Softball Hosts Tigers for Final Game of SC Education Lottery Palmetto Series

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina softball team wraps up the SC Education Lottery Palmetto Series against the fourth ranked Clemson Tigers Tuesday night (Apr. 11), with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. The first 200 fans in attendance will receive a free t-shirt courtesy of the SC Education Lottery, and the first 500 fans will receive a South Carolina rally towel.

GAMEDAY INFORMATION – SC Education Lottery Palmetto Series
Series History: Clemson leads 4-1
Last Meeting: Clemson 10, South Carolina 0 | March 28, 2023 | Clemson, S.C.

South Carolina Gamecocks 27-11, 4-8 SEC
Coach: Beverly Smith | 13th Season
AVG Leader: .359 | Brooke Blankenship
RBI Leader: 34 | Riley Blampied
Home Run Leader: 7 | Jordan Fabian
ERA Leader: 2.71 | Donnie Gobourne
Strikeout Leader: 109 | Donnie Gobourne
Wins Leader: 7 | Donnie Gobourne

#4 Clemson Tigers 37-4, 12-3 ACC
Coach: John Rittman | 4th Season
AVG Leader: .479 | Valerie Cagle
RBI Leader: 41 | Valerie Cagle
Home Run Leader: 14 | Valerie Cagle
ERA Leader: 0.68 | Valerie Cagle
Strikeout Leader: 134 | Valerie Cagle
Wins Leader: 18 | Valerie Cagle

LEADING OFF

• The 2023 season will be the 50th season of Carolina Softball.
• The Gamecocks remained 32nd 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.
• South Carolina batters were hit five times against Florida (3/31), 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 against #11 Florida (4/2) 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 23rd 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 (2.16), total stolen bases (82), fielding percentage (.980), doubles (58), and doubles per game (1.53).
• The Gamecocks rank are 10th in the country in fielding, 15th in doubles, 17th in stolen bases, and 17th in stolen bases per game.
  • They are also rank 24th in on-base % (.400), 25th in scoring per game (6.00 runs), 26th in doubles per game, and 34th in winning percentage (.711).
• For the seventh straight week Donnie Gobourne leads the nation in strikeouts per 7 innings (12.9). She also ranks 55th in total strikeouts with 109. She is one of only two players with over 12 K’s per 7.
  • Her four saves rank 12th in the nation and second in the SEC.
  • She ranks 33rd in hits per 7 (4.37) and 128th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.41).
• Jen Cummings is second the nation in total HBP (16) and is second in per game (0.42). She is 14th in the nation in on-base% (.544), ranks 39th in walks per game (0.68) and 264th in slugging % (.585).
• Riley Blampied ranks 99th in the nation in stolen bases (14). She is also 100th in RBIs per game (0.89), 149th in total bases (67), 193th in slugging (.620), and 218th in home runs (6).
• Jordan Fabian 99th in stolen bases (14), 90th in hit by pitches per game (0.21), 93rd in walk per game (0.61), and 143rd in home runs (7)
• Karsen Ochs ranks 15th in walks per 7 innings (0.88) and 29th in the nation in K-to-BB ratio (5.83).
• Jori Herd ranks 111th in strikeouts per 7 innings (7.5).
• 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.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

• South Carolina is 237-114 (.675) 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 239-62 (.794) 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.

GAMECOCKS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS

• South Carolina is 154-370-1 (.294) against opponents ranked in the NFCA top 25 since 1995.
• Broken down by site, the Gamecocks are 75-127 (.371) at home, 37-170 (.178) on the road and 43-72-1 (.375) in neutral-site outings.
• This season, the Gamecocks have defeated #14LSU, #11 Florida twice, and #16 Alabama.
• In 2022, the Gamecocks went 4-22 against ranked opponents. Earning victories over #13 Kentucky, #15 Georgia, #19 Auburn, and #24 UCF.

CAROLINA RUNS THIS STATE

• Under the direction of head coach Beverly Smith, Carolina owns a 82-11 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.

OUCH…THAT HURT!

• The Gamecocks have three players listed among the current active NCAA leaders in hit by pitches entering the week.
• Jordan Fabian ranks 17th in DI and 36th among all Divisions with 35.
• Natalie Morgan ranks 19th in DI and 38th overall with 34.
• Jen Cummings ranks 23rd in DI and 45th overall with 32.

JUST WALK ON BY…

• Jordan Fabian ranks 34th among active career leaders in Division I for walks with 87.

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.