Gamecocks Host Senior Day to Kick Off Texas A&M Series

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina softball team hosts its final SEC home series of the year when the Gamecocks take on Texas A&M April 24-26. Prior to Friday’s game on ESPN2, Carolina will honor its eight seniors, Sage Scarmardo, Natalie Heath, Lexi Winters, Arianna Rodi, Quincee Lilio, Jori Heard, Josey Marron, and Jamie Mackay. The first 1,000 fans will receive a senior poster.

Saturday will be Hawaiian Night and Jamie Mackay Day, where the first 250 fans will receive a Gamecock inspired Hawaiian shirt and a Jamie Mackay button. Sunday will be Jori Heard Day and postgame autographs.

SERIES INFORMATION
Series History: Texas A&M leads 32-19
Trend: Texas A&M won 5
Last Meeting: Texas A&M 12, South Carolina 4 | May 7, 2025 | Athens, Ga.

RV South Carolina Gamecocks 27-21, 5-13 SEC
Coach: Ashley Woodard | 2nd Season
AVG Leader: .348 | Karley Shelton
RBI Leader: 39 | Tori Ensley
Home Run Leader: 10 | Tori Ensley and Arianna Rod
ERA Leader: 1.82 | Jori Heard
Strikeout Leader: 102 | Jori Heard
Wins Leader: 10 | Jori Heard

#11 Texas A&M Aggies 34-12, 14-4 SEC
Coach: Trisha Ford | 4th Season
AVG Leader: .472 | Mya Perez
RBI Leader: 70 | Micaela Wark
Home Run Leader: 24 | Micaela Wark
ERA Leader: 2.68 | Sidne Peters
Strikeout Leader: 109 | Sidne Peters
Wins Leader: 13 | Sidne Peters and Sydney Lessentine

LEADING OFF

• The 2026 season is the 53rd season for the Carolina Softball team.
• This week in the polls the Gamecocks are ranked No. 24 in the USA Softball/ESPN and are receiving votes from the NFCA and D1Softball polls.
• They’re 27th in the RPI with an overall strength of schedule of 5.
• The Gamecocks have played more Top-25 RPI opponents than any other Division I program (23) and 6 more games still to play against Top-25 RPI teams.
  • The next closest is 22 by Texas A&M.
• The schedule also features nine of the Top-11 RPI teams and four of the Top-5, the most of any program, Missouri is just behind with seven of the Top-11.
• Based on current opponent winning percentage, the Gamecocks have the toughest schedule in the nation. Opponents have a combined winning percentage of .665.
• They also have the 8th toughest schedule remaining, with opponents having a combined winning percentage of .793.
• The Gamecocks and Aggies have played more games before TAMU joined the SEC than since they joined.
• They’ve also met in the SEC Tournament five times in the last 11 years.
• South Carolina’s 16-14 win over North Carolina on Wednesday was the first time the Gamecocks have played a game where both teams scored in double-digits since a 13-10 win over No. 11 Florida on March 31, 2023.
• It marks the 10th time in program history that both teams scored in double-digits.
• The 30 combined runs were the ninth most in program history and the most since March 16, 1978, when South Carolina defeated Furman 27-6.
• It was also a Scorigami for the Gamecocks, having never won a game 16-14 in program history.
• Carolina opened SEC play with the defending National Champion for the second straight season. They opened 2025 at Oklahoma.
• The Gamecocks are one of five teams in DI with at least seven pitchers who have earned a win on the season (UCF, South Dakota State, Lindenwood, UTSA).
  • All seven Carolina pitchers on staff have earned at least one victory.
• Arianna Rodi hit her 50th career home run against Queens on March 1.
  • She sits 10th among active NCAA players in career home runs with 54.
  • Rodi also ranks 5th among active NCAA players in career walks.
  • Quincee Lilio is 35th among active NCAA players in career walks.
• Jori Heard ranks 28th among active Division I players with a 2.38 career ERA.
  • She also ranks 20th in appearances and 42nd in strikeouts per 7 innings.
  • Nealy Lamb also ranks 50th with a 2.64 ERA.
• As a team, South Carolina ranks 28th in the nation in double plays with 21.
• The Gamecocks rank among the top-40 in: ERA, hit batters, and hit by pitches.
• Arianna Rodi currently is 22nd among Division I players with 0.83 walks per game.
• Jori Heard ranks 22nd in ERA with a 1.82.
  • She ranks 38th nationally with a 1.07 WHIP.
  • She also leads the SEC and is 30th in the nation with 33 appearances.
• Emma Friedel ranks 34th with 8.2 strikeouts per seven innings.
• Lexi Winters is third in the SEC with six runners caught stealing.
• The walk-off win in the 12th inning against LSU was South Carolina’s longest game since a 6-4, 12-inning win at Clemson two years to the day, March. 20, 2024.
  • The 12-inning game was the longest game in Carolina Softball Stadium history.
  • It’s also tied for the fifth longest game in Division I this season.

PITCHER FRIENDLY CAROLINA SOFTBALL STADIUM

• Last season, the Gamecocks were 35-7 at home.
• South Carolina had the most pitcher friendly softball stadium in the SEC during the 2025 season.
• Of the 15 SEC programs, Carolina Softball Stadium was the lone one to allow fewer than one home run a game at 0.74.
• Below is the list for 2026, where Carolina Softball Stadium currently sits second in combined home runs per game.

• There were a 110 combined doubles hit in games played at Carolina Softball Stadium in 2025, 23 more than the next closest SEC team.
• 2026 is shaping up to be no different as there have been 12 more doubles hit in Columbia than any other SEC stadium.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

• South Carolina is 295-120 (.711) 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.

GAMECOCKS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS

• South Carolina is 193-433-1 (.309) against opponents ranked in the NFCA top 25 since 1995.
• Broken down by site, the Gamecocks are 92-161 (.364) at home, 51-195 (.207) on the road and 50-77-1 (.395) in neutral-site outings.
• In 2025 the Gamecocks were 16-14 against ranked opponents.
• In 2024, the Gamecocks went 9-20 against ranked opponents.

SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL RECORD

• South Carolina has played 2,746 games in its softball history, going 1,765-974-7 (.644) 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.