Softball . March 24, 2025

No. 11 Gamecocks Host Tigers for First Game of Palmetto Series

Name: at LSU
Start: 2025-03-28T18:00
End: 2025-03-28
Location: Baton Rouge, La.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The No. 11/10 South Carolina softball team hosts rival Clemson for the first game of their Palmetto Series Presented by the South Carolina Education Lottery. The first 200 fans will receive a Palmetto Series t-shirt and the first 500 fans will receive a Gamecock Rally Towel. Head football coach Shane Beamer will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Gameday Information – Palmetto Series Presented by the South Carolina Education Lottery
Series History: Clemson leads 6-2
Trend: Clemson won 1
Last Meeting: Clemson 7, South Carolina 0 | April 9, 2024 | Columbia, S.C.

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. Although new polls don’t come out until Tuesday, last week the Gamecocks were in the top-11 of all four 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. 5.
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.
With the series win over Texas Tech, the Gamecocks now have three series wins over top-15 opponents.
Brooke Blankenship ranks 2nd in the nation in sacrifice flies.
Quincee Lilio has 13 multi-hit games on the season.
- Lilio is 21st in the nation in walks per game and 25th in on-base percentage.
Ella Chancey ranks 23rd in the nation in doubles.
Arianna Rodi has reached base in 22 straight games.
- Rodi ranks 3rd nationally in walks per game, 21st in on-base percentage, 24th in slugging percentage, and 26th in home runs per game.
- 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 23rd in doubles and 25th in runs per game.
Jori Heard ranks 20th nationally in shutouts.
Nealy Lamb ranks 20th in the nation in strikeouts per game.
South Carolina has outscored their opponents 220-89 on the season, including 30-8 in the third inning and 26-4 in the seventh inning.
As a team they rank second the nation in doubles per game and sacrifice flies.
They also rank 3rd in doubles, 9th in fielding percentage, 6th in walks, and 10th in RBIs per game.
They rank in the top-20 in six other categories: scoring, RBIs per game, double plays, double plays per game, on-base percentage, and winning percentage.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

South Carolina is 263-106 (.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, Texas Tech, 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.

SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL RECORD

South Carolina has played 2,666 games in its softball history, going 1,717-942-7 (.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.

CAROLINA RUNS THIS STATE

Since 2011 Carolina owns an 90-14 mark against other Palmetto State schools.
That mark includes a 31-game winning streak that stretched over five seasons before Coastal Carolina snapped the streak in 2017.
South Carolina went 7-2 last season against in-state foes.

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.