Tennessee Softball: Vols Begin Huge Series vs No. 3 Auburn Tigers

Tennessee softball’s final home series is the most important of the regular season. The Volunteers host the No. 3 ranked Auburn Tigers.

Ranked No. 13 in the country, Ralph and Karen Weekly’s 36-12 Tennessee Vols begin a huge nationally televised series against the No. 3 ranked 45-5 Auburn Tigers Saturday night.

With the first game set to be on ESPN2, the next at ESPNU, and the next on SEC Network, Sherri Parker Stadium in Knoxville will certainly be getting a lot of exposure this weekend.

The games themselves don’t mean much in the grand scheme of things when both teams are sure to make the 2016 Women’s Softball NCAA Tournament. But Tennessee still needs to be able to establish itself on a national stage with a few more quality wins to give off some confidence going into the tournament.

The Tennessee classic last week was a bit of a hit after they lose to the Oklahoma Sooners, so the Auburn series is a chance to make up for it.

The series will come down to hitting, as it has done for the Vols all year at home. They are going up against a complete team in Auburn, but it’s Tennessee’s hitting that comes and goes throughout the season, even if it is dominant in Knoxville.

Pitching will be fine, as it has been all year, with Matty Moss, Rainey Gaffin, and Erin Gabriel. Even on the road, they do not really have to worry about it, even if Auburn’s pitching is indeed better and deeper.

But Tennessee needs power, and that means that Meghan Gregg, Megan Greer, and Lexi Overstreet will have to step up in all three games against a deep pitching staff.

This weekend’s series against the Tigers will help determine if they are national title contenders or if they are just a good team with a missing piece.