GAMECOCK SOFTBALL OPENS SEASON WITH FRIDAY DOUBLEHEADER

COLUMBIA, S.C. —- No. 19 South Carolina softball opens the 2020 season Friday when it plays host to the Carolina Classic at Carolina Softball at Beckham Field. The Gamecocks are set to face North Dakota State at 2:30 p.m. Friday before closing the opening day doubleheader against Southern Illinois 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
 
Tournament action continues on Saturday when Carolina welcomes Ohio State at 3:00 p.m. The weekend concludes Sunday with a 3:00 p.m. first pitch against UNCG.
 
All four South Carolina games of the tournament will be streamed on SEC Network+ with student broadcaster TreyMartin on the call for the one-camera broadcast. Live stat links for all tournament games can be found through the tournament central page link located at the top of the story.
 
THE GAMECOCKS

• South Carolina comes into the 2020 season looking to build off a 38-19 season in which it reached the regional championship for the fourth-straight season.
• Carolina welcomes four newcomers (Ellie Bailey, Bailey Betenbaugh, Hannah Kumiyama, Karsen Ochs) as well as Baylor transfer Kassidy Krupit to a roster that will be looking to replace two starters (Kennedy Clark in the outfield and Dixie Raley in the circle).
• The Gamecocks return one of the most experienced middle infields in the country with Kenzi Maguire and Mackenzie Boesel. The two have combined for 352 games played and 348 starts heading into their senior campaign. Broken down, that means the pair has combined to play in 72 percent of all South Carolina games the past four years.
• Head coach Beverly Smith returns for her 10th season leading the Gamecocks. She’s guided the Gamecocks to seven-straight NCAA trips and four-consecutive regional championships, both of which are school records.

THE UPCOMING WEEKEND

• South Carolina enters opening weekend with stiff competition against North Dakota State, Southern Illinois, Ohio State and UNCG. This weekend will also serve as the first opportunity for fans to see the new scoreboard that has recently been installed at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
• North Dakota State comes into season looking to build on a 42-16 record in which it reached the NCAA Minneapolis Regional before going two and out. NDSU was 0-2 last year against SEC schools and went 12-6 on the road in contrast to a stellar 11-3 home mark. The Bison are coming off their eighth Summit League regular season and 10th tournament championship.
• Regulars on the Carolina schedule, Southern Illinois and UNCG returns to Beckham Field once more for the opening weekend. UNCG comes to Columbia fresh off a 33-23 season that ended in the Southern Conference Championship while SIU finished with an impressive 34-15 record in a season that ended in the NCAA Evanston Regional.
• The first of three Big 10 teams set to come to Columbia this year, THE Ohio State University is set to face off with the Gamecocks in the Carolina Classic. The Bucs come into the year after a 35-18 season in which they reached the NCAA Knoxville Regional. OSU went 1-2 last season against SEC competition.

MUST WIN AT HOME! AND THE GAMECOCKS DO

• South Carolina is 167-80 (.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 six seasons.

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS IS NOTHING NEW FOR SC

• South Carolina is 165-43 (.780) over the past six years in games outside the SEC. Notable wins include Texas, Penn State, Houston, Arizona State, North Carolina, Florida State, California, Virginia Tech, USF, Long Beach State, Hofstra and Liberty. 
• The 165 wins are notable because they account for 64 percent of the Carolina wins during that time (yeah, it’s really tough to win SEC games and of course there are more opportunities to win non-conference games. But still).
• This year Carolina is set for at least 30 more non-conference games.
• Carolina has won 22-straight non-conference games (regular season) coming into the 2020 campaign.

CAROLINA HOSTS TOURNAMENTS… AND WINS A LOT 

• Carolina is an amazing 24-0 over the past six seasons in the Gamecock Invitational and is set to host three more tournaments this season.
• The Gamecock pitching staff has shined in the tournaments. In the 24 games during that span, Carolina pitching staffs have allowed three or more runs eight times. On the flip side, eight games have ended as shutouts for South Carolina.
• Including the Carolina Classic, the Gamecocks are 40-1 in their past 41 home tournament games. Carolina’s lone home tournament loss during that stretch came in a 4-1 loss to South Alabama way back in 2015.
• South Carolina went 4-0 in the Gamecock Invitational last season, outscoring teams 40-13.

SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL RECORD

• South Carolina has played 2,374 games in its softball history, going 1,537-823-7 (.647) in its 44 years of history.
• The Gamecocks have posted 30 or more wins each of the past seven seasons under the direction of head coach Beverly Smith.  (includes this season).
• Carolina has protected home well, also, with 20 or more coming in friendly confines each of the past six years.
• The Gamecocks have posted a combined 63 conference wins over the last five years.

SUPER QUICK HITTERS

• Carolina went 18-8 (.690) last season against teams on this year’s schedule.
• Carolina finished 2019 with 11 saves as a team, just one off the school record set in 1999.
• 2019 was the first year since 2004 the Gamecocks started ranked.
• More than 30,000 fans attended Carolina games last year.

WOMEN AT SOUTH CAROLINA: THEY RUN THINGS, Y’ALL

• South Carolina athletics has had plenty of high points to talk about with women’s sports since athletics director Ray Tanner took over in 2012. Since that time, women’s teams have posted 164 All-Americans, 232 All-Conference selections, 30 different national honors, eight national championships, 14 Conference Championships, seven conference tournament championships, finished the season ranked 50 different times and reached the postseason 63 times (11 teams).
• The past five years have been equally impressive with 103 All-Americans, 167 All-Conference selections, 21 national awards, four national championships 12 conference championships, five conference tournament championships, finished ranked 40 times and reached the postseason 47 times.
• Last year alone Carolina’s women’s teams had 24 All-Americans, 35 All-Conference selections, seven different national awards, nine conference awards, two national championships, two conference championships, one conference tournament championship, finished ranked 11 times and reached the postseason 10 times.
• Category leaders since 2012 include: Track and Field with 93 All-Americans, 63 All-SEC Selections, Women’s Tennis with 15 national awards, Equestrian with 37 conference awards, Track and Field with six national championships, Swimming and Diving with five conference championships, Women’s Basketball with four conference tournament championships, Women’s Golf along with Equestrian and Basketball with seven seasons finishing ranked and Track and Field with eight postseason trips.

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