No. 23 Gamecocks Host Third Consecutive Top-25 Matchup

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The 23rd ranked South Carolina softball team hosts its third straight top-25 matchup, when the Gamecocks take on No. 17 Arkansas April 12-14. Friday and Saturday’s games will be on the SEC Network.

Friday rally towels will be given away to the first 250 fans. For Saturday, it is the SEC’s All For Alex game. The first 300 fans will receive a free teal South Carolina shirt. On Sunday, the first 100 fans will receive an ice cream sandwich.

#23 South Carolina Gamecocks 28-13, 4-8 SEC
Coach: Beverly Smith | 14th Season
AVG Leader: .355 | Carlie Henderson
RBI Leader: 26 | Riley Blampied
Home Run Leader: 5 | Kianna Jones
ERA Leader: 0.62 | Reganne Bennett
Strikeout Leader: 87 | Sage Mardjetko
Wins Leader: 12 | Alana Vawter

#17 Arkansas Razorbacks 28-10, 7-5 SEC
Coach: Courtney Deifel | 9th Season
AVG Leader: .384 | Reagan Johnson
RBI Leader: 42 | Bri Ellis
Home Run Leader: 13 | Bri Ellis
ERA Leader: 1.79 | Morgan Leinstock
Strikeout Leader: 106 | Morgan Leinstock
Wins Leader: 10 | Morgan Leinstock

Series Information
Series History: South Carolina leads 37-28
Last Meeting: Arkansas 8, South Carolina 0 | May 1, 2022 | Fayetteville, Ark.
Series History – Last 10
5/11/2018 – N – W, 3-1
3/15/2019 – A – L, 3-2
3/16/2019 – A – L, 7-4
3/17/2019 – A – W, 9-6
3/12/2021 – H – L, 4-1
3/13/2021 – H – L, 7-5 (10)
3/14/2021 – H – L, 3-2
4/29/2022 – A – L, 12-0 (5)
4/30/2022 – A – L, – 8-4
5/1/2022 – A – L, 8-0 (5)

LEADING OFF

• The 2024 season will be the 51st season for the Carolina Softball team.
• Carolina received votes in the two main polls this week. They are ranked No. 23 by NFCA/USA Today and No. 25 by ESPN/USA Softball.
• Alana Vawter was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week last week.
• The Gamecocks lead the all-time series 37-28, but the Razorbacks have won the last six meetings.
• In Columbia, Carolina leads the series 18-14, with Arkansas winning all three in 2021.
• The Gamecocks earned a walk-off win over Winthrop last Wednesday in 11 innings.
  • It’s the fourth time this season Carolina has played 10-plus innings, the most in Division I.
• It’s the most 10-plus inning games in a season since 1995, while 1986 holds the record with five. Carolina also played four in 1988.
• Carolina is tied for the most extra-inning games this season with 8 (Rutgers and Troy).
• The Gamecocks swept Ole Miss over the weekend, their first SEC road sweep since 2013 (4/26-28, at Mississippi State).
• The 2-0 win in nine innings over Ole Miss was the longest shutout for the Gamecocks since a 1-0 win over Longwood on Feb. 11, 2017, also in nine innings.
• Aniyah Black hit a pair of home runs in the win over Charleston Southern. 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.
• The Gamecocks won earlier this season at Clemson 6-4 in 12 innings.
  • It was the longest game for Carolina since a 4-3 loss to Arkansas on April 15, 2000.
• 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.

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: 118
  • Innings pitched: 796
• Ranks second in DI and fifth overall in wins (88)
• Ranks second in DI and fourth overall in complete games (79)
• Ranks third in DI and seventh overall in shutouts (29)
• Ranks second in DI and NCAA in appearances with 154
• Ranks 17th in DI in ERA with a 1.79
• Ranks 17th in DI and 35th overall in strikeouts at 603

OUCH…THAT HURT!

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

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

• South Carolina is 260-126 (.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 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).

GAMECOCKS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS

• South Carolina is 166-389-1 (.300) against opponents ranked in the NFCA top 25 since 1995.
• Broken down by site, the Gamecocks are 81-136 (.373) at home, 40-179 (.183) on the road and 46-73-1 (.388) in neutral-site outings.
• This season, they’ve defeated #16 Mississippi State, #11 Clemson, #24 Boston U and #13 Utah.
• In 2023, the Gamecocks went 12-16 against ranked opponents. Earning victories over #3 Florida State, #4 Tennessee, #13 Georgia, #11 Florida (twice), #14 LSU, #16 Alabama, #16 Auburn (twice), and #23 Texas A&M (three).

SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL RECORD

• South Carolina has played 2,617 games in its softball history, going 1,685-925-7 (.645) in its 51 years of history.
• The Gamecocks have posted 30 or more wins in eight of the past 10 full seasons under the direction of head coach Beverly Smith.
• Carolina has protected home well, also, with 17 or more victories coming in friendly confines each of the past eight full years.

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.