Auburn goes back to the NCAA tournament.

The 16th-ranked Tigers, led by SEC Pitcher of the Year Maddie Penta, made the 64-team field of the 2023 NCAA division one softball tournament.

Auburn (40-17) will open its tourney play against Cal State Fullerton on May 19 at 4:30 p.m. in the Clemson regional.

Fans can watch the game on ESPN+, Auburn travels Clemson for the second consecutive year. Clemson plays regional 4-seed UNC Greensboro (37-20) in the first game of the regional.

Auburn finished third in the SEC, marking the team’s highest finish since the 2017 season. Auburn had a 15-9 regular season record in conference play. The Tigers fell short of winning the SEC tournament, suffering a 3-2 loss against 10-seeded South Carolina on Friday in the semifinals.

Pitching is pivotal to the Tigers’ success this season. Auburn has 21 shutouts, tied for first in the nation with No. 1 Oklahoma. Auburn leads the country with 439 strikeouts and is one of three teams in college softball with 400 or more punchouts. Penta has six of the Tigers’ 21 shutouts.

Bri Ellis leads Auburn with 12 home runs, followed by Lindsey Garcia with 10 dingers. The Tigers are fifth in the conference with 58 home runs. If Auburn advances out of the Clemson regional the team would compete against the winner of the Oklahoma regional, which includes No. 1 overall seed OU, Hofstra, California, and Missouri.

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group.