April 8, 2003

Columbia, S.C. – SEC softball is in the thick of things and it won’t get any easier for No. 15 South Carolina (28-10, 12-5) as the Gamecocks prepare to take on No. 10 Georgia (39-7, 14-4) April 9-10. The first meeting between the two teams is a 5 p.m. doubleheader Wednesday night and game three of the series is 5 p.m. Thursday. The Bulldogs are currently second in the SEC east while the Gamecocks are third. Carolina leads the series 18-9 but the series is tied 5-5 when played in Athens. All three games can be heard live on internet broadcast on www.uscsports.com.

Carolina is coming off of a 3-0 sweep against Kentucky while Georgia just suffered its first SEC series loss of the season. The Bulldogs ‘ conference losses this season have been to Mississippi State, LSU and Florida. The sweep against Kentucky was the second for Carolina this season.

Georgia will be the 10th ranked team that Carolina has played this season. The Gamecocks are 4-5 against ranked teams so far this year.

Pitcher Michelle Green, who leads the SEC in strikeouts with 109 and has thrown three no-hitters, leads Georgia. Green enters the series with a 1.27 ERA in SEC games while Stacey Johnson leads Carolina with a 1.14 ERA in conference games. At the plate as a team, the Bulldogs are hitting .305 to Carolina’s .283 in SEC play.

Last year, the two teams met seven times and Georgia won the regular season series 2-1. However, after suffering four losses to the Bulldogs on the season, Carolina rebounded to end Georgia’s season when USC defeated the Red and Black 9-3 at the NCAA Tournament last May.