Softball . November 18, 2019

Gamecocks Announce 2020 Softball Schedule

COLUMBIA, S.C. —- South Carolina softball and head coach Beverly Smith proudly announced the 2020 schedule Monday. The schedule features 34 games against teams that reached the postseason last year, 15 against teams that reached a Super Regional and eight against teams that finished the season in Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series.

The challenging campaign includes 33 home, 15 road and six neutral site games. The Gamecocks are set to play 40 games in the Carolinas and Georgia, providing South Carolina fans plenty of opportunities to catch the team at home and on the road with short trips.

Carolina opens the season at home Feb. 7 against North Dakota State and hits the road for the first time on Feb. 13 when it travels to Clearwater, Fla., to face Texas Tech in its opening game of the 2020 St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational.

Southeastern Conference play opens Mar. 6 as the Gamecocks travel to Athens, Ga., for a three-game series against Georgia. The SEC home opener is set for Mar. 13 when Carolina opens a three-game set against LSU.

The Gamecocks get their first look at Clemson this season as the Tigers travel to Carolina Softball Stadium on April 7. South Carolina closes the regular season with a three-game series against Florida that starts May 1.

SCHEDULE NOTES/TRENDS

This is the second-consecutive season Carolina has opened on Feb. 7. The Gamecocks started the 2019 campaign the same day in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
The schedule includes 33 home games, including an 11-game home stand between Feb. 19 and Mar. 4.
Carolina will be close to home early and often. The Gamecocks are set for 34 games in the Palmetto State and six in neighboring states.
South Carolina will get its first action against Clemson on April 7 in Columbia. First pitch against the first-year program is set for 6:00 PM.
It’s another tough schedule, something that has become expected during the Beverly Smith era. This will be the second-straight year Carolina has played 30 or more games in the regular season against teams that reached the postseason the season prior.
The Gamecocks will be featured in an SEC Big Monday series again this year. Carolina’s series against Tennessee in Knoxville will run Saturday through Monday.
Carolina went 18-8 (.690) last season against teams on this year’s schedule.
South Carolina has played 2,374 games in its softball history, going 1,537-823-7 (.649) in its 44 years of softball. Carolina has posted 30 or more wins in each of the past seven years under the direction of head coach Beverly Smith. The 30 or more wins in seven-straight years marks the first time the program has reached that mark, or better, since 2002 when it went 14-straight seasons with 30 or more victories.
The Gamecocks have protected home, also, with 20 or more wins coming in friendly confines each of the past six years.
The Gamecocks are 24-0 over the past six years in tournaments they host.
Carolina is a commanding 59-7 against Palmetto State foes under Beverly Smith. That mark includes a 31-game winning streak that stretched over five years before Coastal Carolina snapped the streak three seasons ago.
Beverly Smith has led the Gamecocks to a program-best seven-straight post season trips. During that time, Carolina has also reached a program-record five-consecutive Regional Finals.
South Carolina is 316-215 in nine seasons under the direction of head coach Beverly Smith. A graduate of North Carolina, she earned her 300^th win as a head coach last season against Duke.