Top-15 Series Set Between No. 11 Gamecocks and No. 12 Texas Tech

COLUMBIA, S.C. – It may be their bye week from SEC play, but the No. 11/10 South Carolina softball team will play its fourth consecutive series against a top-15 opponent, when the Gamecocks host No. 12/12 Texas Tech March 21-23.

#11 South Carolina Gamecocks 22-5, 2-4 SEC
Coach: Ashley Chastain Woodard | 1st Season
AVG Leader: .482 | Quincee Lilio
RBI Leader: 31 | Arianna Rodi
Home Run Leader: 10 | Arianna Rodi
ERA Leader: 2.60 | Jori Heard
Strikeout Leader: 65 | Jori Heard
Wins Leader: 10 | Jori Heard

#12 Texas Tech Red Raiders 23-5, 5-1 Big 12
Coach: Gerry Glasco | 1st Season
AVG Leader: .404 | Raegan Jennings
RBI Leader: 23 | Alexa Langeliers
Home Run Leader: 5 | Alexa Langeliers
ERA Leader: 0.62 | NiJaree Canady
Strikeout Leader: 124 | NiJaree Canady
Wins Leader: 10 | NiJaree Canady

Gameday Information
Series History: Texas Tech leads 3-0
Trend: Texas Tech won 3
Last Meeting: Texas Tech 5, South Carolina 1 | February 13, 2020 | Clearwater, Fla.

LEADING OFF

• The 2025 season is the 52nd season for the Carolina Softball team.
• South Carolina continues to be in the top-10 in most of the weekly polls.
  • The Gamecocks sit at No. 10 in the ESPN/USA Softball and by D1Softball, and No. 11 in the NFCA/USA Today and Softball America poll.
• This week in the NCAA RPI the Gamecocks are No. 6.
• For the first time in program history every game will be televised on the ESPN family of networks and digital platforms.
  • South Carolina and Georgia are the only two Division I programs to have every game broadcast this season.
• With the win over Youngstown State, the Gamecocks tied the program record from 1976 for most consecutive wins to start a season.
• Quincee Lilio has 13 multi-hit games on the season.
  • Lilio is 10th in the nation in on-base percentage, 17th in walks per game, 20th in batting average, 25th in toughest to strikeout, and 26th in hits.
• Ella Chancey ranks 27th in the nation in doubles and sacrifice flies.
• Arianna Rodi has reached base in 22 straight games.
  • Rodi ranks 2nd nationally in walks per game, 21st in home runs, 24th in home runs per game, and 24th in slugging percentage, 26th in on-base percentage.
  • Rodi hit a home run in five straight games (Feb. 25 – Mar. 5), which it tied for the 14th longest streak in NCAA Division I history.
• Karley Shelton ranks 12th in doubles, 12th in runs per game, 15th in runs, and 19th in doubles per game.
• Jori Heard ranks 14th nationally in shutouts and 21st in wins.
• Nealy Lamb ranks 16th in the nation in strikeouts per game.
• Brooke Blankenship ranks 3rd in the nation in sacrifice flies.
• South Carolina has outscored their opponents 209-81 on the season, including 43-8 in the fourth inning and 26-4 in the seventh inning.
• As a team the Gamecocks lead the nation in doubles and sacrifice flies.
• They also rank 2nd in doubles per game, 5th in fielding percentage, 4th in walks, 9th in on-base percentage, and 10th in RBIs per game.
• They also rank in the top-20 in seven other categories: scoring, RBIs, batting average, total runs, slugging percentage, double plays, and winning percentage.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

• South Carolina is 261-105 (.713) at Carolina Softball Stadium since being built in 2013. That includes a 4-1 record at home while hosting an NCAA regional at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
• Prior to 2021, South Carolina had not lost double digit games at home in seven years and has won 20 or more eight of the past nine seasons.
• Since 2016, South Carolina has consistently ranked among the nation’s leaders in attendance. Since that time, excluding the 2021 COVID season that limited attendance, they have never finished lower than 15th in average or cumulative attendance.
• In 2024, Carolina ranked 7th in the nation in total attendance and 14th in average attendance. They were 9th and 11th in 2023, 7th and 13th in 2022, 7th and 11th in 2020, 10th and 13th in 2019, 11th and 13th in 2018, 10th and 11th in 2017, 12th and 15th in 2016.

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS IS NOTHING NEW FOR SC

• South Carolina is 292-74 (.798) over the past nine years in games outside the SEC.
• Notable wins include Clemson, Duke, 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 will play 33 non-conference games in 2025, 28 of which will be played at Carolina Softball Stadium.

GAMECOCKS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS

• South Carolina is 176-401-1 (.305) against opponents ranked in the NFCA top 25 since 1995.
• Broken down by site, the Gamecocks are 84-139 (.377) at home, 46-187 (.197) on the road and 47-74-1 (.389) in neutral-site outings.
• In 2025 the Gamecocks are 5-4 against ranked opponents.
• In 2024, the Gamecocks went 9-20 against ranked opponents. They earned victories over #21 Kentucky (twice), #10 Florida, #17 Arkansas, #16 Mississippi State (twice), #11 Clemson, #24 Boston U and #13 Utah.

SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL RECORD

• South Carolina has played 2,663 games in its softball history, going 1,715-941-7 (.645) in its 52 years of history.
• Carolina has posted 30 or more wins in nine of the past 11 full seasons.
• 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.