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Gamecocks Continue On The Road At Charlotte
Softball  . 

Gamecocks Continue On The Road At Charlotte

Feb. 13, 2018

South Carolina at Charlotte

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina softball continues its 2018 season Wednesday when the Gamecocks travel to Charlotte to face the 49ers at 5:00 PM ET on C-USA.TV. The Gamecocks look to build off a strong 4-1 weekend in the Felsberg Invitational at FIU.

THE GAMECOCKS

Carolina comes into the 2018 season looking to build upon a 34-25 season in which the Gamecocks reached the regional final for the third time under the direction of head coach Beverly Smith.

The Gamecocks welcome seven freshmen and transfer Dixie Raley to the program this season to bring the Gamecocks to 20 active members.
Head coach Beverly Smith has been California Dreaming with her roster, as South Carolina has six Californians on the team, more than any other state combined. The next closest is a tie with three between Georgia and South Carolina.

Carolina won’t be lacking arms this season with five available coming into the new season, leaving 15 fielders.

THE UPCOMING WEEK

The Gamecocks close out a six-game road trip to open the season on Wednesday as they travel to Charlotte to face the 49ers. Following one mid-week contest, Carolina returns home for the first time this season when it hosts the Gamecock Invitational. The Gamecocks welcome Michigan State, Southern Illinois, Georgetown and Mercer to Columbia this weekend for the tournament. Carolina’s opponents for the week come into the week with an 11-9 record as of Tuesday.

A LOOK BACK… THE 2018 Opening Weekend

The 2018 season opened with a successful trip to Miami, Fla. for the Felsberg Invitational where the Gamecocks finished 4-1 with wins over ECU, Hofstra and St. John’s. No other team in the tournament finished with more than three wins.
The Gamecocks started the tournament last Friday, outscoring ECU and Hofstra 7-2 on the day as Cayla Drotar pitched a complete-game shutout against the Pirates.
For the tournament, the Gamecocks outscored their opponents 25-8, and pitched two complete-game shutouts thanks to Drotar’s efforts in the circle.
South Carolina’s lone loss came at the hands of FIU and star pitcher Shannon Saile. Saile finished the weekend with 40 strikeouts while allowing just 17 runners on base with a 0.95 ERA.

GAMECOCKS NOT AFRAID OF A GOOD TEST

The 2017 schedule was one of the toughest compiled to date by head coach Beverly Smith, and 2018 is expected to be the same.
In 2017, Carolina faced 12 teams represented in the final National Fastpitch Coaches Association/USA Today Poll, including national runner-up Florida.
The 2018 schedule features eight games against teams that reached the WCWS last season, including three against the Gators.
The Gamecocks will travel to seven different states throughout the course of the season, including: Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Texas, Kentucky and Missouri.

CAROLINA RUNS THE STATE

Under the direction of head coach Beverly Smith, Carolina owns a 48-7 mark against other Palmetto State schools.
That mark includes a 31-game winning streak that stretched over five seasons before Coastal snapped the incredible streak last season on April 11.
South Carolina played was 10-1 last season against in-state opponents, posting a stellar .352 batting average. Mackenzie Boesel feasted on in-state teams, batting an incredible .455 on the year.
Tiara Duffy showed off against Palmetto State opponents last season with a .500 batting average to help lead the Gamecocks to 10 wins. .

UP NEXT

South Carolina’s six game road trip comes to an end as the Gamecocks play host in the season opener Friday against Michigan State at 5:00 PM ET to open the Gamecock Invitational. Carolina plays Southern Illinois Saturday at 5:30 PM ET, Georgetown on Sunday at 12:30 PM ET and Mercer at 3:00 PM ET on Sunday. Live stats and updates will be provided on Twitter.