May 1, 2014

South Carolina Hosts No. 20/20 Auburn
Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field – Columbia, S.C.

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2014 SC Softball Notes – 5/1

2014 SC Softball Stats – 4/26

South Carolina Team Notes

• South Carolina has recorded one new team single-season record this year, as the 189 walks eclipses the previous record of 173 set over 68 games in 1992.
• The Gamecocks are 7-7 in one-run games this season, two wins better than last year’s 5-5. They went 5-9 during those contests in 2012 and 7-11 in Smith’s first year of 2011.
• After posting only eight hits combined in the first two games, South Carolina tallied at least eight in each the next seven. Overall, the Gamecocks have five or more hits in 41 of 51 games.
• The Gamecocks have left the second-least runners on base in the SEC this season at 298.
• As a team, the Gamecocks have scored 57.9 percent (70 of 121) of runners from third with less than two outs, standing fifth in the SEC. Auburn leads the way at 66.3 percent (112 of 169).
• The college upperclassmen have come through with runners on third and less than two outs, as Dana Hathorn, Chelsea Hawkins, Olivia Lawrence, Ashlyn Masters, Sarah Mooney, Kristen Struett and Codee Yeske have posted 41 RBI in 64 chances. The rest of the team is 29-for-57.
• Sarah Mooney, a junior transfer from James Madison, has 10 home runs on the season, tying for third in Gamecock history.
• And freshman Kaylea Snaer has eight round-trippers, tying for seventh on the single-season charts.
• South Carolina is 7-12 when getting one or less runners to third with less than two outs this season.
• Only four times have the Gamecocks gotten three or more runners to third with less than two outs and not won the game (2/28 vs. Minnesota, 3/9 at Alabama, 3/14 vs. Texas A&M, 3/22 at Tenn.)
• All but two of South Carolina’s losses have come when they’ve given up four or more earned runs. In fact, of the 144 team earned runs allowed, 107 have come in the 18 losses.
• The first loss without four earned runs allowed for the Gamecocks came in the first game at Arkansas (4/11), where five errors led to 10 unearned Arkansas runs in the 11-10 setback.
• The second setback came in the second game against Longwood (4/26), when one earned run on a wild pitch felled the Gamecocks in a 1-0 loss in eight innings.
• In the first 30 games, South Carolina scored five runs combined in the second inning. Over the last 21, the team has plated 25, including five in the second game of the Furman doubleheader.

Notables from Earlier

• For the second-consecutive season, South Carolina claimed at least one SEC road series, taking two of three at Arkansas over April 11-13.
• The Gamecocks won their first game at Georgia since March 28, 2001 in the first game of the April 5 doubleheader.
• It’s the team’s second win at the home of a ranked team in 2014, joining the 3-2 victory at No. 3/3 Arizona State.
• South Carolina’s 3-2 win at No. 3/3 Arizona State marked the first win (and second all-time) at a top-five team’s park since March 13, 2004, a 6-4 win in nine innings at LSU.
• South Carolina swept Mississippi at home over March 29-30, the first SEC home series sweep since the Rebels’ last visit in 2011.
• The Sunday win over Ole Miss, which came by scoring two runs in its final at bat, ranks as the first this season for SC when it enters the seventh trailing.
• In the Ball State loss, South Carolina snapped a streak of 11 games with one or no errors, a stretch that included a 10-game winning streak.
• The Gamecocks’ win in game one against Western Carolina came when they were down after five innings, the first South Carolina triumph coming back that late in a game this season.
• The four double plays in the Florida Atlantic win (2/16) is believed to be a school record, as it matches what was once listed but could not be verified.
• This year’s 14-2 start is bettered only by a 12-1 mark by the 2009 team in the last six years of Gamecock Softball. The 2007 Gamecocks went 24-3, the best start since the first year of SEC play.

Pivotal Weekend for South Carolinaís Postseason Hopes

• The picture for the SEC Tournament is clear for the Gamecocks with three games left to play.
• South Carolina makes the tournament with one win, either by the Gamecocks or by Mississippi State, which would eliminate a three-way tie scenario between the aformentioned two teams and Texas A&M.
• Two Gamecock wins would guarantee that South Carolina would play in the 8-9 game, as it would give South Carolina the advantage in the subsequent tie with Auburn, who is one game ahead entering the series.
• For Texas A&M to make the field over the Gamecocks, Auburn and LSU would have to sweep South Carolina and Mississippi State, respectively.
• The winner of the first-round games would face either Alabama, Missouri or Tennessee, the only three teams who have a chance to win the regular-season crown.
• The Gamecocks last had eight or more wins at the 18-game mark in league play in 2007, a season when the team got to 10-10 and won 12 games in the SEC overall.

A New Tradition: Masters Leading the Offense

• Senior Ashlyn Masters leads the Gamecocks in 10 offensive categories.
• She took over the leadoff spot in the middle of February. And she’s performed scored 37 runs in those 43 games, more than any player’s total this year, and tallying 25 of her 26 extra-base hits.
• She earned South Carolina’s first SEC Player of the Week nod (on March 31) since 2005 with her performances against Furman and Mississippi.
• Her 19 doubles, tops in the SEC, stands second at South Carolina in a season, one of six marks she has currently in the top 15 in a single season as a Gamecock.
• She’s now in the Gamecocks’ career top-10 in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, which can be found on page 10.
• She currently sits atop the career doubles-per-game list (0.26) and needs one RBI and six hits to qualify for those per-game top 15s.
• With multiple hits in 15 games, she leads the team.
• She’s hitting .416 when playing a defensive position compared to .189 in 17 games as a designated/offensive player.

The Pitchers Reign Supreme

• Both redshirt junior Julie Sarratt and freshman Nickie Blue have won weekly awards from the Southeastern Conference, Sarratt most recently being named pitcher of the week on March 17.
• Blue has six saves, tied for second in a single season at Carolina and Sarratt four, tied for fifth.
• Both are better in relief (Sarratt 1.12 ERA, Blue 1.16) than starting (Sarratt 3.07, Blue 3.92).
• The group posted a 29-inning scoreless streak from the final game at Florida Atlantic till the final game of the Gamecock Invitational. UNC Wilmington posted an unearned first-inning run to snap it.
• Longer than that stretch was the Gamecock pitchers’ no-homer stand, from the 4th against Ohio through the end of the UNC Wilmington game, lasting 72 innings.
• As a team, the Gamecock pitchers have allowed 0.50 homers, 0.09 triples and 0.74 doubles per game, which stand second, tied for fifth and tied for fourth in the league, respectively.
• The staff has given up only 18 runs in the fifth inning all year (49.1 innings). Six of those came in the series at No. 15/17 Georgia.

Blue’s Been Best in Big Games

• Nickie Blue garnered a spot on the inaugural NFCA Division I Freshman of the Year listing of the 25 finalists.
• Blue earned her first SEC Freshman of the Week honor on Feb. 24 after picking up a win and two saves in relief as well as her first career shutout vs. Michigan State.
• Blue has two marquee wins on the season, both complete-game victories at ranked opponents in the 3-2 victory at No. 3/3 Arizona State and the 1-0 triumph at No. 15/17 Georgia.
• Against the Bulldogs, Blue struck out a career-best seven and held UGA to its lowest hit total of the season to date, allowing only three.
• She also tossed a shutout in the 8-0 (5) win over No. –/24 LSU.
• When Blue pitches, she’s produced nearly double the ground-ball outs (210) versus fly outs (107).

Savvy Veteran Sarratt Striking Down Foes

• Julie Sarratt picked up SEC Pitcher of the Week honors on March 17 after going 2-0 with a save the week prior, which included a complete-game, nine strikeout win over No. 13/15 Texas A&M.
• Sarratt’s fanned 129 batters in 146 innings, a rate (6.18 K/7IP) over one-and-a-half K’s better her career standard (4.56 K/7IP) entering the year.
• Sarratt struck out a career-high 10 in the win over Maryland, while she sat down nine in her complete-game victory over No. 13/15 Texas A&M, her best in an SEC game.
• She is at her best with two strikes against right-handed hitters, holding them to a .159 batting average (28-of-176) with 81 of her K’s in those circumstances.

Gamecocks vs. Ranked Opponents

• South Carolina is 98-237-1 (.293) all-time against opponents ranked in the NFCA top 25.
• Broken down by site, the Gamecocks are 43-75 (.364) at home, 17-108 (.148) on the road and 38-54-1 (.414) in neutral-site outings.
• So far this season, the Gamecocks are 4-11 against teams ranked in the NFCA poll at the time of the game.
• Last season, the Gamecocks went 3-16 (.158) against ranked foes, including a 2-7 mark when playing in the opponent’s home park (W’s at LSU and Kentucky) and a 1-8 record at home.
• With the 3-2 win at No. 3/3 Arizona State on Feb. 27, South Carolina is now 2-21 against top-five opposition on the road.
• The Gamecocks won their first series over a ranked foe since 2009 by taking two of three games from then-No. 13/15 Texas A&M.

The Joys of Playing at Home

• After playing only 17 games at its home facility last season, tying the second-lowest mark in the SEC era (since 1997), South Carolina has scheduled 34 games for Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field before hosting the 2014 SEC Softball Tournament.
• Barring any rainouts, it would take two postseason games at home to tie the 2002 team’s record with 36 home games.
• The Gamecocks have the fourth-most wins at its home field history, going 25-6. Two more victories ties the 1997 team’s 27 wins in second place.
• Out of those 31 home games, South Carolina has posted a shutout in 13 of them. One loss even saw the Gamecocks throw a one-hitter (vs. No. 16/19 Minnesota, 3/19).
• In the 24 home dates, the Gamecocks have posted paid crowds over 1,000 in 17 of them.

Some People Love Home Cooking; Others Shine on the Road

• Ashlyn Masters tends to like playing at home, posting a .414 batting average and a .724 slugging percentage in Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field against .286 and .444, respectively, away from home.
• Ansley Ard also hits better at home (.449/.517/.612 vs. .207/.281/.310).
• Both Chelsea Hawkins (.463 OBP vs. .268) and Sarah Mooney (.440 OBP vs. .320) reach base more often at home.
• Olivia Lawrence exhibits more power at home (.680 slugging percentage vs. .278).
• Brooke Barnhill has scored nine runs in 17 appearances away from Columbia, while she’s scored only six times in 22 home playing chances.
• Both of South Carolina’s primary pitchers have ERAs under 1.90 at home and over 4.25 outside of the SEC’s newest stadium.
• Helping those ERAs are the 176:70 K:BB ratio at Beckham Field compared to a 79:88 mark away.

The Schedule Has Been Tough

• The Gamecocks have 24 of their 55 games against teams who made the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
• South Carolina downed No. 3/3 Arizona State and is 8-16 against those teams so far in 2014.
• A total of 35 of the Gamecocks’ scheduled games come against teams that finished in the top 100 of the NCAA’s Ratings Percentage Index last year. Of those, 21 are against RPI top-50 teams.
• Entering the final week of the regular season, South Carolina is 5-13 against RPI top-50 squads. Auburn is currently 16th in the RPI.
• After facing nothing but NCAA Tournament participants in SEC play last year, South Carolina has two conference weekends against non-tourney teams this year (home vs. Mississippi & Auburn).
• Two of the Gamecocks’ SEC contests were on national television, including the opening game to ESPN’s national coverage. The Gamecocks’ Saturday game against LSU also was on ESPNU.
• All nine games of the SEC Softball Tournament will be on the ESPN family of networks.

Bring on (or Back) the Doubleheaders in SEC Play

• Three times already in 2014 have the Gamecocks had to play Saturday doubleheaders to ensure completing all three games of a series.
• South Carolina is 5-1 in those games, sweeping twinbills from Texas A&M and Mississippi at home before splitting the double dip at No. 15/17 Georgia.
• Friday nights have been unkind, with the Gamecocks dropping all six of the games started on the final day of the work week in SEC play.

Scouting Auburn

• The Tigers bring a 37-14-1 record into the final regular season series under first-year head coach Clint Myers.
• Defense has been the strong suit of Auburn, posting a league-best .982 fielding percentage, one that stands second in NCAA Division I.
• The Tigers are 11th in the country in double plays turned per game with a 0.52 mark.
• With three top-10 marks in the NCAA Division I offensive stat rankings (scoring [7.62, 2nd], home runs per game [1.42, 4th] and slugging percentage [.537, 8th], Auburn has plenty of power.
• Four Tigers have on-base percentages of .500 or better, with these next four all walking 30 times or more.
• Emily Carosone has reached base 58 times without swinging the bat (30 walks, 28 HBP), leading the way with a .586 OBP.
• Branndi Melero and Kasey Cooper both have 15 homers and over 65 RBI.
• Morgan Estell has a team-best 16 doubles and 39 walks.
• In league action, Melero leads the way with her 10 homers, 32 RBI and .951 slugging percentage.
• The Tigers don’t bother with stealing bases, only taking 15 in 16 tries, three of those in SEC play.
• In the circle, Lexi Davis has tossed over half of the team’s innings, striking out 126 in 175.1 while walking only 54.
• Marcy Harper has a 3.47 ERA in 119 innings, holding foes to a .205 batting average, but she has allowed 27 homers.
• Harper has allowed 13 homers in 40 innings in league play with a 31:30 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Auburn and South Carolina Against Common Foes

• The two teams have matching 1-2 records from series at Georgia, but Auburn has done better against every other common foe.
• In SEC play, Auburn holds a series win over LSU and a sweep of Texas A&M, both at home. The Gamecocks went 3-3 in home series against those two SEC West foes.
• In addition, Auburn has run-rule wins in non-conference play over Ball State and Maryland, teams the Gamecocks have losses against, as well as a single-game win over Alabama at a neutral site.

Ties Between South Carolina and Auburn

• Auburn director of operations Jim Beitia and Gamecock associate head coach Lisa Navas both worked for the Carolina Diamonds team in the National Pro Fastpitch league.

Series History vs. the Tigers

• Auburn holds a slim 27-23 advantage in the all-time series, but the Gamecocks hold an 11-10 margin at home.

Current Gamecock Stats vs. Auburn

• Junior Olivia Lawrence went 2-for-4 with a double against the Tigers last season.
• Senior Codee Yeske was 4-for-9 with a double and a homer, starting all three games on the Plains in 2013.
• Redshirt junior Julie Sarratt went 2-0 at Auburn last year and holds a 2.96 ERA all-time vs. AU.
• Senior Chelsea Hawkins had two doubles in the last Auburn series and has a career .261 batting average versus the Tigers.

The Last Series – South Carolina at Auburn – April 19-21, 2013

• The Gamecocks took a series win at Auburn, part of their closing stretch that helped them make the 2013 SEC Softball Tournament.
• Third baseman Codee Yeske came through with a leadoff homer in the seventh, helping the Gamecocks take a 8-4 win from the Tigers on Friday night.
• Auburn took the second game of the series on Saturday 7-1. Lexi Davis got the win, going the distance and giving up one earned run on three hits while striking out five.
• South Carolina scored twice in the seventh to pick up a 3-1 win at Auburn on Sunday afternoon. Julie Sarratt picked up her second complete-game win of the weekend, fanning seven.

Milestone Wins for Gamecocks, Coach Smith Already Passed in ’14

• South Carolina has played 2,045 games in its softball history, going 1332-707-6 (.653) in its 41st season of sponsorship.
• With the season-opening 1-0 win over Iowa, the Gamecocks gained their 1,300th program victory.
• Head coach Beverly Smith claimed second alone on SC’s coaching wins list with a 9-1 (5) win in the first game of the doubleheader against Furman.
• She earlier took third with the 13-0 (5) victory vs. UNC Greensboro.
• She is the third Gamecock head coach to coach a fourth season at South Carolina, joining Piel and NFCA Hall-of-Fame coach Joyce Compton.