South Carolina returns four position starters from last year's team, including 40 starts in right field (Chelsea Hawkins), 44 at catcher (Shelby Gonzales) and 54 at both shortstop (Samie Garcia) and second base (Dana Hathorn).
The Gamecocks' 2012 leaders in batting average, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, slugging percentage, walks and stolen bases graduated.
With the 11 departed players, the Gamecocks also lost players who took 41 of their 65 pinch-hitting appearances and the top four pinch runners.
Back is the 2012 team leader in runs scored (Samie Garcia, 41), who also tied for the team lead in stolen bases.
The team returns over two-thirds of the innings thrown in 2012, including ERA leader Audrey Broyles and strikeout leader Katelynn Howser.
Coming back from season-long injuries last year are redshirt senior Kelley Dillon and redshirt sophomore Julie Sarratt.
Nine newcomers join the roster, including six freshmen, a sophomore transfer and two junior-college transfers.
The team is again dominated by South Carolina natives, with 40 percent of the roster hailing from the Palmetto State.
Tracking Garcia
Samie Garcia enters 2013 on many top 15 career lists at South Carolina.
She's seventh in batting average (.346), fifth in on-base percentage (.415) and sixth in slugging percentage (.503).
Garcia also stands fifth in hit-by-pitches (12).
In the per-game categories, she's sixth in runs (0.65), fifth in hits (1.12), 13th in triples (0.05), fifth in home runs (0.09) and 14th in walks (0.28).
Family Ties
The Masters sisters Ashlyn and Lauren are the first siblings to play on the same Gamecock team and the second set ever, after the Troesh sisters, Leanna (1997-99) and Debralee (2000-03).
The Hatters return six starters from last year's 26-22 team that finished sixth in the Atlantic Sun.
The entire pitching staff returns, the strength of last year's Hatter team, posting a 2.28 ERA.
Two-way players Courtney Brandt and Meredith Owen lead the returners.
Brandt hit eight homers and drove in 27 runs while posting a 2.20 ERA in 130.2 innings.
Owen struck out 143 batters in 187.1 innings of work, adding a team-best .311 batting average with 10 doubles and six homers.
Two Hatter freshmen, Molly Shasteen and Morgan Hatch, hail from the same high school as Gamecock junior Dana Hathorn, Timber Creek in Orlando.
The Last Meeting
South Carolina
7
Michigan State
8
March 6, 2011
Boca Raton, Fla.
Michigan State Takes Wild Game from South Carolina, 8-7, at FAU Miken Classic
Lindsey Hansen's three-run home run completed the fourth lead change of the game and gave Michigan State (9-7) an 8-7 win over South Carolina (13-5) in the Gamecocks' finale on Sunday afternoon in the Florida Atlantic Miken Classic at the FAU Softball Stadium.
Lindsey Hansen's three-run home run completed the fourth lead change of the game and gave Michigan State (9-7) an 8-7 win over South Carolina (13-5) in the Gamecocks' finale on Sunday afternoon in the Florida Atlantic Miken Classic at the FAU Softball Stadium.
