Softball Kicks off SEC Play at Beckham Field Against Tigers

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina softball staff opens SEC play at dwelling in opposition to LSU March 11-13. All three video games of the sequence can be broadcast on the SEC Community. Saturday’s first pitch can be at 6 p.m., Sunday at 4 p.m., and Monday at 7 p.m.

Throughout Saturday’s recreation, the athletic division in partnership with College of South Carolina First Woman Ero Aggelopoulou-Amiridis, the College of South Carolina Board of Guests and the Gamecock Pantry will host a set drive to assist the Gamecock Neighborhood. Followers are requested to deliver non-perishable meals gadgets and college provides to drop off in assortment bins subsequent to the ticket tent. For extra info on the Gamecock Pantry, click on right here.

South Carolina Gamecocks 21-2, 0-0 SEC
Coach: Beverly Smith | thirteenth Season
AVG Chief: .431 | Brooke Blankenship
RBI Chief: 22 | Riley Blampied
Residence Run Chief: 5 | Jordan Fabian
ERA Chief: 0.98 | Donnie Gobourne
Strikeout Chief: 57 | Donnie Gobourne
Wins Chief: 5 | Three Tied

Collection Historical past: LSU leads 51-19

Final Assembly: LSU 8, South Carolina 0 | April 16, 2022 | Baton Rouge, La.

#14 LSU Tigers 20-1, 0-0 SEC
Coach: Beth Torina | twelfth Season
AVG Chief: .471 | Danieca Coffey
RBI Chief: 32 | Taylor Pleasants
Residence Run Chief: 8 | Taylor Pleasants
ERA Chief: 0.63 | Sydney Berzon
Strikeout Chief: 44 | Ali Kilponen
Wins Chief: 7 | Sydney Berzon

LEADING OFF

• The 2023 season would be the fiftieth season of Carolina Softball.
• The Gamecocks are thirty fourth in the latest RPI.
• Carolina at 21-2 is off to its greatest begin since 2018, when in addition they began 21-2.
• Head coach Bev Smith earned her four-hundredth profession win final Thursday in opposition to UNC.
  • She turned the twenty ninth lively head coach in Division I to amass 400 profession victories whereas solely teaching at one college.
• The Gamecock offense ranks eighth within the nation in scoring per recreation (7.61 runs).
• As a staff, Carolina leads the SEC in doubles (42) and are third within the nation.
  • In addition they lead the SEC in stolen bases per recreation (2.74).
• Within the nation, they’re thirteenth in doubles per recreation (1.83) and fourth in walks (93), eighth in on-base% (.444), seventh in successful proportion, ninth in stolen bases per recreation, thirteenth in fielding and fifteenth in slugging (.565), nineteenth in batting common (.330) and Ok’s-BB (4.08).
• Donnie Gobourne leads the nation in strikeouts per 7 innings (13.9). She additionally ranks 53rd in complete strikeouts with 57.
  • Her 4 saves rank fourth within the nation and first within the SEC.
• Jen Cummings leads the nation in complete HBP (11) and is sixth in per recreation (0.48).
  • She ranks among the many NCAA leaders in seven totally different classes.
  • She is eighth within the nation in on-base% (.605).
  • She ranks 77th in slugging proportion (.755) and 71st in walks per recreation (0.7)
• Cummings and Marissa Gonzalez rank twenty fifth within the nation in complete doubles (7).
  • Gonzalez ranks 119th within the nation in doubles per recreation (0.32).
• Karsen Ochs ranks twenty third within the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio (10.0) and twenty fifth in walks per 7 innings (0.62)
• In opposition to Mercer (Feb. 24), the Gamecocks hit back-to-back-to-back dwelling runs for the primary time beneath Bev Smith.
• In opposition to Tennessee Tech (Feb. 25), the Gamecocks hit 4 dwelling runs, which had been essentially the most since 2020.
  • The 21 runs scored in opposition to TTU had been essentially the most since 2016.
• Haley Simpson hit a house run in opposition to WKU (Feb. 19), her first dwelling run in practically three years (1,086 days) after lacking the final two seasons resulting from harm.
• The Gamecocks performed 5 consecutive days (Feb. 15-19) for less than the second time in program historical past. They performed six straight days in 1987 (March 10-15; 14 video games).
• The roster options 25 complete gamers, with of seven totally different states represented.

THAT’S…INTERESTING!

• Brooke Blankenship hit an inside-the-park dwelling run in opposition to Campbell on Feb. 11. It was the primary inside-the-park dwelling run since Alaynie Web page on February 14, 2015, in opposition to the School of Charleston.
• South Carolina can have not less than one student-athlete from the state of California for the Twenty seventh-consecutive yr courting again to 1994. Sophomores and California natives Marissa Gonzalez and Emma Sellers may proceed the custom on for 3 many years.
• Carlie Henderson gained’t be the primary in her household to realize at a excessive degree in sports activities. Her grandpa, Billy Shaw, performed soccer at Georgia Tech and went on to play offensive line for 9 years with the Buffalo Payments earlier than being inducted into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame in 1999. Her father, Chip, performed baseball at Shorter College and has been the baseball head coach at Calhoun Excessive Faculty for 26 years. He’s gained greater than 600 video games with three state titles (and had eight gamers drafted into MLB).
• Brooke Blankenship and Giulia Desiderio have truly performed for volunteer assistant coach Kevin Maguire earlier than. Their journey ball staff was coached by Maguire and was based mostly out of Tampa, Fla.
• Sophomores Natalie Heath and Olivia Prepare dinner have been greatest pals since elementary college. Though they attended totally different excessive faculties, the 2 joined the Gamecocks for the 2022 season.

OUCH…THAT HURT!

• The Gamecocks have three gamers listed among the many present lively NCAA leaders in hit by pitches.
• Natalie Morgan ranks thirteenth in DI and twenty fifth total with 25.
• Jordan Fabian ranks seventeenth in DI and thirty first amongst all Divisions with 33.
• Jen Cummings ranks twenty fifth in DI I with 27.

JUST WALK ON BY…

• Jordan Fabian ranks thirty fifth amongst lively profession leaders in Division I for walks with 78.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

• South Carolina is 232-111 (.676) at dwelling through the Beverly Smith period, which features a 4-1 file at dwelling whereas internet hosting a regional at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Discipline.
• Carolina has completed .500 or higher at dwelling eight of Beverly Smith’s 12 years.
• Previous to 2021, South Carolina had not misplaced double digit video games at dwelling in seven years and has gained 20 or extra six of the previous seven seasons (2020 included).

GAMECOCKS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS

• South Carolina is 150-364-1 (.292) in opposition to opponents ranked within the NFCA prime 25 since 1995.
• Damaged down by website, the Gamecocks are 72-124 (.367) at dwelling, 36-167 (.177) on the highway and 43-72-1 (.375) in neutral-site outings.
• In 2022, the Gamecocks went 4-22 in opposition to ranked opponents. Incomes victories over #13 Kentucky, #15 Georgia, #19 Auburn, and #24 UCF.

For the most recent on South Carolina Softball, go to GamecocksOnline.com or observe the staff’s social media accounts on Twitter @GamecockSoftbll, Fb /GamecockSoftball, and Instagram @GamecockSoftball.