South Carolina softball learns NCAA path. Gamecocks headed to West Coast
South Carolina softball’s 2026 NCAA Tournament path is set.
The Gamecocks are the No. 2 seed in the Los Angeles Regional being hosted by No. 8 overall seed UCLA, it was announced Sunday.
South Carolina will play its first game of the double-elimination regional against No. 3 Cal State Fullerton on Friday night (7:30 p.m. Eastern, ESPN+). No. 1 UCLA and No. 4 California Baptist will play later Friday (10 p.m. Eastern, ESPN2).
If South Carolina and UCLA meet later in the regionals, it’ll be a rematch of last year’s super regionals in Columbia, a series the Bruins won 2-1.
The Gamecocks’ regional is paired with the Tallahassee Regional. If USC advances, it’d likely play a super regional series at No. 9 overall seed Florida State.
The Gamecocks finished the season 30-26 and 7-17 in the SEC. USC lost to Ole Miss in the opening round of the conference tournament earlier this week.
South Carolina has reached the NCAA Tournament four years in a row and both seasons under coach Ashley Chastain Woodard, a USC alum hired away from Charlotte to replace former coach Beverly Smith in 2024.
This year’s USC team won six fewer conference games than last season, but strong strength of schedule and RPI metrics made the Gamecocks a No. 2 seed within a loaded SEC, which sent 12 of its 15 schools to the tournament.
Last year, the Gamecocks hosted a regional and were one win away from reaching the Women’s College World Series before losing to UCLA in the super regionals. South Carolina last reached the WCWS in 1997.
This year, USC will playing UCLA at its ballpark as the No. 2 seed in its region. The Gamecocks are the only non-California team in the Los Angeles regional and will have to travel across three time zones and adjust to Pacific Time.
“I think there’s gonna be a lot of emotion going into it for us,” Chastain Woodard told reporters Sunday after USC’s selection show watch party at Hickory Tavern in Columbia. “It’s just really important we separate the past from the right now and just go out and play like we’ve been playing the past month.”
2026 Los Angeles Regional schedule
Friday, May 15
Game 1: South Carolina (30-26) vs. Cal State Fullerton (40-13), 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Game 2: UCLA (47-8) vs. California Baptist (43-17), 10 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Saturday, May 16
Game 3: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 5 p.m. ET (TBA)
Game 4: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 7:30 p.m. ET (TBA)
Game 5: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser, 10 p.m. ET (TBA)
Sunday, May 17
Game 6: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 7:30 p.m. ET (TBA)
Game 7 (if necessary): Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser, 10 p.m. ET (TBA)
This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 7:22 PM.
