College fall ball is officially in full swing (pun intended), and we’re going to be breaking down the top programs in each conference, giving fans recaps from the previous season and summer updates while highlighting incoming freshmen.

First up is the SEC — and for good reason. Of the eight teams in the 2015 Women’s College World Series (WCWS), five of them were from the SEC; and five of the top 10 programs ranked in the NCAA Women's Softball RPI on June 10 are SEC schools as well.

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2015 was the season of firsts for the Auburn Tiger softball program. The Tigers won their first SEC Tournament Title, first Regional, and first Super Regional while making their first Women's College World Series appearance.


The Auburn Tigers had a breakout season as a program,
winning the SEC Title and making their first WCWS appearance

They begin the 2016 season as the reigning SEC champions after beating Tennessee in SEC Championship Tournament. The National Champion Florida Gators did get the best of the Tigers during the WCWS, knocking them out of contention in the final four, and the Tigers are ranked No. 2 after Florida in the NCAA Women's Softball RPI Rankings.

Much of the Tigers breakthrough success of 2015 must be attributed to Head Coach Clint Meyers. His team broke single-season records in nearly every major offensive category, garnering him the SEC Coach of the Year Award. He also guided Auburn to its best finish in school history in only his second season at the helm. Meyers has experienced a great deal of success during his coaching career, winning two WCWS titles with the Arizona State Sun Devils while leading them to seven WCWS appearances in his eight years with the program.

While the Tigers graduated three seniors from its record-setting 2015 season, several key players return to The Plains. Senior infielder Emily Carosone returns as Auburn's offensive leader. The NFCA All-American, who had hit leadoff most of her career, switched into the two hole last season and it made all the difference for the Tiger offense. Carosone led her team in almost every major offensive category, including batting average (.438), runs batted in (80), and slugger percentage (.809).


Expect senior Emily Carosone to lead the Tiger offense
again in 2016

Also returning for the Tigers are Kelly Cooper and Carlee Wallace. Cooper returns for her junior season after a stellar sophomore campaign that earned her Second Team NFCA All-American honors. The power-hitting lefty will likely be an offensive leader for the Tigers once again this season. Sophomore catcher Wallace is coming off a solid freshman season in which she started 51 of the 59 games in which she played. Wallace was originally recruited by Head Coach Meyers to play for Arizona State but switched schools when Meyers took the Auburn job.

The Tigers bring in a huge freshman class of nine, with four of those freshman coming from the Birmingham Thunderbolts team — Blaire Bass, Bree Fornis, Morgan Podany, and Kendall Veach. Auburn also adds FloSoftball Hot 100 No. 76 right handed pitcher Makayla Martin. The 5-foot-11 hurler from San Diego, California will make Auburn pitching rotation five deep.


Auburn adds pitcher Makayla Martin, making its pitching
staff five deep. Martin was ranked FloSoftball's No. 76
Hot 100 player in the 2015 class.

Given the solid returners and fresh talent on The Plain for 2016, Tiger fans should expect only to build on the success of the 2015 season. Auburn will no doubt be a force to reckon with come May and June.