No. 22 Gamecocks Begin Eight Game Homestand Wednesday Night

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The No.22 South Carolina softball team kicks off an eight-game homestand when the Gamecocks host in-state foe Winthrop Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Series Information
Series History: South Carolina leads 57-8-1
Last Meeting: South Carolina 5, Winthrop 0 | March 7, 2023 | Columbia, S.C.

#22 South Carolina Gamecocks 26-10, 3-6 SEC
Coach: Beverly Smith | 14th Season
AVG Leader: .367 | Carlie Henderson
RBI Leader: 26 | Riley Blampied
Home Run Leader: 5 | Kianna Jones
ERA Leader: 0.68 | Reganne Bennett
Strikeout Leader: 83 | Sage Mardjetko
Wins Leader: 10 | Alana Vawter

Winthrop Eagles 17-20, 5-4 Big South
Coach: Kendall Fuller | 4th Season
AVG Leader: .322 | Reese Basinger
RBI Leader: 18 | KaDedra Temple and Reese Basinger
Home Run Leader: 3 | Powell, Megan
ERA Leader: 2.88 | Reese Basinger
Strikeout Leader: 98 | Reese Basinger
Wins Leader: 9 | Reese Basinger

LEADING OFF

• The 2024 season will be the 51st season for the Carolina Softball team.
• Carolina received votes in three polls this week. They are ranked No. 22 by NFCA/USA Today, and No. 25 by ESPN/USA Softball and by Softball America.
• The Gamecocks have won the last 17 meetings. Winthrop’s last victory came on Feb. 16, 2011 in a 5-2 decision.
• The Gamecocks swept Ole Miss over the weekend, their first SEC road sweep since 2013 (4/26-28, at Mississippi State).
• Friday’s 2-0 win in nine innings was the longest shutout for the Gamecocks since a 1-0 win over Longwood on Feb. 11, 2017, also in nine innings.
• Also Friday, the Gamecocks tied a program record turning four double plays in the game.
• On Saturday, Kianna Jones hit two home runs in the victory, her first multi-home run game of her career.
• Aniyah Black hit a pair
• Aniyah Black hit a pair of home runs in the win over Charleston Southern Wednesday. It’s the second multi-home run game of her career (Texas A&M, 4/16/23).
• Carolina turned a triple play in the third inning against Charleston Southern, the first in the recorded history of Carolina softball (since at least 2000).
  • It’s the fourth triple play recorded this season in Division I.
• Carolina’s last series win against the Rebels came on the road in 2018 (2-1).
• The Gamecocks are coming off a win over in-state rival Clemson 6-4 in 12 innings.
  • It was the longest game for Carolina since a 4-3 loss to Arkansas on April 15, 2000.
  • It was Carolina’s first win in the series since 1979.
• Carolina combined to shutout then-No. 24 Boston U, earning a 3-0 victory in eight innings.
  • It was the first time the Terriers had been shut out this season.
• Carolina recorded three straight shutouts during the Garnet & Black Invitational.
• Jori Heard threw a perfect game in the 4-0 win over Bethune-Cookman on March 2. It was the first 7-inning perfect game in Division I this season.
  • Heard’s perfect game is the 11th in program history, as she becomes the seventh Gamecock pitcher to earn perfection.
  • It was the first perfect game for South Carolina since Melissa Hendon against Pittsburgh on March 4, 2007.
  • Six of Carolina’s 10 previous perfect games came between 1995 and 1997 and were thrown by either Trinity Johnson (5) or Darlene Gareis (2).

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: 116
  • Innings pitched: 777 2-3
• Ranks first in DI and fifth overall in wins (87)
• Ranks second in DI and fourth overall in complete games (78)
• Ranks third in DI and sixth overall in shutouts (28)
• Ranks fourth in DI and NCAA in appearances with 150
• Ranks 16th in DI in ERA with a 1.76
• Ranks 16th in DI and 34th overall in strikeouts at 593

OUCH…THAT HURT!

• Jen Cummings ranks 3rd in DI with 49 career high by pitches.
• She also ranks 5th among all divisions.

IT’S GOOD TO BE HOME

• For the fourth straight season, South Carolina is set for over 30 home games.
• Carolina will host 33 home contests, including the Gamecock Invitational, Garnet & Black Invitational, and Carolina Classic.
• They will play just two true non-conference road games and seven neutral site games. The schedule also includes 12 road SEC games.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

• South Carolina is 258-123 (.677) 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 267-69 (.795) over the past nine years in games outside the SEC. Notable wins include Clemson, Boston U, 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.

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.