On Wednesday, June 8, the Auburn Tigers and the Oklahoma Sooners competed in the 2016 Softball World Series. Losing by only one run (2-1), the Tigers met the close of an extremely impressive season with an overall record of 58-12. Hope Smith, a Madison County resident and 2015 Madison County High School (MCHS) graduate, now plays softball for Auburn University and traveled with the team to the 2016 World Series.
At Auburn, Smith is pursuing a major in exercise science with the intent of becoming a physical therapist in the future. While many Division 1 universities have a negative reputation for their low academic standard for athletes, Smith said that she has received an excellent college education thus far and that there are many resources available to help athletes stay on top of their studies. “Academics come first at Auburn,” said Smith. Smith plays various outfield positions for the Auburn Tigers. This has been an adjustment for Smith, who was an infielder in high school. “[I have enjoyed] learning what I thought I already knew about softball in a new way,” said Smith of her change in position and transition into college softball. When compared to her years of high school softball, playing for a Division 1 team like the Auburn Tigers has been a completely new experience for Smith. From the thrilling sound of the crowd, to the excitement of exceeding what was expected of the team, Smith's first season as a Tiger has doubtlessly been exhilarating! However, Smith has faced challenges as well, as she is currently recovering from her third concussion, which has temporarily prevented her from actively competing. Smith expects that the team will spend a lot more time in the public eye next year, working with kids and volunteering.
Smith greatly enjoys the fans and atmosphere that comes with playing for Auburn. “They say Auburn has the most loyal fans in the country,” said Smith, “... they followed us everywhere... even to Oklahoma City!” Smith also loves meeting with the fans, especially the excited young people who she said remind her of herself as a child. “Even though they don't know you, they love you because you are part of something great,” said Smith. On the energy in the Tigers' dugout, Smith said, “it's unlike any other dugout. [Everyone is doing] crazy dances and made-up cheers... It's loud!” The players are not the only ones making noise; the trainers and coaches get in on the cheering as well. “We enjoy being obnoxious,” Smith laughed.
According to Smith, Tigers starting senior, Kelsey Bogaards tore her ACL at the beginning of the season. After working hard to get back to playing condition, Bogaards returned to play in the Senior Night game, when she tore the ACL of her other knee. Instead of letting this devastating series of injuries set the team back, the Tigers pulled together. They saw how hard Bogaards worked for them, and they wanted to put in the same work to honor her. While the team already had the necessary talent on their roster, sporting several All-American players, what the Tigers needed was a push to get them motivated. Pulling together to play for Bogaards proved to be just the motivation that the team needed to get serious and take the SEC title, which they did.
The expectations for the 2016 season were high, and according to Smith, they will only go up next season. “Coach is not an 'I hope' kind of guy, he's an 'I know' kind of guy,” said Smith on the expectations that Coach Clint Myers has for his players. Smith added that the team will be losing a number of senior starters after this season, but that those seniors truly want the girls coming up to be even better than they were. “It's like a dare [from the seniors to us]: 'Be better than me' and there are lots of young girls itching to step up,” said Smith. Smith had this to say about what to expect from the Auburn Tigers next season: “[Expect] a force to be reckoned with... We are here. We're not going anywhere.”