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Softball Wraps Up Regular Season at No. 4 Tennessee
Softball  . 

Softball Wraps Up Regular Season at No. 4 Tennessee

South Carolina Gamecocks (33-17, 8-13)
South Carolina Gamecocks (33-17, 8-13)
at
#4 Tennessee Lady Vols (39-7, 17-4)
#4 Tennessee Lady Vols (39-7, 17-4)
Knoxville, Tenn. | Sherri Parker Lee Stadium
TV: SECN

Series Schedule

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The South Carolina softball team wraps up its regular season when the Gamecocks travel to No. 4 Tennessee May 5-7. Friday’s and Saturday’s games will both be broadcast nationally on the SEC Network.

Series History: Tennessee leads 41-22
Last Meeting: Tennessee 4, South Carolina 2 | April 19, 2021 | Columbia, S.C.

South Carolina Gamecocks 33-17, 8-13 SEC
Coach: Beverly Smith | 13th Season
AVG Leader: .316 | Brooke Blankenship and Giulia Desiderio
RBI Leader: 35 | Riley Blampied
Home Run Leader: 9 | Jordan Fabian
ERA Leader: 2.36 | Donnie Gobourne
Strikeout Leader: 151 | Donnie Gobourne
Wins Leader: 9 | Donnie Gobourne

#4 Tennessee Lady Vols 39-7, 17-4 SEC
Coach: Karen Weekly | 21st Season
AVG Leader: .420 | Kiki Milloy
RBI Leader: 57 | McKenna Gibson
Home Run Leader: 19 | Kiki Milloy
ERA Leader: 0.81 | Ashley Rogers
Strikeout Leader: 144 | Ashley Rogers
Wins Leader: 14 | Ashley Rogers

LEADING OFF

  • The 2023 season will be the 50th season of Carolina Softball.
  • The Gamecocks remained 37th in the most recent RPI.
  • Carolina received votes in the ESPN/USA Softball poll for the third straight week.
  • They rank eighth in the nation for wins against opponents in the RPI top-25.
    • The Gamecocks have eight wins over teams currently in the RPI top-25 (all of which were ranked in the top-25 of the NFCA coaches poll at the time), LSU, Florida (twice), Alabama, Texas A&M (three), and Auburn.
    • They trail Oklahoma (18), Tennessee (17), UCLA (15), Florida State (12), Arkansas (12), Oklahoma State (10), and Georgia (10). Of which, Arkansas is the lowest team ranked in the NFCA coaches poll at #12.
    • The 20 games again top-25 RPI teams are the fifth most, which is more than every team in the NFCA Top-10 except Tennessee (23).
  • Head coach Bev Smith earned her 400th career win against UNC on March 1.
    • She became the 29th active head coach in Division I to amass 400 career victories while only coaching at one school.
  • Against #23 Texas A&M, the Gamecocks shut out the Aggies in back-to-back games for only the second time this season, the other came against No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 2 UCLA, which they combined for 10 hits in those two games. The Gamecocks allowed only 10 hits in the three-game series.
    • It was the first time in program history the Gamecocks swept a ranked SEC opponent while being unranked.
    • It was the first SEC series win for Carolina while being unranked since sweeping Ole Miss April 29-30, 2014.
  • The series win over the Gators is the first for the Gamecocks since sweeping them during the 2003 season.
  • It’s the first SEC series win, and first SEC series win over a ranked opponent, since defeating Auburn in 2019.
  • Carolina leads the SEC in stolen bases per game (2.08) and total stolen bases (104).
  • The Gamecocks rank 13th in the country in fielding (.978), 15th in stolen bases, and 18th in stolen bases per game.
    • They are also rank 36th in shutouts (11), 39th in doubles (68), 40th in scoring (5.44) and 40th in on-base % (.387).
  • Against Mercer (Feb. 24), the Gamecocks hit back-to-back-to-back home runs for the first time under Bev Smith.

#FearTheLashes

  • Donnie Gobourne threw her first career no-hitter against #17 Auburn on Saturday.
    • It was the first no-hitter for Carolina since Jessica Elliot vs Winthrop (2/28/2017)
    • It’s the 53rd overall in recorded program history.
    • It’s the first no-hitter for Carolina in SEC play since Megan Matthews against Florida on April 21, 2002, and the fifth in SEC play all-time.
  • She was selected 17th overall (5th round, 1st pick), in the Women’s Professional Fastpitch Draft Monday night by the Oklahoma City Spark.
    • She becomes the first Gamecock drafted professionally since Samie Garcia in 2013 by the NY/NJ Comets of the former National Pro Fastpitch league.
  • She carried a no-hit bid down to the last strike in the top of the seventh in against #11 Florida (4/2) before surrendering a hit.
    • She became the first Gamecock to throw a one-hitter since Kelsey Oh against Charleston Southern on April 7, 2021.
    • She finished with 15 strikeouts to become the first Carolina pitcher to record 15 in a game since Melissa Hendon against the College of Charleston (2/22/07).
  • For seven straight weeks she led Division I in strikeouts per 7 innings. She currently ranks 4th (11.1) and ranks 45th in total strikeouts with 151. She also ranks 14th in saves (5) and 29th in hits per 7 innings (4.27).

OUCH…THAT HURT!

  • The Gamecocks have three players listed among the current active NCAA leaders in hit by pitches entering the week.
  • Jordan Fabian ranks 18th in DI and 37th among all Divisions with 37.
  • Natalie Morgan ranks 21st in DI and 42nd overall with 34.
  • Jen Cummings ranks 21st in DI and 42nd overall with 34.

JUST WALK ON BY…

  • Jordan Fabian ranks 37th among active career leaders in Division I for walks with 92.

For the latest on South Carolina Softball, visit GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team’s social media accounts on Twitter @GamecockSoftbll, Facebook /GamecockSoftball, and Instagram @GamecockSoftball.

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