Gamecocks Start Pivotal Week Hosting Charlotte Wed. for Two

April 23, 2013

COLUMBIA, S.C. –

Gamecocks host Charlotte – 4 p.m. DH, April 24
Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field

Gamecocks at Mississippi State – April 26-28
MSU Softball Field, Mississippi State, Miss.

2013 SC SB Notes (4/23)

2013 SC SB Stats (as of 4/21)

South Carolina Team Notes

The Gamecocks won their first SEC series of 2013 at Auburn, the first winning weekend in any SEC road series since the 2011 Arkansas win (4/16-17).
South Carolina’s leadoff batter has reached 46.7 percent of the time so far in 2013, third in the SEC.
Gamecock pinch hitters are 10-for-33 (.303) at the plate and reach base at a .425 clip, drawing six walks and taking one hit by pitch. Sophomore Olivia Lawrence ended a 14-AB hitless skid on 4/19 at Auburn with her two-RBI pinch-hit single.
The April 10, game-one win over Coastal Carolina stands as the 10th run-rule win for the Gamecocks this year and the first since March 8 (vs. UMass).
This is the first time since 1997 that South Carolina has recorded double-digit run-rule shortened wins.
Winning five-consecutive games (2/24-3/3) by the run rule is the best as far as those records go (since 1995). The previous best stretch of run-rule wins came in 1995.
The Gamecocks won their first 13 games by scoring seven or more runs.
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.
Also recording their first shutouts as Gamecocks this year were sophomore Katelynn Howser (vs. Buffalo) and freshman Katie Marks (vs. Florida International).

Samie Garcia: Setting New Standards

Senior shortstop Samie Garcia became the first Gamecock under Beverly Smith to be selected in the NPF Draft, going with the 14th overall selection (second of the fourth round) to the NY/NJ Comets in the April 1 event.
Garcia leads the Gamecocks in 10 offensive categories entering the week, and she stands in the top 15 in numerous career listings.
She’s third in batting average (.367), second in on-base percentage (.435) and fourth in slugging percentage (.542).
With seven triples on the year, Garcia is tied for fifth with 12 in her career. Garcia is also fifth in hit-by-pitches (15), 11th in total bases (276), 12th in runs (116), tied for 12th in homers (12) and tied for 18th in doubles (29).
Currently, Garcia ranks as the 16th toughest Gamecock in recorded history to strike out, going 14.13 at bats per strikeout.
In the per-game categories, she’s second in hits (1.20), third in runs (0.76), fifth in triples (0.08), seventh in doubles (0.19), eighth in home runs (0.08), 11th in walks (0.30) and 17th in RBI per game (0.43).
She stole four bases in the Stetson Lead-Off Classic to move into the top 10 in that category. Now with 17 on the year, she’s tied for fifth in career stolen bases (43) and third in stolen bases per game (0.28).

Schedule Has Not Been Kind to Gamecocks

South Carolina opened the 2013 season with 22 road games (five weekends + one midweek DH) and 29 of 32 outside Columbia due to ongoing construction at 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.
All eight SEC foes made last year’s NCAA tourney.
Out of 45 games, South Carolina has played 32 against top-100 RPI opponents, going 15-17 in those contests.
Of the eight games remaining, six pit the Gamecocks against top-25 RPI foes, both in SEC play (Mississippi State 25, Florida 2).
The first 12 SEC games came against top-15 RPI teams in this week’s report.
The Gamecocks lost their four TV contests, three to top-15 foes.

Some Single-Game Marks Rewritten in 2013

South Carolina beat Alabama State 29-0 (5) on March 2, setting a new NCAA-era record for runs in a game and tying the program record for margin of victory.
The Gamecocks tied their high of 25 RBI in that Alabama State contest.
Olivia Lawrence broke the runs-scored record against the Hornets, crossing home five times.
Chelsea Hawkins tied the single-game homer record with two blasts against Kennesaw State, also on March 2.

Single-Season Record Already Fallen; Others to Watch

Junior second baseman Dana Hathorn has already broken the single-season hit-by-pitch mark, getting plunked 19 times this year through 45 games.
Senior shortstop Samie Garcia has seven triples on the year, tying for 11th in Gamecock history. One more sees her join Tina Plew in 10th with eight in a single season.
Junior right fielder Chelsea Hawkins made it a six-way tie for 10th place with seven homers already this season. Her next ties her with four others for sixth.
Sophomore centerfielder Kristen Struett is tied for 12th with 39 RBI in a season. Her next ties her for eighth with four other players, including former teammate Evan Childs, who had 40 last year.
Redshirt senior Kelley Dillon has been hit seven times this year, tying for third on the single-season listing behind her teammate Hathorn and Kristin Hall (8, 2005).
Junior Ashlyn Masters has three sacrifice flies, good to tie for 12th on the single-season list. Another would tie her for seventh with six others.
Garcia’s 17 stolen bases is tied for 10th in a single season with Toinette Reed and Tricia Popowski. Two more would knot Garcia with Tina Plew and Christie Dammer in eighth.

In Wins and Losses, Who Stands Out?

As a team, the Gamecocks slug .576 in wins and .323 in losses and reach base at a .461 clip in wins and just .307 in losses.
The Gamecocks have struck out 115 times in the 20 losses and just 66 in the 25 wins.
If Kristen Struett gets on base, South Carolina is successful. She holds a .461 on-base percentage in wins and a .219 mark in losses. The same could be said for Alaynie Page (.474 to .257) and Chelsea Hawkins (.440 to .273).
Audrey Broyles is 4.11 earned runs better (2.35 to 6.46) in wins than losses, while Katie Marks is 2.88 earned runs better in the same formula (2.33 to 5.21).
Julie Sarratt has a 33/14 K/BB ratio in 46.1 innings in wins, and a 18/21 mark in 39 innings in losses.

Diving Deeper into Gamecock Pitchers

The Gamecocks have their most trouble in the fourth inning, with opponents scoring 41 runs and the staff tallying a 5.44 ERA in the middle frame.
The sixth isn’t much better, with a 4.91 ERA and 32 runs scored in 35.2 innings. Audrey Broyles has her highest strikeout rate (4.5 per 7 IP) with runners in scoring position.
With two strikes, opponents are 23-of-133 (.173) against Broyles.
Freshman Katie Marks has a strikeout rate of 7.7 with runners on and two outs and 7.5 with runners in scoring position and two outs.
Marks likes a clean slate, with foes batting .242 against her in leadoff situations and .215 when the bases are empty.
When Marks gets batters to two strikes, they are 23-of-145 (.159) at the plate.
Marks polishes off hitters at 1-2 best, with 20 of her K’s coming in that count.
Redshirt sophomore Julie Sarratt also does well with runners on and two outs, with the opposition hitting .192 in those situations. They also hit .118 in bases-loaded spots against Sarratt.
Sarratt has escaped others’ jams as well, only allowing two of the 13 runners she’s inherited to score.

Important Series for Both Mississippi State and South Carolina

Both teams are chasing a spot in the SEC Tournament, which expands to 10 teams this year.
The Bulldogs stand ninth in the tournament seeding standings entering the weekend, a half-game ahead of Texas A&M. The Gamecocks rank 12th.
South Carolina has six games left in SEC play, this series at Mississippi State before closing at home against Florida.
The Gamecocks have to pass two teams to get into the SEC Tournament, and they own a tiebreaker over Auburn (7-14), the team in 11th.
A South Carolina sweep in Starkville would put both teams at 7-14 in league play and give the Gamecocks the tiebreaker over the Bulldogs.
Auburn closes the season at Arkansas, while Mississippi State wraps up play at Texas A&M, both next weekend.
The Aggies (6-11) play at Mississippi this weekend before finishing the regular season at home against the MSU Bulldogs.

Scouting Charlotte

The 49ers bring a four-game winning streak into Columbia and hold a 20-22 record overall this year.
Charlotte has a strong offense, posting 1.60 doubles per game, 17th in NCAA Division I.
Three 49ers have six or more homers, led by junior Chelsea Ingersoll’s nine. She also tops the team with a .447 on-base percentage.
Seniors Briana Gwaltney (7) and Kalie Lang (6) also have shown long-ball power this year.
Freshman Jessica Plemmons and senior Chelsea Stamey have 12 and 10 doubles, respectively.
If the 49ers run, it will be with sophomores Natalie Capone (9 SB) and Samantha Slade (8 SB).
Junior Katie Watkins leads Charlotte in the circle, posting a 3.55 ERA in 148 innings. She struck out 129 but walked 82 batters.
Sophomore Chelsea Lisikatos has a 3.68 ERA in 104.2 innings, but foes hit .330 against her and put the ball in play a lot (55 K and 38 BB).

Ties Between Charlotte & South Carolina

Gamecock junior Ashlyn Masters played at Northwest Florida State College for a year alongside 49er senior Kalie Lang.

Some of the Gamecocks’ Numbers vs. the 49ers

Senior Samie Garcia has scored five runs in four games against Charlotte, posting a .545 batting average.
She has one homer and one triple against the 49ers and has been hit three times.
Senior Shelby Gonzales hit a homer and drove in five runs in two games against them last year.
Juniors Dana Hathorn and Chelsea Hawkins both went 4-for-8 with 3 RBI a year ago against Charlotte.
Sophomore Katelynn Howser had both wins in relief last year against the 49ers, while redshirt sophomore Julie Sarratt picked up two wins in 2011 against Charlotte.

Scouting Mississippi State

The Last Meeting

Mississippi State	10

South Carolina	6

March 15, 2012
Beckham Field

Gamecocks Fall in First Game of Evening Doubleheader

South Carolina (18-8, 2-2 SEC) suffered a 10-6 loss in the first game of their SEC doubleheader against Mississippi State (16-9, 2-4 SEC). The Gamecocks outhit the Bulldogs 9-7, getting home runs from junior shortstop Samie Garcia and redshirt senior designated player Kaela Jackson.

Recap | Box Score

The Bulldogs are 29-16 on the year and 7-11 in SEC play, earning the 25th spot in the latest NCAA Division I RPI report.
Mississippi State boasts wins over No. 3 Florida, No. 4 Alabama and No. 12 LSU on its resume.
Pitching is the Bulldogs’ strength, with the team tallying a 2.70 ERA this season.
Redshirt junior Alison Owen has led that charge, posting a 1.87 ERA in 157.1 innings of work.
She’s third in the nation in walks allowed per seven innings (0.76) and 12th in hits allowed (4.05)
Her 204 strikeouts rank 23rd in NCAA Division I, with her 9.1 per 7 IP standing 17th in the country.
In SEC play, her ERA rises to 3.17, giving up 14 home runs in 16 appearances (77.1 IP).
Senior southpaw Stephanie Becker has a 3.58 ERA in 101.2 innings, including a 5.29 ERA in SEC play (41 IP).
Becker is 24th in NCAA Division I with 8.8 strikeouts per seven innings.
Junior catcher Sam Lenahan leads the Bulldogs with a .359/.525/.709 line, and she’s 10th in the country with 0.87 walks per game.
Lenahan tops MSU with 38 RBI and 12 doubles, hitting nine homers as well.
Junior Logan Foulks has tallied a team-best 11 home runs on the year.
Senior Jessica Cooley and redshirt sophomore Briana Bell have nine and eight homers, respectively.
The Bulldogs like to run, with five posting double-digit steals. Freshman Loryn Nichols leads the way with 20 stolen bases without being caught.
Junior Jessica Offutt has 19 steals while being caught seven times, and freshman Kayla Winkfield is 15 for 19 in stolen base tries, mostly off the bench.
Erin Nesbit, a redshirt junior hitting .286, has missed the last two weekends for the Bulldogs.

Ties Between Mississippi State & South Carolina

The Last Meeting

Mississippi State	9

South Carolina	0	(5)

March 13, 2012
Beckham Field

South Carolina Falls in Five to Mississippi State 9-0

South Carolina (18-9, 2-3 SEC) fell in the second game of the doubleheader against Mississippi State (17-9, 3-4 SEC) 9-0 in five innings.

Recap | Box Score

Gamecock volunteer assistant Laura Trout, Bulldog redshirt junior ace Alison Owen and MSU’s redshirt sophomore Julia Echols were teammates at Georgia.
Owen, Echols and SC sophomore pitcher Katelynn Howser both played for the East Cobb Bullets travel ball team in high school.
MSU’s junior Logan Foulks transferred from North Carolina, where she was a former recruit of Gamecock head coach Beverly Smith.

Some of the Gamecocks’ Numbers vs. the Bulldogs

Senior Samie Garcia is 5-for-12 all-time against Mississippi State, including a homer last year.
Redshirt senior Audrey Broyles has a 3.42 ERA in 14.1 innings all-time against the Bulldogs.

Where They Go Next on Career Charts

Two more runs move Samie Garcia into a tie with Michelle Delloso into 11th on the career charts with 118.
Garcia’s next hit ties her with Shani Cannon and Stacy Agee for 15th all-time with 188. Three more tie her for 14th with Andrea Beall and four put her even with Kendra McCutcheon and Chanda Lee in 12th.
One more double ties Garcia for 17th with Amber Curtis with 30.
Her next triple would give Garcia fifth alone with 13, one shy of Ashton Payne in fourth (14).
A homer by Garcia would put her in 12th alone all-time with 13.
Chelsea Hawkins’ next homer would break a tie between her, Samantha Jennings and Tina Plew and put Hawkins in eighth all-time with 16.
Garcia needs one total base to tie Debralee Troesh (277) for 10th in Gamecock history.
Dana Hathorn needs eight RBI to tie for 17th all-time with four other players.
One walk brings Garcia even with Jodi Fittro and Cheri Laskowski for 20th on the all-time listings with 48.
Two hit-by-pitches to Garcia would tie her for third with Kaitlin Westfall and Jacqueline Wetherbee with 17.
If Kelley Dillon gets hit by another pitch, she’d tie Lauren Lackey and Lindsay Walker for 18th.
One more stolen base for Garcia would push her past Tricia Popowski into fifth alone with 44 stolen bases.
Audrey Broyles’ next win gives her 11th alone, breaking a tie with Kate Pouliot and Kim Sheridan.
When Broyles gets through three more innings, she’ll surpass Sky Brown for eighth in SC history.
With 16 strikeouts, Broyles would tie Angie Lear for ninth in South Carolina history.