5 things to know about South Carolina softball as it opens its 2026 season
South Carolina begins its 2026 softball season Thursday night against Virginia Tech.
The Gamecocks plays five games this week to kick off the season. South Carolina is ranked No. 12 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association preseason coaches poll, and the Hokies are No. 19.
South Carolina is hoping to recapture the magic of what was an incredible 2025 season.
Here are five things to know about the Gamecock softball team on opening day.
A historic first season for coach Ashley Chastain Woodard
Ashley Chastain Woodard started her South Carolina tenure with a bang in 2025.
In her first year with South Carolina, Chastain Woodard was named National Coach of the Year by D1Softball after leading the Gamecocks to a 44-17 record. The 44 wins in 2025 made Chastain Woodard the winningest first-year coach in program history and were the second-most overall wins since 2002.
South Carolina was picked to finish last in SEC play but finished with a 13-11 slate in conference play. That marked the first winning SEC record since 2018 and just the second time the Gamecocks have finished above .500 in conference play in the last 22 years.
South Carolina started the year 20-0 (tying the program mark for best start) and went on to set or tie five team records in 2025.
All that led to Chastain Woodard, a former Gamecock pitcher, guiding her alma mater to its third-ever NCAA Tournament super regional. USC was a national seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in modern program history and hosted both a regional (first time since 2018) and a super regional (first time ever) last season.
Where is USC in the preseason rankings?
South Carolina’s 2025 campaign helped it earn respect from national outlets, and are ranked in several different preseason Top 25 polls.
The Gamecocks are ranked No. 12 in the NFCA/GoRout Coaches Poll, No. 13 in the D1Softball poll and No. 14 in the ESPN/USA Softball preseason poll.
After being selected to finish in the bottom of the SEC last year, the Gamecocks are slotted at No. 10 in the league’s preseason coaches poll.
Who are some key returners?
Arguably the biggest returner for South Carolina this year is star first baseman Arianna Rodi.
Rodi was the Gamecocks’ best power hitter in 2025. She posted a .718 slugging percentage, and set a program-record with 17 home runs. Rodi was also third on the team with a .333 batting average, led the team with 55 RBIs and set a program record with 49 walks last season.
She also became the first player in program history to win the Rawlings Gold Glove Award.
South Carolina also returns a few key starters, including catcher Lexi Winters, outfielder Quincee Lilio and infielder Karley Shelton. Lilio led the team with a .359 batting average last season while Shelton (.343) and Winters (.331) were second and fourth on the team, respectively.
The Gamecocks lost one pitching ace to graduation in Sam Gress, but retained another, Jordi Heard.
inHeard led the team with 18 wins, a 2.79 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP last season. She led the team with 115 strikeouts and held opponents to a .233 batting average. Nealy Lamb also returns in the pitchers circle. Lamb had a 3.26 ERA in 29 appearances last year.
Who are the newcomers?
South Carolina added 14 new players in 2026, increasing its total number of players on the roster from 21 last year to 23 this season. Of those, 10 come via the transfer portal and four are true freshmen.
The portal additions are: pitchers Emma Friedel (Kennesaw State), Julie Kelley (Kentucky), Josey Marron (Mississippi State), infielders Alyssa Hovermale (Florida) Lexie Shaver (Kennesaw State), Tate Davis (Ole Miss) and Sage Scarmardo (Purdue), utility players Precious Bross (Georgia) and Tori Ensley (NC State) and catcher Jamie Mackay (Ole Miss).
Chastain Woodard said players like Ensley, Davis and Mackay are projected to bring extra power to South Carolina’s lineup. Ensley had the best numbers of that trio last year with a .294 batting average and 47 hits.
The Gamecocks also see some potential for success out of pitchers like Friedel and Marron. Friedel led Kennesaw State in nearly every pitching statistic in 2025 and finished the season with a 3.42 ERA and held opponents to a .201 batting average. Marron recorded 36 strikeouts in 50.2 innings of work in 2025.
Two outfielders (Dakota Potter and Kai Byars), a utility player (Ansley Bennett) and a pitcher (KG Favors) make up the new true freshmen on the roster.
A look at the schedule
The Gamecocks have a challenging slate in 2026.
South Carolina will play 13 teams this season that finished the last year in the Top 25 Division-1 softball’s RPI rankings. Of those teams, five made it to the Women’s College World Series.
Some of the best non-conference games to watch this season project to be against preseason ranked opponents like Virginia Tech, Washington, Oregon, Nebraska, Duke and Clemson.
South Carolina will also get a shot at a rematch with UCLA during the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic held in California later this month. UCLA advanced to the WCWS after eliminating the Gamecocks in the Super Regionals last season.
South Carolina opens SEC play against defending national champions Texas in March. The Gamecocks will play a three-game series with the Longhorns at home in Columbia.
The Gamecocks will host Florida and play Tennessee on the road this year, two teams who made it to the WCWS. South Carolina will also host last year’s SEC co-champion Texas A&M.
South Carolina softball 2026 opening week schedule
Chastain Woodard and the Gamecocks will start their season with five games at home this week in Beckham Field as part of the Gamecock Invitational.
- Thursday vs No. 19 Virginia Tech, 6 p.m. (SEC Network+)
- Friday vs Syracuse, 3 p.m. (SEC Network+)
- Saturday vs No. 19 Virginia Tech, 5:30 p.m. (SEC Network+)
- Sunday vs Binghamton, 12:30 p.m. (SEC Network+)
- Sunday vs Winthrop, 3 p.m. (SEC Network+)
This story was originally published February 5, 2026 at 7:50 AM.
