Softball Wraps up Home Slate with SC State Tuesday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Gamecocks fans will have one final opportunity to catch the South Carolina softball team as it wraps up the home schedule, hosting South Carolina State April 28 at 6 p.m. Admission to the game will be free for everyone.

SERIES INFORMATION
Series History: South Carolina leads 1-0
Trend: South Carolina won 1
Last Meeting: South Carolina 5, South Carolina State 1 | April 23, 2014 | Columbia, S.C.

RV South Carolina Gamecocks 29-22, 7-14 SEC
Coach: Ashley Woodard | 2nd Season
AVG Leader: .352 | Tori Ensley
RBI Leader: 41 | Tori Ensley
Home Run Leader: 12 | Tori Ensley
ERA Leader: 1.77 | Jori Heard
Strikeout Leader: 113 | Jori Heard
Wins Leader: 11 | Jori Heard

South Carolina State 20-18, 12-9 MEAC
Coach: Nakeya Hall | 1st Season
AVG Leader: .404 | Dallas Hill
RBI Leader: 46 | Dallas Hill
Home Run Leader: 10 | Dallas Hill
ERA Leader: 2.29 | Krebs, Aaryn
Strikeout Leader: 42 | Dymond Roundtree
Wins Leader: 5 | Dymond Roundtree and Ciara Farrar

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 25th in the RPI with an overall strength of schedule of 3.
• The Gamecocks have played more Top-25 RPI opponents than any other Division I program (26) and 3 more games still to play against Top-25 RPI teams.
  • The next closest is 25 by Texas A&M.
  • The schedule also features seven of the Top-9 RPI teams and four of the Top-5, the most of any program, Missouri is just behind with six of the Top-9.
  • Carolina has played 13 of the top 22 RPI teams and 15 of the top 30.
• Based on current opponent winning percentage, the Gamecocks have the second toughest schedule in the nation. Opponents have a combined winning percentage of .658. (Arkansas, .663)
• The Gamecocks earned the series win over No. 11 Texas A&M.
  • The four runs allowed in the series are the fewest the Aggies have been held to in an SEC series since the Gamecocks held them to two runs during a Carolina sweep in April of 2023.
• 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 13th among active NCAA players in career home runs with 54.
  • Rodi also ranks 6th among active NCAA players in career walks and 42nd in Division I in RBIs.
• Quincee Lilio is 37th among active NCAA players in career walks.
• Jori Heard ranks 29th among active Division I players with a 2.34 career ERA.
  • She also ranks 21st in appearances and 42nd in strikeouts per 7 innings.
• As a team, South Carolina ranks 21st in the nation in hit by pitches with 45.
  • The Gamecocks rank 29th with a team ERA of 2.97
• Arianna Rodi currently is 25th among Division I players with 0.82 walks per game.
• Jori Heard ranks 21st in ERA with a 1.77.
  • She ranks 45th nationally with a 1.09 WHIP.
  • She also leads the SEC and is 28th in the nation with 35 appearances.
• Emma Friedel ranks 31st with 8.2 strikeouts per seven innings.
• Lexi Winters is third in the SEC with six runners caught stealing.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

• South Carolina is 297-124 (.706) 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 323-86 (.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 2,749 games in its softball history, going 1,767-975-7 (.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.

PLAYING IN THE PALMETTO STATE

• Since 2011 Carolina owns a 98-16 mark against other Palmetto State schools.
• That mark includes a 31-game winning streak.
• South Carolina went 7-2 in 2025 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.