Feb. 26, 2004
COLUMBIA, S.C. – University of South Carolina Head Softball Coach Joyce Compton is just one win away from recording her 900th NCAA career win. Compton could see that win this weekend as the No. 20 Gamecocks head to Columbus, Ga. to compete in the Lead-Off Classic, Feb. 27-29. USC will take on No. 16 Fresno State on Friday at noon (EST) and Princeton at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, USC will play No. 18 Arizona State to round out pool play.
In 22 years at Missouri and South Carolina, Compton has amassed a record of 899-365-2 and currently ranks 10th among the NCAA’s winningest coaches by victories. Upon reaching this milestone, Compton would become the ninth coach to record 900 wins.
The Gamecocks are 8-0 and are fresh off of winning the Gamecock Invitational last weekend. At the Lead-Off, USC will face top 25 teams for the first time this season. This will be the Garnet and Black’s seventh appearance at the Lead-Off and they boast a 22-8 record. USC took home the title in 1997 when they went a perfect 6-0.
This will mark the fourth meeting between USC and Fresno State and the Bulldogs lead the series 2-1. In their last meeting in 2001, USC fell to the Bulldogs 3-0. Fresno State is 5-2 and is 1-1 against ranked teams. The Bulldogs defeated then No. 18-ranked Texas A&M but lost to then No.-ranked Oregon.
When USC faces Princeton, it will be a rematch from last year’s NCAA regional tournament in Tucson. The Gamecocks rallied in the bottom of the seventh and scored six runs to beat the Tiger 8-7. This will be the first game of the season for the Tigers. USC is a perfect 8-0 in its series against Princeton.
Against Arizona State, USC is 4-5 and have lost the last two meetings to the Sun Devils. ASU is 15-6 so far this season and have yet to play on the road. The Sun Devils have two players hitting above .400 and pitcher Desiree Serrano is a perfect 8-0 with a 1.16 ERA.
The Gamecocks are hitting .324 as a team and have 16 home runs. Samantha Jennings leads the team and is the only player hitting over .400 for USC with a .407 average. USC’s team ERA is 0.14 as Aleca Johnson and Stacey Johnson are both 3-0 while Melanie Henkes is 2-0.
Bracket play for the tournament will begin Saturday afternoon. Depending on how team’s perform in pool play, will determine if they will compete in the Bronze, Silver or Gold brackets. The Gold bracket winner is the Lead-Off Classic champion.
