BY NOAH GRIFFITH FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN —
After several players entered the transfer portal following Auburn softball’s end of the 2023 season, four-year player and recent Auburn graduate, Carlee McCondichie, took to social media to voice her displeasure with the program Monday night.
McCondichie, who played in 166 games and started 121 in four years at Auburn, clarified her love for Auburn and her teammates, but said she has “no desire to play a fifth year” after graduating in May. This comes after she was benched midway through her senior season while going through a batting slump.
“It is sad when a young girl who has played the sport for 18 years of her 22 year life has no interest or desire in playing a fifth year,” McCondichie said via Twitter. “That’s what happens when you play for a program where when you fail, you are immediately benched. A program where you aren’t pursued. A program where you are only looked at from an athletic perspective, not a personal perspective.”
Going into his seventh year as the head coach at Auburn, Mickey Dean has now completed 17 years of coaching college softball. He has been successful at Auburn, leading the Tigers to five NCAA Regional appearances along with a 206-109 overall record. His coaching success is not what’s in question, though, it’s his ability to build relationships with players.
McCondichie was no doubt a key player, and reigning from Birmingham, she became a fan favorite. After leading the team with a .338 batting average in 56 starts in 2022, McCondichie again started out with a hot bat in 2023, going into conference play batting .431.
Her bat went cold at that point, however, and after 13 at bats across seven games in March and April, she was replaced in the starting lineup by sophomore Rose Roach in the LSU series. McCondichie made nine more starts after that series, but was again benched on Senior Day and didn’t make another start until the regional after that.
“For me, I can stand here confidently and say I gave my absolute all to the Auburn softball program,” McCondichie continued in her Twitter thread. “In return, I got benched as a starter on SENIOR DAY. This isn’t for attention, this is for athletes to come. THEY DESERVE BETTER. STUDENT-ATHLETES ARE MUCH MORE THAN STUDENTS AND MUCH MORE THAN ATHLETES. They are human beings.”
Auburn’s had its second straight 40-win season in 2023 and ended with the same result as the year before: a season-ending loss in the Clemson Regional. It was a strong season with many great performances, but what followed raised some eyebrows.
Four veteran players and key offensive contributors transferred to other major Power 5 programs, including: former SEC Freshman of the Year, junior Bri Ellis (Arkansas); senior third baseman, Denver Bryant (South Carolina; junior catcher and designated hitter); Jesse Blaine (Mississippi State); and graduate outfielder Lindsey Garcia (Clemson).
Those players have combined to make 443 starts at Auburn and have hit 78 homers all together. Between those losses and not returning McCondichie, Auburn softball has four starting spots to fill going into 2024 and will lose a lot of depth and experience as well.
Starting on May 22, when Ellis announced her decision to enter the portal, the exit of such valuable, respected players has been puzzling to many fans. So, McCondichie’s statements might be shining some light on the situation. None of the other former Auburn players made statements regarding displeasure with the program, but Ellis and Bryant did retweet McCondichie’ thread with words of support.
McCondichie has the option to transfer elsewhere and use her fifth year of eligibility, but after her experience at Auburn, she said she is done with softball.
She ended by reiterating her appreciation for Auburn, but explained her disappointment with her experience in college softball. Her use of bolded words reiterates that it’s only the coaching that she is displeased with.
“With that being said, I will always continue to support Auburn Softball PLAYERS,” McCondichie said to end her Twitter thread. “But for me, my softball career is OVER and the thought of even playing one game brings me much anxiety, sadly.”