September2012

Better years ahead for Auburn softball program

July 10, 2015

By - Bill Plummer

 

Better days for Auburn softball as Myers' Midas touch continues

By Bill Plummer

Another softball season has been completed. Was it the best season of 
your career? Or was it one that you would rather forget? Depending on 
your answer, another season awaits you, especially if you're an 
underclassmen.
 If next season is your senior year you would certainly want to make it 
the best year of your college career. Even if it's not your senior year, 
you would certainly want to have the best year possible depending on 
your year in school.

If it was your freshman season, it probably was a year of getting to 
know what it takes to play at the Division One level and what a change 
it was from high school or travel ball softball. There was an adjustment 
period and how well you handled that will play a role in the years ahead 
in your college career. Hopefully you made the adjustment to Division 
One softball without any problems and are looking forward to your 
remaining years of college softball.

Those can be fulfilling years and hopefully you and your team will reach 
the goals that have been established. It could be to win a conference 
title, qualify for the NCAA Tournament and maybe a berth in the Women's 
College World Series. Each year more than 290 schools play Division One 
softball but only eight earn a berth in the Oklahoma City, the site of 
the College World Series. Before getting to OKC, teams must advance 
through Regionals and Super Regionals to become one of the Elite Eight 
in Oklahoma City.

Some schools try for years and unfortunately don't ever win a berth in 
OKC. Some eventually earn a berth after a number of years or after a 
coaching change. Eight teams again competed in OKC this year and one 
team made its  WCWS debut. It was the Auburn Tigers. Auburn has had a 
Division One program since 1997, but never had made it to the College 
World Series until this year.
 Clint Myers, former ASU coach, was hired two years ago to coach the 
program and eventually get the Tigers to Oklahoma City. Some figured it 
would take anywhere from three to five years to turn the program around. 
Myers and with help from his sons, Casey and Corey, turned the Auburn 
program around in two years. Surprising to some but not to those people 
who know Myers and have followed his Midas touch  of accomplishments 
through baseball and softball.

In 19 years, Myers led Central Arizona baseball and softball to seven 
NJCAA national titles, six in softball and one in baseball. He had a 
record of 481-43 in softball for a winning percentage of .918 and a 
record of 406-192 in baseball for a winning percentage of .679.

He became coach of Arizona State in 2006 and yes turned that program 
into a national contender, winning two NCAA College World Series in 
seven trips to Oklahoma City out of eight years.

Myers was named Auburn head coach  in June of 2013 and the Tigers 
compiled a record of 42-19-1 his first year. The second year was 
expected to be better, but few could imagine that a new head coach could 
turn a program around in less than three to five years and make it to 
the College World Series. Unless of course any one  but Myers who long 
ago proved his coaching mettle and has turned program upon program around.

In Oklahoma City, Auburn battled tooth and nail and had a never give up 
attitude  with enthusiasm and zeal and finished fourth in the 34th 
annual College World Series in the Tigers' debut in the spectacular 
event. Auburn was the surprise of the event, and had two  players, 
freshman catcher Carlee Wallace and senior outfielder Branndi Melero, 
named to the All-Tournament team.

 The All-Tournament team was dominated by national champ Florida and 
runner-up Michigan but these two players clearly made an impact on the 
media to warrant a spot on  the team. Wallace had six hits in Auburn's 
four games including three for extra bases and batted .462 while Melero 
capped her senior year with a .400 batting average including six hits 
and six RBIs. She had Auburn's first hit and first homer in the World 
Series and finished the year with a school record 208 career RBI, the 
tenth SEC player to have 200 or more RBIs.

Wallace originally was going to ASU because Myers was the head coach, 
but she changed schools when Myers accepted the Auburn head job. Myers 
was certainly glad she followed him to Auburn and better years are ahead 
for not only Wallace but for the rest of the Auburn program.

Auburn played 26 innings over three games in two days beating UCLA in 
extra innings before losing to eventual champ Florida 3-2 in nine 
innings. The UCLA game was a classic and went 10 innings. Auburn 
finished 56-11 in its first appearance in the WCWS and the most wins in 
school history.

Wallace enjoyed the extra inning games. "Yesterday, I probably had the 
most fun I've ever had on this team, I think I speak for all of us when 
I say we had a blast. That's what you live for, those long-inning 
games,"said Wallace who returns for her sophomore year in the fall. 
Auburn gave Florida all it wanted and more, getting 11 hits to five for 
the Gators but stranded 14 runners and were unable to get the key hit 
when it was needed. Auburn had opportunity but just couldn't get the key 
hit when it needed it the most.

Auburn will have fall practice as many Division One schools will do and 
apparently the success of the 2015 team has the fans at Auburn fired up 
for the 2016 season as a school record 500 season tickets were sold days 
after the team returned from OKC. The surge in ticket sales, along with 
multiple sellouts and over-capacity crowds in postseason has the Auburn 
AD Jay Jacobs considering expansion of the 1,500-seat Jane B. Moore 
Field. It hasn't been determined if Auburn will add club-level seats, 
but plans are underway for expansion and Jacobs compared the plans to 
those already being made for a potential renovation at Jordan-Hare Stadium

"We'll do the same thing for softball if we thought our clientele would 
be into purchasing those," he said. "Right now, we just need seats."

Auburn needs more seats. It added 350 temporary seats for the Alabama 
series and had crowds of 1,700 or more in its final four home games.
 Capital projects in the future include $15 million for a potential 
softball facility with $5 million funded through bonds.

Jacobs explained expansion at Jane B. Moore Field could be difficult 
because of the lack of space beyond the outfield walls. Auburn could 
potentially explore options elsewhere on or off campus for a new 
stadium, but nothing is formal at this point.

"Let's not box ourselves in on one particular thing," Jacobs said. "We 
began to look at our overall strategic plan, our overall plan for 
softball, you want to have the architect draw it so you have the chance 
to add suites."

Better seasons are ahead for the Auburn Tigers who certainly have become 
a contender in the talent-laden SEC thanks to Myers' Midas Touch.
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