Looking Ahead to the 2017 Auburn Softball Season

Now that the historic 2016 season has been wrapped up, it’s time to start looking ahead to next season. Questions abound for the 2017 program. Who will be that four- or five-tool player to replace Emily Carosone? Who will step in and be the big-time slugger that Jade Rhodes became in her last two seasons? Who will lead off for the Tigers come February and be the .400 hitter that Tiffany Howard embodied as a four-year starter? Will Auburn remain a pitch-by-committee team? And finally, will Auburn reload as many elite teams seem to do?

Auburn loses some significant players to graduation. While all schools experience roster turnover, perhaps none lose players who meant so much to the program as Auburn does. The departing players were not recruited by coach Clint Myers but were developed by him. They include Emily Carosone, Auburn’s all-time highest drafted player, and Jade Rhodes, who will join her on the pro circuit. Rhodes was picked up as a free agent, but she will be a steal for any team as she was a record setter in 2015 with her 18 home runs before hitting another 20 in 2016.  

Tiffany Howard’s place on Auburn softball’s Mount Rushmore is nearly assured. She was a four-year starter and batted a career .362 with a .441 on base percentage in the leadoff slot. Though she is the prototypical hard slapping lefty lead off, she will always be remembered for her over-the-wall snag catch that may be the best play in the 2016 Women’s College World Series.

You don’t lose players like that without worrying about next year’s team, but there are replacement options on the current roster plus a Top 10 recruiting class.

Rest assured, Tiger fans. Auburn may not start out as hot as either as the last two seasons, but they will finish at or near the top in 2017. Let’s take a look at how they may keep the success going.

Jade Rhodes’ departure means more to Auburn than just her long-ball capability.

She was a pretty solid first baseman. Is it possible to fill her place in the lineup and on the diamond with a single player, or will the team have to make up for her loss by other means? To meet or exceed Rhodes’ production, the next player will have to …

play better at first base. Rhodes was a good first baseman but not a great one and had problems with bad throws at times. She had moments where she couldn’t corral bad throws. Some of that comes from the basic fact that Rhodes is a righty playing a position built for lefties. Ideally, the next player to fill the 3 slot would be a lefthander. Additionally, Auburn will miss her bat. Auburn will also need to replace her power hitting to add fear behind Kasey Cooper.

Is there someone who can fill the need for extra power hitting?

Perhaps. Most likely, Auburn recruit Justus Perry will step right in. The long-bombing lefty plays first base and was described by Scout as, “The most sought after 2016 power hitter in the sport. She has a combination of size, strength and fluid mechanics you can’t find anywhere else.” Her high school statistics include a .560 batting average, .636 OBP, 14 homers and 59 RBI’s. That’s as close to a drop in single player replacement that can be found.

However, being an outstanding high school players is no guarantee of success at the next level. One can compare and contrast Perry to Rhodes, but it bears understanding that Rhodes has done what she has done whereas Perry MAY do it. 

Who could replace Tiffany Howard as the leadoff hitter and lockdown left fielder?

The loss of Howard is big, and one of the main reasons Auburn was the top scoring offense in the country was her ability to get on base and score. That isn’t a player remaining on the roster who can hit her numbers nor is it realistic that a freshman could come in and do so.

It’s doubtful that anyone could really ‘replace’ Howard. Possibilities include Sydne Waldrop, Bree Fornis, or Morgan Podany. With about the same at bats, Fornis had more hits and a higher batting average than Podany, and each had a single homer. Podany had more RBIs than Fornis, but Fornis had a slightly higher OBP. Fornis may have an edge due to her speed, but since both are right handers, it is doubtful that either would go to the leadoff position. Waldrop is a lefty, but she has a long way to go in terms of production. A wildcard might be Casey McCrackin, who hit .310 in 29 at bats with a homer and seven RBI’s. 

An incoming recruit could possibly replace Howard. Auburn’s Top 10 incoming class contains several outfield prospects (KaitlynCrocker, Carmyn Greenwood, and Brittany Maresette) as well as some utility players. All three of the outfielders are lefties, which is something to watch.

Auburn will have to turn to a veteran.

Kasey Cooper will be asked to do even more than she has in the past two years. It seems almost impossible for her to have a third straight year of big production, but if she does, she’ll become Auburn’s best career hitter. She led almost every category for Auburn in 2015 as well as career numbers. And she’s in a position to  overtake Emily Carosone’s career mark of 284 hits and has already shattered the home run record. 

Who will fill the designated player role?

Courtney Shea will likely remain the designated player while spelling catcher Carlee Wallace. In the event that Shea starts and Wallace is rested, Jenna Abbott will likely fill in as the DP.

Auburn losses three senior pitchers.

The Tigers’ staff was very good in 2016 but not great. Lefty Rachael Walters and right handers Lexi Davis and Marcy Harper are gone, leaving the capable duo of Makayla Martin and Kaylee Carlson. Perhaps the most important piece being added to the staff, and the team as a whole, is recruit Ashlee Swindle. As both a hitter and a pitcher, she is one of the top players in the country. Her official Auburn bio states she,”Played at Curry High School for head coach Phillip Smith and played travel ball for the Birmingham Thunderbolts. Selected as a 2015 Junior All-American, Swindle put together a 43–5 record as a pitcher with 327 strikeouts, a 0.22 ERA and 26 shutouts. She was also selected as MaxPreps All-American Second Team, USA Today’s Top Player in the nation, and AHSAA Class 4A Player and Pitcher of the Year.” Swindle is exactly the type of ‘ace’ Auburn needs.

The biggest question facing the Tigers: Who will replace Emily Carosone at 2nd?

Carosone will go down as perhaps Auburn’s best all-around player and replacing her will be no small task. Her offense will be missed, and her ability to get on base and score was often the catalyst to wins. She was right behind Cooper in most offensive categories, and Auburn must have a consistent hitter behind Cooper to either force opposing pitchers to serve her meatballs to hit or walk her.

In the field, a related question is at shortstop, where two good players who have been past starters battle. Haley Fagan started for Auburn in 2015 before tearing an ACL in the preseason. Kelsey Bogaards filled in but suffered a serious injury before the 2016 season began, and Whitney Jordan became Auburn’s starting shortstop. While Jordan did an admirable job, she wasn’t quite the player that Fagan had been nor was she the hitter, having the lowest batting average of any starting player. Fagan and Bogaards will battle at short, and Jordan could move to 2nd and, with some improvement at the plate, secure a starting job over the talented incoming recruits.  

In summation …

Auburn’s roster losses are fairly devastating. The Tigers lose their ability to consistently load the bases and have power in the middle of the lineup. However, Clint Myers brought in a terrific recruiting class and has the best player in the country returning while adding a pitching ace (in Swindle). Expect the Tigers to be a more talented team, but also one that needs to learn to win in tight spots. Only time will tell if Auburn can reload, but 2017 looks promising. 

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