition to ranking third in batting average, fifth in scoring and sixth in home runs. Auburn has allowed one or fewer runs in 13 of its 16 games, and the Tigers didn't allow a run in five games this past weekend.

Softball Hosts No. 19 Auburn Wednesday Night

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Players Mentioned

Libby Baker

Olivia Cato

Leanna Johnson

Taylor McKinney

D'Aun Riggs

Natalie Turner

Troy University Athletics