AU ROUNDUP: Softball faces top-ranked Gators

The Auburn softball team travels to Gainesville, Fla., for a three game series against the top-ranked Florida Gators this weekend. Game 1 of the series begins at noon today.

Auburn is 34-16 overall and 10-11 in the Southeastern Conference. Florida is 53-2 overall and 21-1 in the SEC. Radio coverage can be found on the internet at http://www.auburntigers.com and locally in Auburn on WMZG AM 910.

“This will be a big challenge for our team,” Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. “Florida is having a great year. But, we have played them really well and the games are always hard-fought and very close.”

Auburn leads the series against Florida with a 16-15 record. The teams have split their last 10 and 20 games in the series with each team winning five and 10 games respectively. Seven of the last nine games have been decided by two runs or less.

The Tigers have posted a 12-7 record on the road in 2008. Auburn is 8-1 when leading after four innings in those games.

Sunday’s series finale is set for a noon start time.

Track team posts three top-five finishes
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The Auburn track and field teams had a trio of top-five finishes and advanced to three more finals Friday at the Penn Relays in front of a crowd of 39,904.

In the first event of the day early Friday morning, Reuben McCoy finished third in the men’s 400m hurdles with a time of 50.57, finishing just .08 seconds behind the winner. His time was slightly off his season best of 50.12.

McCoy later helped the men’s sprint medley relay team finish fourth with a time of 3:18.48 that ranks fourth in school history. Michael DeHaven and Jerod Wims ran the 200m legs, McCoy took the 400m leg and Felix Kiboiywo anchored with the 800m.

In the college women high jump championship, Raeven Harris did not clear six feet for the first time in three outdoor competitions, but still managed to place fifth with a leap of 1.75m
(5-8.75).

“I was pleased with our effort,” said head coach Ralph Spry. “All of our relays made the finals including two in the Championship of America, which takes the top eight relays so you have to run at a high level. We’re doing what we need to do right now to get ready for the SEC Championships. This is really a big test for us prior to SECs because just about all of the best teams in the country are here, and we’re competing well with them, so I’m pleased.

Also competing for Auburn on Friday was Gerard Brown, who jumped a career-high 7.04m (23-1.25) to finish eighth in the college division

In one other final Friday, the women’s 4x100m relay team finished eighth in the Championship of America final. The team of Shaquela Williams, Joanna Atkins, Cache Armbrister and Amelia Anderson posted a time of 44.45, which was just two-hundredths of a second off their season best.

Auburn advanced hurdlers to today’s finals in both the men’s and women’s high hurdles. Ty Akins finished third in the prelims of the men’s 110m hurdles with a time of 13.87, while Danielle Gilchrist was sixth in the women’s 100m hurdles in 13.42. Latoya Parkinson also competed in the women’s event, finishing 23rd with a time of 14.40.

Auburn’s men’s 4x400m relay team snuck into Saturday’s Championship of America final with an eighth-place showing in the prelims Friday. The team of DeHaven, Wims, Bernard Spivey and McCoy raced to a season-best time of 3:07.17.

Auburn had one thrower competing Friday at the Drake Relays, where Luke Gaines finished 16th in the javelin with a mark of 59.35m (194-9).

Today the Tigers will conclude competition at the Penn Relays, Drake Relays and Triton Invitational, and will also have a group competing at the Coach O Invitational hosted by Troy University.