Gamecocks Play Host To GSU Before Hitting Road For LSU

COLUMBIA, S.C. —- No. 16 South Carolina softball is set to play host to Georgia State on Wednesday evening at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field. First pitch is set for 6:00 PM ET on SEC Network + as the Gamecocks look for their fourth win in their last five games. 
 
Carolina and Georgia State return to the diamond for the first time in 19 years as the Panthers will make the drive up from Atlanta for the midweek contest. 
 
Fans are encouraged to park in the Heyward Street Parking Garage for the game. 
 

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 won’t 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 close out a five-game home stand on Wednesday night against Georgia State before hitting the road for LSU this weekend. The first two games of the week will be on SEC Network + while the last two will be on SEC Network and ESPNU. 
• South Carolina continued SEC play last weekend, as it split its series 1-1 against No. 24 Ole Miss. The Gamecocks took the first game of the series 2-0 before the series finale was rained out on Monday night. Kelsey Oh earned the win in the circle for the Gamecocks. 
• Carolina returns to SEC action this weekend for another tough test, this time against No. 8 LSU on the road at Tiger Park. The Gamecocks will look to win the series against the Tigers in Baton Rouge for the first time since 1997. The Gamecocks have never won a three-game series on the road in this series. 
• South Carolina comes into the week with the 15th most home runs per game in the country and 16th best  slugging percentage. Jana Johns leads the NCAA in hit by pitches per game. 

NOTES AND TRENDS HEADING INTO THE WEEK

• South Carolina shutout Ole Miss 2-0 on Saturday afternoon to open the series. This marked the first time since a 3-0 win over Auburn on April 23, 2017, the Gamecocks blanked a conference foe. 
• In the 2-0 win, Kelsey Oh tossed a season-high nine strikeouts in her complete game shutout performance. She has 17 strikeouts over her last two SEC games. 
• The Gamecocks notably hit back-to-back home runs in the Saturday win, marking the second time this season they had done so. The previous time was Feb. 24 in a win over Winthrop in Charlotte. 
• The month of March has been kind to Kennedy Clark. She’s hitting a Carolina best .385 with 10 RBI and a .439 on-base percentage. Lauren Stewart has posted a team-best 14 RBI during the 17 games in the month.

HOW TO WATCH THE GAMECOCKS IN 2019

• ESPN has shown some respect for the Gamecocks in the preseason, giving the program at least 30 games on the Family of Networks. 
• Carolina will have 21 home games broadcast as well nine road contests. 
• The Gamecocks first nationally televised game comes on March 24 against Ole Miss with a game on SEC Network. 
• South Carolina will have five games on SEC Network, two on ESPNU, two on ESPN2 and one on ESPN.

ANOTHER TOUGH SCHEDULE

• Something that has become a regular thing for the Gamecocks under Beverly Smith, South Carolina is set for another tough slate in the 2019 season. 
• Carolina will face at least five top-15 teams and seven top-25 squads according to the USA Softball rankings at the start of the season. 
• The road schedule in the SEC (Auburn, LSU, Arkansas and Missouri) will be ultra-tough as those squads combined for a 104-17 (.860) record at home last season. 
• Based on the latest RPI, South Carolina has played 12 games against teams in the top-50 and is set for 15 more this year.

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.