COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Lady Gamecocks(44-17) remarkable season comes to an end after falling to the UCLA Bruins in the Super Regional matchup at home on Sunday, May 25.
Things fell apart for the South Carolina softball program well before its Sunday loss. They held a 4-1 lead at the end of the sixth inning in game two on Saturday, May 24, but the Lady Bruins scored four runs at the bottom of the seventh inning to win in walk-off fashion. Then, UCLA rode that momentum for game two into game three to keep the Lady Gamecocks scoreless.
Unfortunately, the season didn’t end with a trip to the College Softball World Series but head coach Chastain Woodard turned things around for the South Carolina softball program. The team went 13-11 in SEC play after being picked to finish 15th in the conference in the preseason polls. The team also set or tied five school records, earned a national seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time in the modern era and hosted a Super Regional while making an appearance in the Super Regional round for the first time since 2018.
The team set a new mark in program history for runs(363), RBIs (342), walks (256), doubles (98), and fielding percentage (.980). They also had four series wins over top-15 opponents this season and were ranked as high as no.9 in the during the season in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll.
Woodard was recently named national Coach of the Year by D1Softball Wednesday, May 28. The team also had five players named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District: Sam Gress, Nealy Lamb, Arianna Rodi, Emily Vinson, and Lexi Winters.
Gress, Rodi, and Winters were selected as CSC Academic All-America finalists and advanced to the national ballot that will be announced on June 17. Rodi also became the first Rawlings Gold Glove winner in program history.
Woodard’s success made fans question the hire of baseball head coach Paul Mainieri, who just finished his first year as well. Mainieri’s lack of success this season came was mind boggling since he was the more experienced hire of the two coaches, built the LSU baseball program to a national champion and the Gamecocks were coming off two of the most back-to-back successful seasons in program history.
Regardless, both coaches will have high expectations going into year two but on opposite ends of the spectrum. Woodard will be expected to compete at a high level once again in the loaded SEC softball. While Mainieri will have a hot seat going into year two with expectations of having a winning season and making the postseason tournament after being one of just three SEC teams to miss the NCAA Tournament this season.