Softball . March 17, 2026

No. 21 Softball Hosts Georgia Southern Wednesday Night

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The 21st ranked South Carolina softball team welcomes in Georgia Southern Wednesday night for a 6 p.m. first pitch at Carolina Softball Stadium. The first 300 fans will receive a GREEN “Lucky to be a Gamecock” T-shirt.

#21 South Carolina Gamecocks (19-10, 0-3)

vs.

Georgia Southern Eagles (12-14, 1-2)

Mar 18, 2026 | 6:00 pm

TV: SECN+

ONLINE:

SERIES INFORMATION
Series History: South Carolina leads 45-1
Trend: South Carolina won 4
Last Meeting: South Carolina 3, Georgia Southern 0 | Feb. 22, 2023 | Statesboro Ga.

LEADING OFF

The 2026 season is the 53rd season for the Carolina Softball team.
This week in the polls the Gamecocks are ranked No. 21 by the NFCA, No. 24 by USA Softball/ESPN and No. 25 by D1Softball.
They’re 32nd in the RPI with an overall strength of schedule of 24.
Carolina opened SEC play with the defending National Champion for the second straight season. They opened 2025 at Oklahoma.
South Carolina is 23-1 all-time at Carolina Softball Stadium against the Eagles.
The Gamecocks and Eagles first met in 1988, when Carolina swept a doubleheader in Statesboro by a combined score of 39-0.
- Carolina’s lone loss in the series came on April 19, 2016 (6-4) in Columbia.
Arianna Rodi hit her 50th career home run against Queens on March 1.
- She currently sits 7th among active NCAA players in career home runs.
- Rodi also ranks 3rd among active NCAA players in career walks.
- Quincee Lilio is 29th among active NCAA players in career walks.
As a team, South Carolina ranks 16th in double plays with 14.
They also rank 15th in the nation in hit by pitches, 18th in walks, and 19th in total runs.
The Gamecocks rank among the top-30 in: Double plays per game, ERA, hits allowed per game, on-base percentage, RBIs, slugging percentage, and triple.
Arianna Rodi currently is 4th among Division I players with 1.00 walks per game.
- Quincee Lilio ranks 20th at 0.86 per game.
Jori Heard ranks 23rd in ERA with a 1.50.
Tori Ensley and Nia McKnight are tied for 27th in triples with three.
Emma Friedel ranks 30th in the country in strikeouts per game (8.6)
Karley Shelton sits 34th in the nation with 40 total hits.
Jamie Mackay hit walk off home runs in consecutive games to run-rule Boston College (Mar. 13 & 14).
Tate Davis had a walk-off single in the bottom of the 7th of Sunday’s game vs BC.
- Carolina had three straight walk off wins for the first time since February 21-22, 2025.
Against the Eagles on Mar. 13 Carolina hit four home runs for the first time since also hitting four against then-No. 2 Oklahoma last season on March 9.
Emma Friedel tied a season-high with nine strikeouts against BC (Mar. 13).

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

South Carolina is 293-117 (.715) 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 320-85 (.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 2,727 games in its softball history, going 1,757-963-7 (.646) 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.

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.