Gamecocks Set To Host Missouri
April 19, 2018
No. 12 South Carolina vs. Missouri
COLUMBIA, S.C. — No. 12 South Carolina softball stays home this weekend for a three-game series against SEC foe Missouri starting Friday at 5:30 PM ET on SEC Network. The Saturday game, set for noon, will also be on SEC Network while the Sunday series finale at noon will be on SEC Network Plus.
Where to Park
Fans are encouraged to park in the Heyward Street Parking Garage for all home games this season. With Carolina hosting a Track & Field Tournament on Saturday, fans are encouraged to arrive early.
The upcoming weekend
The Gamecocks (No. 12/12) close out four-straight games with a three-game series against Missouri starting Friday night at 5:30 PM ET on SEC Network.
Carolina comes into the week with an impressive 34-11 record, including an 8-7 mark in SEC play. Carolina earned win No. 34 on the year last Wednesday with a commanding 7-0 win over Winthrop. Dixie Raley led the way in the circle while a pair of early home runs paced the Carolina offense.
Carolina is set to be on TV for the 27-30th time this season with the Missouri series.
South Carolina’s opponents for the week came in with a combined 45-44 record. The three- game series against Missouri this weekend will be the first time all season the Gamecocks haven’t faced a ranked opponent in conference play. Carolina is two for two thus far in SEC home series and one for three on the road with three left.
The 2018 season… It’s been a real hit!
Carolina hasn’t been afraid to get hit by pitches this season, posting an SEC-best 62 thus far through 45 games. The next closest? Mississippi State at 40.
Jana Johns has led the way in the hit by pitch race with a team-best 20 thus far.
With 20, Johns has more hit by pitches by herself than two SEC teams and is tied with another.
In the national standings, the Gamecocks are very well represented as well. Johns checks in at No. 5 in the hit by pitches per game, while Kenzi Maguire is at 29 and Kennedy Clark is at 108. In the SEC, they check in a No. 1, 2 and 6 (in that same order).
What a year… Some big points
Carolina has achieved some major highpoints just 45 games into the 2018 season. The first came early in the year, when the Gamecocks posted a 17-game winning streak, marking the longest streak of its kind since 1997.
With the 17-game victory streak, Carolina got off to its best 20-game start in program history with 19 wins. Nine of those wins came at home at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
Home sweet home
Home is where the heart is, and it’s also where plenty of success has been found for the Gamecocks with an 18-2 record thus far.
Carolina is batting .290 in home games, outscoring opponents 105-41 (+64) in 20 games. The Gamecocks pitching staff has produced with a 1.85 ERA with 100 strikeouts and just 41 walks.
Carolina history lesson… Let’s talk about the SEC
Since moving away from the divisional format in 2014, Carolina’s best finish has been 8th in 2014. The Gamecocks finished that season 11-13 in conference play and 36-22 overall. (Gamecocks currently sit in sixth).
Carolina has taken three conference series over ranked opponents this season, marking the first time ever in the SEC era the Gamecocks have done so.
Runs! Runs! Runs!
Carolina hasn’t been hurting in offense this season, as that side of the ball has outscored opponents 222-93 (+119) through 45 games. A deeper look into that, on average the Gamecocks are outscoring teams 5.97-1.88 thus far.
Where there are runs, there must be hits. Carolina batters have out-hit opponents 293-219 thus far, average about four more hits a game then their opposing batters.
