BY: Alex Roberson
The Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) softball season has been remarkable to watch lately. The success of the team keeps getting better and better. Their overall record is 24-6 with a 12-3 record in conference play. In the Gulf South Conference (GSC), the team still sits in the top three seeds within the conference. There are still a lot of games left to contribute to the great season so far. The team suffered a disappointing 5-9 loss against Embry-Riddle University at the Embry-Riddle Tournament early in the season. As the Warhawks shook off the loss, they had an astonishing 15-0 win against the University of West Georgia on Feb. 26. After beating a conference opponent, the University of West Florida 8-1, AUM is currently on a seven-game win streak.
There is an overall batting average of .305. There has been an improvement from the beginning of the season. The on-base plus slugging percentage is .855, which increased and is extremely good. The team does not have a problem with getting on base. Both numbers are lower than what they achieved at the end of the 2021 season, but there are chances to increase those numbers throughout this season. The slugging percentage is .476. The slugging percentage is not high, but there has been an improvement over the season. As a team, they have accumulated 36 eras. Fielding has not been much of a problem for the Warhawks, their fielding jumped to a percentage of .958.
Coach Eric Newell was asked about what weaknesses the team can improve on for the second half of the season and shared,“For the second half of the season, we just want to keep working hard and push ourselves to be the best team that we can possibly be. We know that the season is a grind and it is going to take a lot of mental toughness. Consistency is key and we will set our focus on owning the process, as we look to maximize our potential in the second half of the season.”
Gia Martin is having a good season so far, and there is another half to go. Martin was asked what she focused on to help her play this season and explained, “A big thing I focused on to improve my game would be discipline. Specifically, with my hitting, my goal was to select better pitches to hit and also increase my number of walks. I want the other team to have to work hard to be able to get me out.” The team is at a great pace reaching the post-season.