Softball: Bri Ellis named SEC Freshman of the Year, Maddie Penta makes First-Team All-SEC

Bri Ellis has had a historic season for Auburn and on Friday she was named the SEC Freshman of the Year and to the All-SEC Second Team.

Ellis wasn’t the only Tiger honored by the SEC, sophomore pitcher Maddie Penta was selected to the All-SEC First Team.

Ellis is the first Tiger in program history to be named the SEC Freshman of the Year. Sara Dean was Co-Freshman of the Year in 2002 and they are the only two Tigers to win the prestigious award.

She has become the lineup’s top power bat, leading all SEC freshmen and ranking third in the league with 18 home runs. She is tied with Kasey Cooper for the most home runs by an Auburn freshman.

The Houston, Texas native is hitting .300 with a .383 on-base percentage. She leads the team with 45 RBI and has made just three errors at first base in 52 games.

Penta is the first Tiger to make the All-SEC first-team since 2017.

Her 23 wins lead the SEC and rank 10th nationally. They are the fifth most ever by an Auburn pitcher in a single season. She is second in the SEC with 258 total strikeouts. The sophomore ranks sixth in Auburn history with 363 career strikeouts.

Penta has allowed just 46 earned runs over 182.0 innings of work for a 1.77 earned run average. She has held opposing batters to a .181 average at the plate.

She leads the SEC in innings pitched and ranks second in earned run average and strikeouts per seven innings (9.9). Penta is fourth in the league in both hits allowed per seven innings (4.62) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.16).

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