Softball . March 21, 2023

Gamecocks Hosts Paladins for Mid-Week Doubleheader

Name: vs. Furman
Start: 2023-03-22T15:00
End: 2023-03-22
Location: Columbia, S.C.

Schedule

Wed Mar 22 3:00 pm

vs.

Furman

Columbia, S.C. home

W 10-0 (5)

Softball

Wed Mar 22 5:30 pm

vs.

Furman

Columbia, S.C. home

Canceled

Softball

South Carolina (23-7)

vs.

Furman (7-17)

Mar 22, 2023 | 3:00 pm

ONLINE:

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Before heading into its SEC bye week, the South Carolina softball team hosts former Gamecock standout Stacey Johnson-Whitfield and her Furman Paladins for a doubleheader on Wednesday (Mar. 22) beginning at 3 p.m.

It will be a homecoming for Johnson-Whitfield and her volunteer assistant coach Adrienne Nix (Genovese). Johnson-Whitfield played for Carolina from 2001-04 and Genovese from 1998-2001. Johnson-Whitfield’s career was highlighted by a complete game no-hitter against, ironically, Furman on April 21, 2004. She also threw a combined no-hitter on May 1, 2002, against Coastal Carolina. She finished her career fifth all-time in program history in strikeouts, seventh in innings pitched and wins, and ninth in ERA. Genovese played in 223 career games with 208 starts. Her 42 assists as a catcher in 1999 are still tops all-time in program history and her 29 career sacrifice hits are 13th all-time.

Series History: South Carolina leads 68-10-1
Last Meeting: South Carolina 9, Furman 1 | April 20, 2022 | Columbia, S.C.

LEADING OFF

The 2023 season will be the 50th season of Carolina Softball.
The Gamecocks are 42nd in the most recent RPI.
Head coach Bev Smith earned her 400th career win against UNC.
- She became the 29th active head coach in Division I to amass 400 career victories while only coaching at one school.
The Gamecock offense ranks 16th in the country in scoring per game (6.57 runs).
As a team, Carolina leads the SEC in stolen bases per game (2.47), total stolen bases (74), fielding percentage (.982), and fewest hit batters (8).
- They are fifth in the nation in fielding, either in total stolen bases, 10th in doubles (50), 13th in on-base percentage (.418), 13th in walks (109), 15th in stolen bases per game, and 16th in scoring (6.57).
- They are also 20th in doubles per game (1.67), 26th in slugging (.514), and 27th in winning percentage (.767), 35th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.09), 38th in batting average (.310), and 39th in home runs per game (0.97)
Donnie Gobourne leads the nation in strikeouts per 7 innings (13.5). She also ranks 53rd in total strikeouts with 80.
- Her four saves rank fifth in the nation and first in the SEC.
- She ranks 92nd in hits per 7 (4.91) and 107th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.81).
Jen Cummings leads the nation in total HBP (13) and is fifth in per game (0.43).
- She ranks among the NCAA leaders in four different categories.
- She is 27th in the nation in on-base% (.540).
- She ranks 116th in walks per game (0.60) and 166th in slugging % (.647)
Riley Blampied ranks 30th in the nation in total RBIs (29) and 69th in RBIs per game (0.97)
Brooke Blankenship ranks 35th in the nation and fourth in the SEC with a .444 batting average.
- She is 95th in the nation in total hits (32) and 116th in on-base % (.481)
Karsen Ochs ranks 36th in the nation in K-to-BB ratio (6.4) and 41st in walks per 7 innings (0.94)
Against Mercer (Feb. 24), the Gamecocks hit back-to-back-to-back home runs for the first time under Bev Smith.
Against Tennessee Tech (Feb. 25), the Gamecocks hit four home runs, which were the most since 2020.
- The 21 runs scored against TTU were the most since 2016.
Haley Simpson hit a home run against WKU (Feb. 19), her first home run in nearly three years (1,086 days) after missing the last two seasons due to injury.
The Gamecocks played five consecutive days (Feb. 15-19) for only the second time in program history. They played six straight days in 1987 (March 10-15; 14 games).
The roster features 25 total players, with of seven different states represented.

OUCH…THAT HURT!

The Gamecocks have three players listed among the current active NCAA leaders in hit by pitches entering the week.

Natalie Morgan ranks 16th in DI and 32nd overall with 34.

Jordan Fabian ranks 16th in DI and 32nd among all Divisions with 34.

Jen Cummings ranks 24th in DI with 29.

JUST WALK ON BY…

Jordan Fabian ranks 34th among active career leaders in Division I for walks with 82.

IT’S GOOD TO BE HOME

For the third straight season, South Carolina is set for over 30 home games. Carolina will host 31 home contests, including the Gamecock Invitational and Carolina Classic. They will play just six non-conference road games for the second straight season and play eight neutral site games. The schedule also includes 12 road SEC games.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

South Carolina is 234-113 (.674) at home during the Beverly Smith era, which includes a 4-1 record at home while hosting a regional at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
Carolina has finished .500 or better at home eight of Beverly Smith’s 12 years.
Prior to 2021, South Carolina had not lost double digit games at home in seven years and has won 20 or more six of the past seven seasons (2020 included).

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS IS NOTHING NEW FOR SC

South Carolina is 238-61 (.796) over the past eight 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, Liberty, and UCF.
Carolina had won 26-straight non-conference games (regular season) before a loss to Texas Tech in the second weekend of the 2020 season.

CAROLINA RUNS THIS STATE

Under the direction of head coach Beverly Smith, Carolina owns a 81-10 mark against other Palmetto State schools.
That mark includes a 31-game winning streak that stretched over five seasons before Coastal snapped the streak in 2017.
South Carolina went 7-2 last season against in-state foes.

For the latest on South Carolina Softball, visit GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team’s social media accounts on Twitter @GamecockSoftbll, Facebook /GamecockSoftball, and Instagram @GamecockSoftball.