Gamecocks Set for NCAA Tournament Starting Friday

DURHAM, N.C. – For the 24th time in program history, the South Carolina softball team will head to the NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks will be the No. 2 seed in the Durham Regional hosted by Duke University May 17-19.

GAME TIMES

Friday – 2 Games
Game 1: 12:00 p.m. – South Carolina vs. Utah
Game 2: 2:30 p.m. – Morgan State vs. Duke

Saturday – 3 Games
Game 3: 11:00 a.m. – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner
Game 4: 1:30 p.m. – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser
Game 5: 4:00 p.m. – Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner

Sunday – 2 Games
Game 6: TBD – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner
Game 7: TBD – If Necessary – Same teams as Game 6

RV South Carolina Gamecocks 34-22, 8-16 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: 113 | Sage Mardjetko
Wins Leader: 16 | Alana Vawter

#4 Duke Blue Devils 47-6, 20-4 ACC
Series History: South Carolina leads 3-1
Last Meeting: Duke 5, South Carolina 1 | Feb. 28, 2021 | Columbia, S.C.
Coach: Marissa Young | 7th Season

RV Utah Utes 34-20, 10-13 Pac-12
Series History: South Carolina leads 6-4
Last Meeting: South Carolina 9, Utah 1 | Feb. 15, 2024 | Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Coach: Amy Hogue | 16th Season

Morgan State Bears 35-18, 18-3 MEAC
Series History: First Meeting
Coach: Larry Hineline | 7th Season

LEADING OFF

• The 2024 season is the 51st season for the Carolina Softball team.
• The Gamecocks continue to receive votes in the two main polls this week by NFCA/USA Today and by ESPN/USA Softball.
• It’s South Carolina’s 24th NCAA Tournament appearance and 9th in the last 11 years.
• Carolina has played 23 games against top-25 RPI teams, ninth most in the country.
• Per the NCAA, they have the 16th hardest strength of schedule, one behind Duke.
• The Gamecocks turned their 31st double play of the season over the weekend, tying the program record from 2018.
  • Carolina turned four double plays against Florida on April 21, tying a program record for the second time this season. They also turned four at Ole Miss on 3/29.
  • They’re the only team in D1 to turn four double plays in a game twice this season.
  • They rank ninth in the nation in double plays per game and t-4th in overall DP’s.
• Carolina has played 10-plus innings five times this season, tied with Dayton for the most in Division I.
• It’s tied for the most 10-plus inning games in a season in program history (1986).
• They’ve played nine extra-inning games, tied for fourth most in DI. (Three teams, 10)
  • It’s the most by any team in the NCAA Tournament (Penn St. 8; Arizona, 7).
  • It’s tied with 2002 for the fourth most extra-inning games in program history (1989-10, 2000-11, and 2001-13).
• Carolina is coming off a streak of 13 consecutive games against a top-25 opponent.
  • 18 of their last 19 games have come against top-25 opponents.
  • It’s the third straight season playing 10+ games 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.
• The series win over then-No. 21 Kentucky was Carolina’s first in the series since 2015.
• Alana Vawter was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week on April 2.
• 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 was the fourth triple play recorded this season in Division I.
• 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).
• The Gamecocks swept Ole Miss, their first SEC road sweep since 2013 (4/26-28, at Mississippi State).
• The Gamecocks earned a walk-off win over Winthrop on April 3 in 11 innings.
• 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.
• Head coach Bev Smith earned her 400th career win last year against UNC.
  • She became the 29th active head coach in Division I to amass 400 career victories while only coaching at one school.

THIS IS CAROLINA – TRADITION LIVES HERE

• South Carolina has made 24 trips to the NCAA postseason, a number that started in 1982. The Gamecocks have reached two super regionals and three WCWS. In conference play, Carolina owns two SEC Championships.
• They have made the tournament nine of the last 11 seasons.
• Carolina has been to the College World Series three times in program history (1983, 1989, 1997).
• The Gamecocks also made five AIAW College World Series appearances prior to the NCAA sanctioning softball as an NCAA sport in 1982.
• Carolina rolls into the 2024 postseason season with a 48-50 record all-time and a 17-17 mark under Beverly Smith.
• Fans and opponents have become accustomed to seeing the Gamecocks play on Sunday in the postseason. Carolina reached the regional final four-straight years (2016-19) and again in 2023. The Gamecocks are 3-4 in those past seven Sunday games.
• Since 1982, the Gamecocks are 3-12 against host schools and 1-8 under Smith. On the flip side, South Carolina is 4-2 at home in the postseason under Smith having advanced to just the program’s second super regional in 2018 with two win-or-go-home games against Liberty.

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: 124
  • Innings pitched: 851 1-3
• Ranks second in DI and sixth overall in complete games (83)
• Ranks second in DI and fifth overall in wins (93)
• Ranks third in DI and NCAA in appearances with 166
• Ranks fifth in DI and 15th overall in shutouts (29)
• Ranks 22nd in DI and 48th overall in strikeouts at 625
• Ranks 24th in DI in ERA with a 1.81

OUCH…THAT HURT!

• Jen Cummings ranks 4th in DI with 51 career hit by pitches.
• She also ranks 10th among all divisions.

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS IS NOTHING NEW FOR SC

• South Carolina is 270-71 (.792) 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.

GAMECOCKS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS

• South Carolina is 171-395-1 (.303) 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 47-74-1 (.389) in neutral-site outings.
• This season, they’ve defeated #21 Kentucky (twice), #10 Florida, #17 Arkansas, #16 Mississippi State (twice), #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 2,632 games in its softball history, going 1,691-934-7 (.644) in its 51 years of history.
• The Gamecocks have posted 30 or more wins in nine of the past 12 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 10 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.