Skip to main content
Partner logo
Mobile Icon Link Mobile Icon Link Mobile Icon Link
Gamecocks+
No. 16 Softball Set to Host Carolina Classic Starting Friday
Softball  . 

No. 16 Softball Set to Host Carolina Classic Starting Friday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The No. 16 South Carolina softball team will host the Carolina Classic February 13-15. The Gamecocks and three other squads will take part; Boston University, Kennesaw State, and Louisville. The Gamecocks will play a doubleheader on both Friday and Saturday of the tournament.

#16 South Carolina Gamecocks 3-2, 0-0 SEC
Coach: Ashley Woodard | 2nd Season
AVG Leader: .538 | Tate Davis
RBI Leader: 8 | Tate Davis and Tori Ensley
Home Run Leader: 2 | Arianna Rodi
ERA Leader: 3.50 | Jori Heard
Strikeout Leader: 7 | Jori Heard
Wins Leader: 1 | Three tied

Boston University Terrier 3-2, 0-0 Patriot
Coach: Joanna  | 9th Season
Series History: South Carolina leads 5-0
Trend: South Carolina won 5
Last Meeting: South Carolina 8, Boston U 0 | Feb. 22, 2025 | Columbia

Kennesaw State Owls 1-4, 0-0 C-USA
Coach: Selena Collins-Patterson | 3rd Season
Series History: South Carolina leads 7-1
Trend: South Carolina won 5
Last Meeting: South Carolina 4, KSU 3 | Mar. 1, 2024 | Orlando, Fla.

Louisville Cardinals 3-2, 0-0 ACC
Coach: Holly Aprile | 9th Season
Series History: South Carolina leads 3-1
Trend: South Carolina won 2
Last Meeting: South Carolina 5, Louisville 3 | Feb. 23, 2018 | Orlando, Fla.

LEADING OFF

  • The 2026 season is the 53rd season for the Carolina Softball team.
  • This week in the polls the Gamecocks are ranked No. 16 by the NFCA, and No. 20 by USA Softball/ESPN, D1Softball, and Softball America.
  • Louisville head coach Holly Aprile returns to Columbia for the first time since serving as an assistant coach from 1996-2003 under Hall of Fame head coach Joyce Compton.
  • As a Gamecock she won five SEC championships, made five NCAA Regional appearances, and made a trip to the 1997 Women’s College World Series.
  • South Carolina and Louisville are meeting for the first time since 2018 and the first time since Aprile took over the UofL program.
  •                   This marks only the second all-time meeting between the two programs.
  • The Gamecocks scored 18 runs against Winthrop last weekend. It was the most runs in a game since also scoring 18 against UC San Diego on Feb. 17. 2024.
  • Tori Ensley finished a triple shy of the cycle against Winthrop.
  •                   She also finished with six RBIs, the most by a Gamecock since Katie Prebble drove home six on April 8, 2022 against ETSU.
  • Carolina begins week two tied for a nation’s lead in hit by pitches.
  • The Gamecocks are rank among the top-10 in doubles, doubles per game, scoring, total runs, and walks.
  • Quincee Lilio currently ranks 3rd in the nation with 1.80 walks per game.
  • Lexi Winters ranks 5th in the nation in hit by pitches.
  • Arianna Rodi started the season by being named to the Top 50 Watch List for the 2026 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.
  • This is the third straight season the Gamecocks have opened the year at home.
  • Rodi was named the Preseason No. 34 overall player by D1Softball and the No. 4 first baseman.
  • Karley Shelton was ranked as the No. 9 player at her second base by D1Softball.
  • Rodi, Shelton, and Lexi Winters were ranked No. 47, 68, and 89 by Softball America.
  • Rodi and Shelton were ranked No. 4 at their positions by Softball America, while Winters was the No. 7 catcher.
  • Ansley Bennett was named to Softball America’s Top-100 Freshman Watch List.
  • Bennett and Kai Byers were named to the D1Softball Preseason Top-100 Freshman to Watch list.
  • Carolina is coming off a Super Regional appearance and a national seed for the first time in modern program history (since Super Regionals began in 2005).
  • Head coach Ashley (Chastain) Woodard begins her second season leading the Gamecocks after being named the D1Softball Coach of the Year in her first season.
  • The Gamecocks return four All-Region players in Jori Heard, Lexi Winters, Arianna Rodi, and Quincee Lilio.
  • Rodi won the program’s first Gold Glove Award last season at first base.
  • The team will see 14 newcomers, including 10 transfers and four freshmen.
  • The roster features 23 total players, with 12 different states represented.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

  • South Carolina is 281-112 (.715) at Carolina Softball Stadium since being built in 2013. That includes a 7-1 record at home while hosting an NCAA Regional and a 1-2 record hosting Super Regionals at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
  • Prior to 2021, South Carolina had not lost double digit games at home in seven years and has won 20 or more eight of the past nine seasons.
  • Since 2016, South Carolina has consistently ranked among the nation’s leaders in attendance. Since that time, excluding the 2021 COVID season, they have never finished lower than 15th in average or cumulative attendance.
  • In 2025, Carolina ranked 15th in the nation in total attendance and 28th in average attendance. They were 7th and 14th in 2024, 9th and 11th in 2023, 7th and 13th in 2022, 7th and 11th in 2020, 10th and 13th in 2019, 11th and 13th in 2018, 10th and 11th in 2017, 12th and 15th in 2016.

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS IS NOTHING NEW FOR SC

  • South Carolina is 304-80 (.792) over the past nine years in games outside the SEC. Notable wins include Clemson, Duke, Texas Tech, Boston U, Utah, Texas, Penn State, Houston, Arizona State, North Carolina, Florida State, California, Virginia Tech, USF, Long Beach State, Hofstra, Liberty, and UCF.
  • Carolina will play 28 non-conference games in 2026, 21 of which will be played at Carolina Softball Stadium.

CAROLINA HOSTS TOURNAMENTS… AND WINS A LOT

  • Carolina is an amazing 51-8 over the past seven seasons in the Gamecock Invitational. The 2021 tournament was canceled due to weather.
  • The Gamecock pitching staff has shined in the tournaments. In the games during that span, Carolina pitching staffs have allowed three or more runs 17 times. On the flip side, 17 games have ended as shutouts.
  • Including the Carolina Classic and Black & Garnet Challenge, the Gamecocks are 97-11 in their past 96 home tournament games.

SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL RECORD

  • South Carolina has played 2,702 games in its softball history, going 1,741-955-7 (.646) in its 53 years of history.
  • Carolina has posted 30 or more wins in 10 of the past 12 full seasons.
  • Carolina has protected home well, also, with 17 or more victories coming in friendly confines each of the past 11 full years.

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.

Related stories