March 1, 2013

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Gamecocks’ Schedule
Sat., March 2 vs. Alabama State | 9:30 a.m. ET | | @GamecockSoftbll
Sat., March 2 vs. Kennesaw State | 11:30 a.m. ET | | @GamecockSoftbll
Sun., March 3 vs. Florida International | 12 p.m. ET | | @GamecockSoftbll
Sun., March 3 at Georgia Southern | 2 p.m. ET | | @GamecockSoftbll

2013 SC SB Notes (3/1)

South Carolina Team Notes

• The Gamecocks have won all eight games when they have scored eight or more runs. The team has not won a game scoring less than eight.
• South Carolina’s leadoff batter has reached 63.6 percent of the time so far in 2013.
• In two of the three losses, the Gamecocks drew one or no walks. South Carolina pitchers gave up five and three walks in two of the losses, two of their three highest outputs this year.
• The three setbacks also hold three of the highest five strikeout totals for South Carolina batters.
• In the win over Radford (2/24), redshirt senior Audrey Broyles tossed her first shutout since Feb. 26, 2011 against Elon. This was a three-hitter to defeat the defending Big South regular-season champs.
• The 17 runs in the Charleston Southern win (2/24) is the most a Gamecock team has scored in the Southeastern Conference era, with the 14-run margin the best for an SC team in a win since a 15-1 win over Loyola (Ill.) on Feb. 27, 2010.

Postcards from Orlando

• Sophomore pitcher Katelynn Howser garnered her first career shutout in the Gamecocks’ 8-0 (5) win over Buffalo, giving up only one hit.
• It was the first one-hitter for a Gamecock hurler since 2011, when Julie Sarratt did it against Coastal Carolina (4/11/11), and the 56th since 1995 for South Carolina.
• Samie Garcia tripled in each of the last four games, matching her 2012 total in those four games.

Opening Weekend Notes

• South Carolina scored 52 runs on the opening weekend of 2013, picking up two run-rule victories while scoring double-figures in all four games.
• It ranks as the first time the Gamecocks have scored double-figure runs in four-consecutive games in the NCAA era (since 1982).
• The only other time in the NCAA era that the Gamecocks scored double figures in three-straight games was 1995 (10 at Virginia, 11 vs. George Mason and 11 vs. USF).
• Twice have the Gamecocks scored more than 52 runs in a four-game stretch: 1988 (55 vs. North Carolina, Georgia Southern twice and McNeese State) and 1996 (62 vs. Coppin State and Virginia twice each).
• The 15 runs in the lidlifter against Stetson is the most in a season opener in the program’s NCAA era.
• The two run-rule wins to start the year matches the 1993, 1996 and 2004 squads.
• On three occasions, Gamecock student-athletes tied the school record in runs scored. Twice, Samie Garcia accomplished the feat on Feb. 9, while Alaynie Page did it as well in the second game (vs. Stetson, Feb. 9).
• Samie Garcia reached base in each of her first 10 plate appearances.

Tracking Garcia

• Samie Garcia entered 2013 on many top 15 career lists at South Carolina, and her performance so far in 2013 has helped her leap up the charts.
• She’s second in batting average (.373), second in on-base percentage (.442) and third in slugging percentage (.557).
• After triples in the last four games of the UCF Holiday Inn Select Tournament, Garcia is tied for seventh in that career category with 10.
• Garcia also stands fourth in hit-by-pitches (14), tied for 13th in homers (11) and 18th in runs (94).
• Currently, Garcia ranks as the 14th toughest Gamecock in recorded history to strike out, going 14.70 at bats per strikeout.
• In the per-game categories, she’s second in hits (1.21), third in runs (0.77), fifth in home runs (0.09) fifth in triples (0.08) and 13th in doubles (0.16).
• She stole four bases in the Stetson Lead-Off Classic to move into the top 10 in that category. Now with nine on the year, she’s seventh in stolen bases (32) and third in stolen bases per game (0.29).

Schedule Notes

• South Carolina opens the 2013 season with 23 scheduled road games (five weekends) and 29 of 32 due to ongoing construction at the new Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
• The 1997 team spent 23 of its first 26 games away from home in the most similar stretch in the Gamecocks’ SEC-era history.
• The 1988 squad played its first 31 games away from Columbia (six weeks on the road), while the 1987 team spent its first 20 games traveling (10 days).
• The Gamecocks have 31 of their 53 scheduled games against teams who made the 2012 NCAA Tournament, including Sunday’s game against 2012 SoCon Tournament champ Georgia Southern.
• All 24 SEC games are against NCAA tourney participants.
• Four of South Carolina’s SEC games will be on television, including one on national outlet ESPNU.

Roster Notes

• South Carolina returns four position starters from last year’s team, including 40 starts in right field (Chelsea Hawkins), 44 at catcher (Shelby Gonzales) and 54 at both shortstop (Samie Garcia) and second base (Dana Hathorn).
• The Gamecocks’ 2012 leaders in batting average, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, slugging percentage, walks and stolen bases graduated.
• Eighty-two percent of the team’s sacrifice hits departed, the highest of any offensive category. The next highest percentage is stolen bases (71%).
• Despite losing doubles leader Kaitlin Westfall and single-season home run record-tying holder Evan Childs, the Gamecocks have 51 percent of its doubles and 52 percent of its homers back in 2013.
• With the 11 departed players, the Gamecocks also lost players who took 41 of their 65 pinch-hitting appearances and the top four pinch runners.
• Back is the 2012 team leader in runs scored (Samie Garcia, 41), who also tied for the team lead in stolen bases.
• The team returns over two-thirds of the innings thrown in 2012, including ERA leader Audrey Broyles and strikeout leader Katelynn Howser.
• Coming back from season-long injuries last year are redshirt senior Kelley Dillon and redshirt sophomore Julie Sarratt.
• Nine newcomers join the roster, including six freshmen, a sophomore transfer and two junior-college transfers.
• The team is again dominated by South Carolina natives, with 40 percent of the roster hailing from the Palmetto State.

Family Ties

• The Masters sisters Ashlyn and Lauren are the first siblings to play on the same Gamecock team and the second set ever, after the Troesh sisters, Leanna (1997-99) and Debralee (2000-03).
• Junior Chelsea Hawkins is the niece of Tia Rogers (2002-04 letter-winner).
• While not a Gamecock, Samie Garcia is cousins with Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

Scouting Alabama State

• The Hornets are 1-9 on the year after being picked to finish fourth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
• First-team All-SWAC outfielder Brehanna Rodrigues leads Alabama State offensively, posting a .440/.576/.520 line thus far.
• She’s stolen four bases without being caught and leads the team with four RBI.
• Meagan Dixon (.438/.471/.594) and Stephanie Hernandez (.318/.464/.318) are the next-biggest offensive threats for the Hornets.
• Dixon, who leads ASU with three extra-base hits in 2013, was a preseason first-team All-SWAC selection with Rodrigues.
• The Hornet pitchers, however, have posted a 10.49 ERA total in 2013.
• Destyni Valencia has the staff’s lone win, the most strikeouts (10) and the lowest opponents’ batting average (.284) in 19 innings, but she has the highest ERA (10.89).

Scouting Kennesaw State

• The Owls, 10-2 on the year, earned a vote in the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball poll.
• Only two players on the roster hail from outside of the Peach State, with both from Florida.
• Junior pitcher Amanda Henderson leads the returners, posting a 0.75 ERA with 61 strikeouts and 15 walks in 46.2 innings of work in 2013.
• Abbey Mixon provides a good second option, fanning 36 and walking nine in 26.1 innings this year to go with a 1.43 ERA.
• Sharon Swanson, the top returning hitter, leads the Owls with a .359/.409/.564 line.
• Angie Dascoli tops the team with two homers and nine RBI.
• Missy Perkowski and Gamecock pitcher Katelynn Howser both are Sequoyah High School grads from Woodstock, Ga.

Scouting Florida International

• The Golden Panthers are 10-6 on the year and are playing in their first road games of the year.
• Jessy Alfonso tops the team with seven stolen bases, part of the team’s 30 with only one caught stealing as a team.
• Brie Rojas leads FIU with five doubles and has scored 10 runs, while Alfonso has four doubles and a team-best 11 runs.
• Amber Curry tops the team with a .462 on-base percentage and .448 slugging percentage.
• Corinne Jenkins leads the staff with 37.2 innings of work, fanning 33 and walking 14 with a 3.35 ERA.
• Three other pitchers divide time, with Shelbie Wagnon posting a staff-bests 2.07 ERA and .205 opponents’ batting average.

Scouting Georgia Southern

• The Eagles, the preseason pick to win the Southern Conference, stand 7-7 in 2013, one year after going 42-20 and making the NCAA Tournament.
• GSU did take Alabama to extra innings, falling 2-1 in nine in a tournament at Florida Gulf Coast.
• Georgia Southern lost three games last weekend to Wisconsin at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
• Sarah Purvis, the preseason SoCon Pitcher of the Year, has struck out 56 and walked 14 in 46 innings this season, holding opponents to a .181 batting average (1.67 ERA).
• Shelby Morrill leads the offense with a .520 on-base percentage and a .368 batting average.
• Kourtny Thomas powers the lineup, hitting four of the Eagles’ seven homers this year and leading the way with 10 RBI.