South Carolina softball is off to its greatest start ever and has surged to No. 9 in national rankings after beginning the season unranked. The Gamecocks began their season with a perfect 20-0 record for the first time since the 1976 season.
During its 20-game win streak to begin the season, South Carolina has run-ruled its opponents on 12 different occasions. The Gamecocks have also outscored its opponents 209-81 through the season's first 27 games.
“We have a ton of belief internally of just who we are and what we can do,” first-year head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard said. “I think you see that from them every time they get in the box or every time they take the field.”
South Carolina softball went undefeated earlier on in the season during the Gamecock Invitational, Carolina Classic and Garnet & Black Invitational series, which are tournaments that the Gamecocks host at its home, Beckham Field.
Since then, the Gamecocks have begun its Southeastern conference schedule. South Carolina starts SEC play a 2-4 record after being swept by the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners and winning two games against the then-No. 13 Georgia Bulldogs.
With a 22-5 record exactly halfway into its season, South Carolina is on pace to notch 40 or more regular season wins for the first time since the 2018 season. The Gamecock's 2018 squad became the second team in program history to make it to the NCAA Super Regionals this century.
Creating a culture
The Gamecocks’ success comes in the debut season of Chastain Woodard, who spent the past five seasons as head coach at UNC Charlotte.
Chastain Woodard brought a new look to the South Carolina program, bringing along six players and numerous staff members from her 49ers team to Columbia.
Chastain Woodard said it was important for the labels of “transfers” and “returners” to be put aside before the season began, with all of the team's players focusing on creating a new culture in Columbia.
“I think we’ve broken through a lot of those previous labels and previous experiences,” Chastain Woodard said. “And know that ‘Hey, we’re at Carolina now, and we’re all together.'”
Chastain Woodard also discussed the importance of the community in the softball program, including staff, players and coaches.
“It’s a tribute really to the people that are in the program, you know, that’s really important for me,” Chastain Woodard said. “There’s a lot of love, a lot of trust in the room. But without the right people, none of that is possible.”
Sixth-year pitcher Sam Gress, who previously played for NC State and UNC Charlotte, talked about the influence that Chastain Woodard and her staff have had on her career.
"Coach (Chastain Woodard) and the rest of the coaching staff that came along with her, they completely changed my life two years ago when I entered the transfer portal the first time," Gress said. "They believed in me from the start, and I just could not have imagined playing my last year with anybody else."
Explosive offense
The Gamecock offense has produced nearly eight runs a game so far this season and ranks second in the nation in doubles per game while being top20 in batting average and top 10 in on-base percentage.
Redshirt junior utility player Quincee Lilio ranks top-20 in the nation with a .482 batting average. Lilio’s 25 walks on the season bump her on-base percentage up to .602.
Lilio said the Gamecocks maintain a strong mindset no matter the matchup.
“We’re not done fighting until the last pitch is thrown and the last out is made, and that’s just our mentality,” Lilio said. “We’re not going down without a fight. I just think it brings us closer as a team together because we do have that confidence in each other.”
Sophomore infielder Karley Shelton and junior infielder Arianna Rodi have also been hitting well for the Gamecocks this year. Shelton’s 11 doubles are tied for the fourth-most in Division I, while Rodi leads South Carolina with 10 home runs and 31 RBIs.
“We’ve got really low strikeouts right now … Our swing decisions are really good,” Chastain Woodard said. “They’re doing a lot really well, so I just need them to keep putting themselves in a position to win.”
Decimating defense
South Carolina’s pitching and fielding have been a key factor in its success. Spear-headed by junior Jori Heard, sophomore Nealy Lamb and Gress, the Gamecock pitching staff has allowed three runs per game so far this season.
Heard leads the staff in wins and innings pitched, as she has a 10-2 record with a 2.60 ERA this season. Gress and Lamb have a cumulative 10-3 record and 3.37 and 3.19 ERAs, respectively.
Heard set a career-high 10 strikeouts on Feb. 9 in a game where she threw all seven innings in a 1-0 win against the East Carolina Pirates.
“She's gotten progressively better every year,” Chastain Woodard said. “I think she’s the best she’s ever been.”
The Gamecocks' fielding has also been excellent so far this season, as their .981 fielding percentage is tied for fourth in the nation.
South Carolina softball finds itself exactly halfway through its regular season with 27 games remaining. The squad has made significant strides in the NCAA rankings so far this year and looks to keep building off of its historic start to the year.
“I love this team with my whole heart,” Heard said. “We all love each other, and it’s just a great feeling to play with all of my teammates.”
What’s next?
South Carolina softball hosts Texas Tech in a three-game series starting Friday at Beckham Field. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. on March 21.