Gamecocks Return Home For SEC Play Against Ole Miss

COLUMBIA, S.C. — No. 16 South Carolina softball is set to play host to No. 24 Ole Miss this weekend in its third SEC series of the season. First pitch on Saturday in the series opener is scheduled for 2:00 PM ET while the weekend continues on Sunday at 6:00 PM ET on SEC Network. The series finale is set for 7:00 PM ET on Monday on SEC Network. 

Fans are encouraged to park in the Heyward Street Parking Garage. 
 

THE GAMECOCKS 

• Carolina comes into the 2019 season looking to build upon a 49-17 season in which the Gamecocks reached the program’s second ever super regional after winning the Columbia Regional. 
• The Gamecocks welcome five freshmen and transfer Katie Prebble to the program this season to bring the Gamecocks to 19 active members. 
• Head coach Beverly Smith has been keeping the local talent home recently, as the Gamecocks have five South Carolina natives on roster and two of the last three South Carolina Gator Players of the Year. 
• Carolina wonít be lacking arms this season with five available coming into the new season, leaving 14 fielders. Freshman Rachel Vaughan comes in as coach Smith’s first left-handed pitcher during her time at South Carolina. 

THE UPCOMING WEEK 

• The Gamecocks opened up a five-game home stand at Beckham Field this Wednesday win a 5-4 win over Duke. Carolina’s home-streak continues this weekend with a three-game set against Ole Miss. The week concludes next Wednesday at 6:00 PM ET against Georgia State on SEC Network +. 
• South Carolina continued SEC play last weekend, as it dropped its three-game series at Arkansas, 2-1. The Razorbacks took the first two games of the series as the Gamecocks responded with a Sunday win to close out the series on a high note. The win was the first win on the road against a ranked team since last year at Texas A&M in the Sunday game of that series. 
• Carolina returns to SEC action this weekend for another tough test, this time against Ole Miss at Beckham Field. The Gamecocks won a hard-fought 2-1 series last season in Oxford over the Rebels to open SEC play. 
• Comes into the week with a couple notable rankings according to stats. Cayla Drotar enters the week eighth in the country in saves (3), Karly Heath is 6th in the NCAA in hits allowed per seven innings while Kennedy Clark is seventh in the country in doubles. Jana Johns ranks No. 1 in hit by pitch per game as of 3/18. 

THIS ISN’T SPARTA.. BUT SHE’S GOT 300 

• Head coach Beverly Smith earned her 300th victory as a head coach at South Carolina on Wednesday night with a 5-4 win over Duke. She is already in elite company only the second coach in program history with at least 200 wins.
• Smith’s first win as a head coach came on Feb. 11, 2011, at Beckham Field in a 10-6 victory over Charleston Southern. The Gamecocks eventually went 3-1 her first opening weekend that season. 
• Smith’s most recent win as a head coach came over No. 17 Arkansas in the series finale last Sunday. The Gamecocks earned the program’s 29th road win over a ranked opponent since 1995. 
• A graduate of the University of North Carolina, Smith’s moved to 3-0 all-time against the Blue Devils and earned win No. 300 on Wednesday night against Duke. 

ARKANSAS… LET’S KEEP MOVING FORWARD 

• South Carolina dropped its three-game series at Arkansas this past weekend, 2-1, as the Razorbacks took the first two games of the series. 
• The series was tight as could be, as Arkansas outscored the Gamecocks just 16-15 over the weekend and had just three more hits. 
• Jana Johns led the way at the plate, hitting .375 with a .545 on-base percentage. Alyssa Kumiyama had a team-best five RBI. In the circle Dixie Raley earned the win for the Gamecocks. 
• The Carolina pitching staff found ways to get strikeouts throughout the weekend as the unit produced 19 in three games.

GAMECOCKS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS 

• South Carolina is 133-312-1 (.293) against opponents ranked in the NFCA top 25 since 1995. 
• Broken down by site, the Gamecocks are 62-100 (.358) at home, 29-144 (.154) on the road and 43-67-1 (.407) in neutral-site outings.
• Last season, the Gamecocks went 8-14 against ranked teams, including an 8-1 record in home games. The Gamecocks notably swept Tennessee and Mississippi State in home series against ranked teams last year. The Gamecocks also took two of three games against Arkansas, as well. 
• In road games, the Gamecocks notably won a road series at Ole Miss to star the SEC season and earned their first win over Texas A&M since 2015.

MUST WIN AT HOME! AND THE GAMECOCKS DO

• South Carolina is 159-77 (.665) at home during the Beverly Smith era, which does not include a 4-1 record at home while hosting a regional at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field. 
• The Gamecocks have lost more than 10 games at home in a single season just three times in her eight years. 
• Carolina has finished .500 or better at home seven of Beverly Smith’s nine years. 
• South Carolina has not lost double digit games at home in six years, and has won 20 or more the past five seasons.