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Softball Hosts Duke, Travels to Coastal Carolina in the Midweek
Softball  . 

Softball Hosts Duke, Travels to Coastal Carolina in the Midweek

Midweek Schedule

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The 23rd ranked South Carolina softball team continues its busy Spring Break schedule when the Gamecocks host Duke Tuesday (Mar. 10) before traveling to Coastal Carolina Wednesday (Mar. 11). First pitch for both games will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday’s game against Duke will be broadcast nationally on the SEC Network.

#23 South Carolina Gamecocks 15-9, 0-3 SEC
Coach: Ashley Woodard | 2nd Season
AVG Leader: .441 | Quincee Lilio
RBI Leader: 26 | Karley Shelton
Home Run Leader: 6 | Arianna Rodi
ERA Leader: 1.24 | Jori Heard
Strikeout Leader: 45 | Jori Heard
Wins Leader: 5 | Emma Friedel

RV Duke Blue Devils 15-9, 3-0 ACC
Head Coach: Marissa Young | 9th Season
Series History: South Carolina leads 6-3
Trend: South Carolina won 3
Last Meeting: South Carolina 12, Duke 7 | Mar. 2, 2025 | Durham, N.C.

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 12-12, 0-0 Sun Belt
Head Coach: Kelley Green | 17th Season
Series History: South Carolina leads 57-10
Trend: Coastal Carolina won 1
Last Meeting: Coastal Carolina 5, South Carolina 3 | Mar 12, 2025 | Columbia

LEADING OFF

  • The 2026 season is the 53rd season for the Carolina Softball team.
  • This week in the polls the Gamecocks are ranked No. 23 by the NFCA and by D1Softball, and No. 24 by Softball America, and by USA Softball/ESPN.
  • They’re 28th in the first RPI of the season with an overall strength of schedule of 10
  • Carolina opened SEC play with the defending National Champion for the second straight season. They opened 2025 at Oklahoma.
  • It’s a busy Spring Break for the Gamecocks as they play five games in six days and eight games in 10 days overall.
  • South Carolina is 2-1 all-time at Carolina Softball Stadium against the Blue Devils.
  • The 67 games against Coastal Carolina rank fourth among the most non-conference opponents played in program history (Furman-82, North Carolina-73, Winthrop-69).
  • Arianna Rodi hit her 50th career home run against Queens on May 1.
    • She currently sits 6th among active NCAA players in career home runs.
    • Rodi also ranks 4th among active players in career walks.
  • As a team, South Carolina ranks 16th in double plays with 13.
  • They also rank 19th in the nation in hit by pitches and 20th in double players per game.
  • Arianna Rodi currently is 16th among Division I players with 0.92 walks per game.
    • Quincee Lilio ranks 33rd at 0.83 per game.
  • Jori Heard ranks 18th in ERA with a 1.24.
  • Nealy Lamb ranks 25th in the nation with 4.09 hits allowed per game.
  • Emma Friedel ranks 36th in strikeouts per game at 8.3.
  • Nia McKnight had a triple and a home run against Marist (2/27), the first Gamecock to do so since Victoria Williams vs. Presbyterian (2/10/2017).
  • The 25 runs scored against Queens (3/1) were the most by Carolina since scoring 29 against Alabama State (3/2/2013).
    • The 19 hits were also the most since they had 20 also against Alabama State.
    • Rodi had seven RBIs in the game, the most by a player since Cayla Drotar had eight against Campbell on Feb. 16, 2019.
  • Alyssa Hovermale hit her first career home run, the game-winner, against Winthrop (2/25).
  • Karley Shelton went 4-for-4 against Kennesaw State (2/14), becoming the first Gamecock since Denver Bryant on May 8, 2024 with four hits in a game.
  • Tori Ensley finished a triple shy of the cycle against Winthrop on Feb. 8.
    • She also finished with six RBIs, the most by a Gamecock since Katie Prebble drove home six on April 8, 2022 against ETSU.
  • Arianna Rodi started the season by being named to the Top 50 Watch List for the 2026 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.
  • This is the third straight season the Gamecocks have opened the year at home.
  • Rodi was named the Preseason No. 34 overall player by D1Softball and the No. 4 first baseman.
  • Karley Shelton was ranked as the No. 9 player at her second base by D1Softball.
  • Rodi, Shelton, and Lexi Winters were ranked No. 47, 68, and 89 by Softball America.
  • Rodi and Shelton were ranked No. 4 at their positions by Softball America, while Winters was the No. 7 catcher.
  • Ansley Bennett was named to Softball America’s Top-100 Freshman Watch List.
  • Bennett and Kai Byers were named to the D1Softball Preseason Top-100 Freshman to Watch list.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

  • South Carolina is 290-116 (.714) at Carolina Softball Stadium since being built in 2013. That includes a 7-1 record at home while hosting an NCAA Regional and a 1-2 record hosting Super Regionals 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, they have never finished lower than 15th in average or cumulative attendance.
  • In 2025, Carolina ranked 15th in the nation in total attendance and 28th in average attendance. They were 7th and 14th in 2024, 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 316-84 (.790) over the past nine years in games outside the SEC.
  • Notable wins include Clemson, Duke, Texas Tech, 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 28 non-conference games in 2026, 21 of which will be played at Carolina Softball Stadium.

SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL RECORD

  • South Carolina has played 2,722 games in its softball history, going 1,753-962-7 (.645) in its 53 years of history.
  • Carolina has posted 30 or more wins in 10 of the past 12 full seasons.
  • Carolina has protected home well, also, with 17 or more victories coming in friendly confines each of the past 11 full years.

CAROLINA RUNS THIS STATE

  • Since 2011 Carolina owns a 96-15 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.

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