Gamecocks Host Missouri for Senior Weekend

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina softball team wraps up the regular season when the Gamecocks host No. 13 Missouri May 3-5. Saturday’s game will be broadcast nationally on the SEC Network.

South Carolina will honor its seniors all weekend long prior to each game. Former players Karsen Ochs and Haley Simpson will be honored Friday; Aniyah Black, Denver Bryant, Jen Cummings, and Riley Blampied on Saturday; and Bailey Betenbaugh, Zoe Laneaux, Alana Vawter, and Kianna Jones on Sunday.

On Friday, the first 250 fans will receive a free rally towel. The first 250 fans on Saturday will receive a free Gamecocks softball t-shirt. Sunday the first 100 fans will receive an ice cream sandwich and there will be post-game autographs on the field with the team.

SENIOR WEEKEND

RV South Carolina Gamecocks 33-18, 8-13 SEC
Coach: Beverly Smith | 14th Season
AVG Leader: .355 | Carlie Henderson
RBI Leader: 33 | Riley Blampied
Home Run Leader: 6 | Riley Blampied
ERA Leader: 0.86 | Reganne Bennett
Strikeout Leader: 100 | Sage Mardjetko
Wins Leader: 15 | Alana Vawter

#13 Missouri Tigers 37-14, 10-11 SEC
Coach: Larissa Anderson | 6th Season
AVG Leader: .371 | Alex Honnold
RBI Leader: 33 | Alex Honnold
Home Run Leader: 6 | Kara Daly
ERA Leader: 1.24 | Whitten, Lilly
Strikeout Leader: 113 | Laurin Krings
Wins Leader: 13 | Cierra Harrison

Series Information
Series History: Missouri leads 16-9
Last Meeting: Missouri 2, South Carolina 1 | April 3, 2022 | Columbia, Mo.
H: 3-6  A: 2-10   N: 4-0
Last 10
4/22/2018 – H – W, 6-2
5/3/2019 – A – L, 4-3
5/4/2019 – A – L, 7-6
5/5/2019 – A – W, 5-2
4/1/2021 – H – L, 13-4 (6)
4/2/2021 – H – L, 7-3
4/3/2021 – H – L, 10-6
4/1/2022 – A – L, 4-2
4/2/2022 – A – L, 7-3
4/3/2022 – A – L, 2-1

LEADING OFF

• The 2024 season will be the 51st season for the Carolina Softball team.
• The Gamecocks are ranked No.24 by D1softball, while continuing to receive votes in the two main polls this week by NFCA/USA Today and by ESPN/USA Softball.
• Carolina is coming off a streak of 13 consecutive games against a top-25 opponent.
  • It’s the third straight season playing 10 or more in-a-row against a ranked foe.
  • It’s the longest stretch of games against top-25 foes in program history (11 twice)
• Sage Mardjetko was named the SEC Freshman of the Week for her performance against then-No. 21 Kentucky.
• Missouri has swept the last two meetings between the programs (2021 & 2022).
• The series win over then-No. 21 Kentucky was Carolina’s first in the series since 2015.
• Carolina turned four double plays against Florida on April 21, tying a program record for the second time this season.
  • They’re the only team in D1 to turn four double plays in a game twice this season.
  • They rank 9th in the nation in double plays per game and 5th in overall DP’s.
• The Gamecocks earned a walk-off win over Winthrop on April 3 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 8th in D1 for the most extra inning games this season with 8 (Seven teams have played 9).
• Alana Vawter was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week on April 2.
• The Gamecocks swept Ole Miss, their first SEC road sweep since 2013 (4/26-28, at Mississippi State).
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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 Division I and second among all NCAA players in:
  • Game started: 123
  • Innings pitched: 834 1-3
• Ranks second in DI and fifth overall in complete games (82)
• Ranks second in DI and fifth overall in wins (92)
• Ranks third in DI and NCAA in appearances with 162
• Ranks fourth in DI and 12 overall in shutouts (29)
• Ranks 18th in DI in ERA with a 1.79
• Ranks 20th in DI and 45th overall in strikeouts at 615

OUCH…THAT HURT!

• Jen Cummings ranks 4th in DI with 50 career hit by pitches.
• She also ranks 8th among all divisions.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

• South Carolina is 262-128 (.672) 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 170-394-1 (.302) against opponents ranked in the NFCA top 25 since 1995.
• Broken down by site, the Gamecocks are 82-138 (.373) at home, 43-182 (.191) on the road and 46-73-1 (.388) in neutral-site outings.
• This season, they’ve defeated #21 Kentucky (twice), #10 Florida, #17 Arkansas, #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 2,627 games in its softball history, going 1,690-930-7 (.645) in its 51 years of history.
• The Gamecocks have posted 30 or more wins in nine of the past 11 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 nine 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.