Softball Heads to No. 16 Alabama for Thursday Series

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Coming off its first SEC series win of the season, the South Carolina softball team will have a short week as they head to 16th ranked Alabama for its series April 6-8. The Gamecocks were swept in the 2022 series but won the series in 2019. The two teams last played in Tuscaloosa during the 2017 season, Alabama took the series 2-1. The Gamecocks have never won a series on the road at Bama.

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
When: April 6 | 7 p.m. ET; April 7 | 7 p.m. ET; April 8 | 2:30 p.m. ET
Where: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Venue: Rhoads Stadium (3,940)
Live Stats: Statbroadcast Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Live Video: SEC Network+ Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Series History: Alabama leads 46-20
Last Meeting: Alabama 6, South Carolina 1 | March 27, 2022 | Columbia, S.C.

South Carolina Gamecocks 26-9, 3-6 SEC
Coach: Beverly Smith | 13th Season
AVG Leader: .386 | Brooke Blankenship
RBI Leader: 34 | Riley Blampied
Home Run Leader: 6 | Jordan Fabian and Riley Blampied
ERA Leader: 2.94 | Donnie Gobourne
Strikeout Leader: 98 | Donnie Gobourne
Wins Leader: 6 | Three tied

#16 Alabama Crimson Tide 26-11, 4-5 SEC
Coach: Patrick Murphy | 25th Season
AVG Leader: .342 | Kenleigh Cahalan
RBI Leader: 32 | Ashley Prange
Home Run Leader: 11 | Ashley Prange
ERA Leader: 1.64 | Montana Fouts
Strikeout Leader: 198 | Montana Fouts
Wins Leader: 13 | Montana Fouts

LEADING OFF

• The 2023 season will be the 50th season of Carolina Softball.
• The Gamecocks moved up six sports in the most recent RPI to 32nd.
• 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.
• South Carolina batters were hit five times Friday night against Florida, the sixth most in a game this season in Division I.
• Donnie Gobourne carried a no-hit bid down to the last strike in the top of the seventh in Sunday’s game against #11 Florida before surrendering a hit.
  • She became the first Gamecock to throw a one-hitter since Kelsey Oh against Charleston Southern on April 7, 2021.
  • She finished with 15 strikeouts to become the first Carolina pitcher to record 15 in a game since Melissa Hendon against the College of Charleston (2/22/07).
  • Her 15 strikeouts in a game rank 20th among DI pitchers this season.
• The series win over the Gators is the first for the Gamecocks since sweeping them during the 2003 season.
• It’s the first SEC series win, and first SEC series win over a ranked opponent, since defeating Auburn in 2019.
• Carolina leads the SEC in: stolen bases per game (2.23), total stolen bases (78), fielding percentage (.980), doubles (58), and doubles per game (1.66).
• The Gamecock offense ranks 17th in the country in scoring per game (6.40 runs).
  • They are seventh in fielding, 11th in doubles, 13th in on-base % (.416), 13th in doubles per game, 14th in stolen bases, and 17th in stolen bases per game.
  • They are also rank 26th in walks (125), 29th in slugging (.499), and 30th in winning percentage (.743).
• Gobourne leads the nation in strikeouts per 7 innings (13.1). She also ranks 57th in total strikeouts with 98. She is one of only two players with over 12 K’s per 7.
  • Her four saves rank seventh in the nation and first in the SEC.
  • She ranks 45th in hits per 7 (4.55) and 126th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.5).
• Jen Cummings leads the nation in total HBP (15) and is second in per game (0.43).
  • She ranks among the NCAA leaders in three other categories.
  • She is 10th in the nation in on-base% (.565), ranks 60th in walks per game (0.69) and 167th in slugging % (.640)
• Riley Blampied ranks 56th in the nation in RBIs per game (0.97). She is also 98th in stolen bases (13), 108th in double per game (0.29), 114th in total bases (65), 137th in slugging (.657), and 170th in home runs (6)
• Brooke Blankenship ranks 127th in the nation and fifth in the SEC with a .386 batting average.
• Jordan Fabian 82nd in stolen bases (14), 68th in hit by pitches per game (0.23), 83rd in walk per game (0.63), 123rd in stolen bases per game (0.4), and 170th in home runs (6)
• Karsen Ochs ranks 34th in walks per 7 innings (0.99) and 38th in the nation in K-to-BB ratio (5.50).
• Jori Herd ranks 98th in strikeouts per 7 innings (7.7).
• Marissa Gonzalez ranks 148th in runs per game (0.79).
• 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. It’s tied for 5th most by a Division I team this season.
• 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.