5 things to know about South Carolina softball to get you caught up for NCAAs

The Gamecocks, led by first-year head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard, are the No. 8 national seed in the NCAA Tournament. As a result, South Carolina will host a four-team regional and have the opportunity to host a two-team super regional should the Gamecocks advance this weekend. It’s the first time in seven years the Gamecocks have hosted the NCAA Tournament. If you’re a casual softball fan — or even a die-hard fan of anything related to Gamecocks sports — this procrastinator’s guide will get you caught up. The season’s schedule, best wins The Gamecocks enter the NCAA Tournament with a 40-15 record and 13-11 mark in SEC play. South Carolina is ranked in the Top 25 of several various softball polls — the highest being No. 12 and lowest being No. 14. South Carolina is ranked No. 8 in adjusted RPI. USC had six series wins over nationally ranked teams and is 17-14 vs. teams in RPI Top 25. Those 17 wins are third-most in the country. On a wider scope, South Carolina is 25-15 vs teams in RPI Top 100. The Gamecocks had one of the harder schedules of any team in the country. South Carolina was No. 4 in strength of schedule, largely due to the dominance of the SEC that sent 14 teams to the NCAA Tournament, and its non conference strength of schedule was ranked No. 12. Some specific impressive victories include a win over North Carolina, a series sweep of Duke and series wins over Georgia, Texas Tech, LSU, Ole Miss and Alabama.

Big moments for Gamecocks South Carolina in the SEC preseason poll was picked to finish last in the league and instead has put together one of the better seasons in the program’s recent history.

The Gamecocks opened the year on a 20-0 run, which tied the program record for best start to a season. South Carolina finished seventh overall in the SEC after compiling a 13-11 league record. It’s just the second time in the last 22 years USC has finished with a winning record in conference play. The last time the Gamecocks accomplished the feat was in 2018; before that the last time was 2003. Chastain Woodard broke a record at the conclusion of the regular season. South Carolina’s 40 wins this year are the most by a first-year head coach since Judy Martino won 38 games in 1978. First baseman Arianna Rodi has proven to be a force at the plate this year for the Gamecocks. The junior, who followed Chastain Woodard from Charlotte to South Carolina, has hit 16 home runs, a new program single-season record. Rodi has also recorded 46 walks this season, also a program record.

History in the NCAA Tournament This is South Carolina’s third-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and the 25th total trip in program history.

The Gamecocks opened the year on a 20-0 run, which tied the program record for best start to a season. South Carolina finished seventh overall in the SEC after compiling a 13-11 league record. It’s just the second time in the last 22 years USC has finished with a winning record in conference play. The last time the Gamecocks accomplished the feat was in 2018; before that the last time was 2003. Chastain Woodard broke a record at the conclusion of the regular season. South Carolina’s 40 wins this year are the most by a first-year head coach since Judy Martino won 38 games in 1978. First baseman Arianna Rodi has proven to be a force at the plate this year for the Gamecocks. The junior, who followed Chastain Woodard from Charlotte to South Carolina, has hit 16 home runs, a new program single-season record. Rodi has also recorded 46 walks this season, also a program record.

History in the NCAA Tournament This is South Carolina’s third-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and the 25th total trip in program history. The last time the Gamecocks hosted an NCAA Tournament regional was in 2018. Before that the last time they hosted a regional was in 2007. As the No. 8 national seed, South Carolina is in line to host a super regional for the first time if they advance in the bracket. The Gamecocks have made the supers twice (2007 and 2018) since that format was introduced in 2005. South Carolina traveled to Evanston to face Northwestern in the 2007 super regional and Tempe to face Arizona State in the 2018 supers. South Carolina is looking to make its fourth trip to the Women’s College World Series. The Gamecocks haven’t made it that far in the postseason since 1997. The two other appearances came in 1989 and 1983. The 1997 team boasted a 63-5 record — still the best mark for the program — while the 1989 team’s record of 46-12 is more similar to this year’s team.