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No. 22 Gamecocks Wrap Up Homestand Against Cougars Wednesday
Softball  . 

No. 22 Gamecocks Wrap Up Homestand Against Cougars Wednesday

#22 South Carolina Gamecocks (13-2)
#22 South Carolina Gamecocks (13-2)
vs.
College of Charleston Cougars (4-9)
College of Charleston Cougars (4-9)
Columbia, S.C. | Carolina Softball Stadium
TV: SECN+
ONLINE:

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The 22nd ranked South Carolina softball team wraps up its homestand when the Gamecocks host in-state foe the College of Charleston Wednesday night (Feb. 28) at 5 p.m. It is Youth Softball Night, where all youth, 17 and under, get in for free with a purchase of an adult ticket at the gate.

Series Information
Series History: South Carolina leads 15-1
Last Meeting: South Carolina 10, CofC 0 (5) | March 8, 2023 | Charleston, S.C.

#22 South Carolina Gamecocks 13-2, 0-0 SEC
Coach: Beverly Smith | 14th Season
AVG Leader: .462 | Riley Blampied
RBI Leader: 16 | Riley Blampied
Home Run Leader: 4 | Reganne Bennett
ERA Leader: 0.50 | Reganne Bennett
Strikeout Leader: 29 | Alana Vawter
Wins Leader: 4 | Alana Vawter

College of Charleston Cougars 4-9, 0-0 CAA
Coach: Tracey Lynch | 3rd Season
AVG Leader: .359 | Brooke Marquez
RBI Leader: 11 | Halle Cannon
Home Run Leader: 1 | Three tied
ERA Leader: 2.29 | Payton Lemire
Strikeout Leader: 15 | McKenna Kelly
Wins Leader: 3 | Payton Lemire

LEADING OFF

  • The 2024 season will be the 51st season for the Carolina Softball team.
  • Carolina received votes in every poll this week. They are ranked No. 22 by NFCA/USA Today and ESPN/USA Softball, No. 23 by D1softball and No. 24 by Softball America.
  • This will be the 17th meeting between the Gamecocks and Cougars.
    • Carolina swept the series last season, winning 8-0 at home and 10-0 on the road.
    • The Gamecocks are 11-0 all-time at home against the College of Charleston.
  • Freshman Reganne Bennett is coming off a tremendous week at the plate and in the circle.
    • She threw her first complete game shutout on Friday night in a win over UMass.
    • She became the first player to earn a complete game shutout and hit a home run in the same game since Cayla Drotar against Bethune-Cookman in the NCAA Tournament on May 18, 2019.
    • At the dish, she hit .313 with a pair of home runs and seven RBIs, while leading the team with a .688 slugging percentage.
  • The Gamecocks traveled to Puerto Vallarta for the second time in their history.
    • They opened the tournament defeating then-No 13 Utah 9-1 in a six inning run-rule victory.
    • They also defeated UC Davis 6-4 in extra innings and clobbered UC San Diego 18-1 in five innings.
    • Against the Tritons, Carolina scored 11 runs in the fourth inning, nearly batting around twice.
    • Their only loss came to Wichita State who was receiving votes in the most recent coaches poll.
    • Aniyah Black and Sage Mardjetko were named to the All-Tournament Team.
  • The roster features 23 total players, with of 10 different states represented and Canada.
  • South Carolina has opened the season at home in 8 of 14 seasons under Smith.

VAWTER ON THE NATIONAL STAGE

Alana Vawter joined the Gamecocks after an outstanding four-year career at Stanford. Her awards list in long, but she also ranks among the nation’s active career leaders in a myriad of pitching categories:

  • She ranks first in not only Division I but among all NCAA players in:
    • Game started: 109
    • Innings pitched: 713 1/3
  • Ranks second in DI and fourth overall in wins (81)
  • Ranks second in DI and fourth overall in shutouts (27)
  • Ranks third in DI and fourth overall in complete games (73)
  • Ranks fourth in DI and NCAA in appearances with 137
  • Ranks 11th in DI and 40th overall in ERA with a 1.76
  • Ranks 15th in DI and 28th overall in strikeouts at 555
  • Ranks 44th in DI in strikeouts per 7 innings at 5.45

OUCH…THAT HURT!

  • Jen Cummings ranks 3rd in DI with 42 career high by pitches.
  • She also ranks 6th among all divisions.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

  • South Carolina is 253-118 (.682) 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 10 of Beverly Smith’s 13 years.
  • Prior to 2021, South Carolina had not lost double digit games at home in seven years and has won 20 or more seven of the past eight seasons (2020 included).

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS IS NOTHING NEW FOR SC

  • South Carolina is 257-67 (.793) over the past nine years in games outside the SEC. Notable wins include Utah, 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 an 85-12 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.

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