Coming off of a program-best 20-0 start to begin its season, South Carolina softball has gone 10-8 in SEC play to settle at a 35-11 record. Now with the season winding down, the No. 12 Gamecocks will look to make a run in the SEC and NCAA tournaments.
The Gamecocks have exceeded expectations this season under first year head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard, sitting as the 12th ranked team in the nation after beginning its season unranked. South Carolina has spent 10 weeks on the NCAA national rankings so far this season.
The Gamecocks have remained competitive in conference play this season as it ranks in the top half amongst conference teams. South Carolina’s 10-8 SEC record is 7th in the conference, while it ranks 11th in runs scored and 8th in ERA in the SEC.
“Everyone here is a great player,” junior infielder Arianna Rodi said. “For us, as a team, we need to focus on being together as one unit.”
The Gamecocks have won five of its seven ranked series matchups so far this season and ranks 4th in college softball's Rating Percentage Index. The RPI ranks teams based on its winning percentage and strength of schedule.
The postseason for the Gamecocks begins on May 6 when all 15 SEC teams compete in the SEC Tournament located at Jack Turner Stadium, the home of the No. 23 Georgia Bulldogs. The Gamecock’s current 7th seed in the SEC would set it up for a first round bye in the tournament, as it would need to win four consecutive games.
South Carolina has won the SEC Tournament twice in program history, with its last conference victory coming in 2000.
Chastain Woodard said the strength of the SEC will benefit the Gamecocks and move the program forward and that her team has to embrace the matchups against the great opponents that the conference has to offer.
“If we’re not in those games and give ourselves a chance to win those games, we’re never going to be there,” Chastain Woodard said. “You have to embrace that, you have to embrace the hard.”
The Gamecocks’ success in the SEC Tournament is pivotal for its NCAA success, as a further run in the conference tournament would increase its chances of hosting the NCAA Regional round. Only the top 16 national seeds in the country host the NCAA regional round, South Carolina currently sits at No. 12.
The Gamecocks have not hosted the NCAA Regional round on its home field in Columbia since 2018, which is also the most recent season that South Carolina advanced to the NCAA Super Regional.
The Gamecocks have struggled to advance past the NCAA Super Regional round, as the program has not reached the Women's College World Series since 1997. The WCWS consists of the final eight teams in Division I softball.
Chastain Woodard discussed how a balanced offensive and defensive attack led South Carolina to a 1-0 victory against the No. 19 Ole Miss Rebels on April 4. The Gamecocks held the Rebels scoreless for eight innings while its batters drew 10 walks at the plate.
“Pitching and defense kept us in the game and allowed us to win the game,” Chastain Woodard said. “We foundationally put our offense on our swing decisions, that we’re going to swing at strikes and take balls … and essentially that was the difference in the game and us winning.”
The Gamecocks have shown composure with its swing decisions in 2025, as redshirt junior utility Quincee Lilio and Rodi both rank within the top-5 in the SEC for walks taken this season.
Junior pitcher Jori Heard talked about how the depth of the Gamecocks’ roster can impact the outcome of any given game.
“I think it's amazing knowing that one-through-nine, every single person in our lineup can do the job,” Heard said. “It's such a great feeling to know that everybody can do the job for us.”
The Gamecocks wrap up its conference schedule with an away series against the Auburn Tigers and a homestand versus the No. 17 Alabama Crimson Tide.
What’s next?
No. 12 South Carolina softball hosts Winthrop on April 23 at Beckham Field. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. and the game can be watched on SEC Network-plus.