:South Carolina Gamecocks softball

{{Infobox college softball team

|name = South Carolina Gamecocks

|CurrentSeason = 2025 South Carolina Gamecocks softball team

|logo = USC baseball logo.svg

|logo_size = 150

|university = University of South Carolina

|conference = Southeastern Conference

|conference_short = SEC

|division =

|city = Columbia

|stateabb = SC

|state = South Carolina

|coach = Ashley Chastain

|tenure = 1st

|stadium = Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field

|capacity = 1,277

|nickname = Gamecocks

|national_champion =

|wcws = 1983, 1989, 1997

|wcws2 = 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981

|super_regional = 2007, 2018

|ncaa_tourneys = 1982, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025

|conference_tournament = 1997, 2000

|conference_champion = 1997

|founded=1974 (51 years ago)|record=1,724–944–6 (.646)}}

The South Carolina Gamecocks softball team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college softball. The team joined the Southeastern Conference in 1997 when the conference began to sponsor the sport. Prior to 1997, the team competed as an Independent. Home games are played at the Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field. The softball team has won three SEC titles and participated in eleven Women's College World Series.{{cite book|title=A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series|first1=William|last1=Plummer|first2=Larry C.|last2=Floyd|year=2013|publisher= Turnkey Communications Inc.|location= Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States|isbn=978-0-9893007-0-4}} At the end of the 2024 regular season, their all-time record is 1,723–944–6 (.646).{{cite web |url=http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/w-softbl/scar-w-softbl-body.html |title=University of South Carolina Official Athletic Site |publisher=Gamecocksonline.com |access-date=2015-04-26}}

File:University of South Carolina softball Military Appreciation Day 2019.jpg

Head coaches

class="wikitable"
style="text-align:center;" {{CollegePrimaryHeader\|team=South Carolina Gamecocks\|Years\|Coach\|Record\|%}}
1974	Pam Backhaus	6–3	{{winpct\|6\|3\|0}}
1975	Vivian Hamilton	8–4	{{winpct\|8\|4\|0}}
1976	Frankie Porter	21–2	{{winpct\|21\|2\|0}}
1977	Elaine Taylor	11–6	{{winpct\|11\|6\|0}}
1978	Molly Maguire	9–5	{{winpct\|9\|5\|0}}
1979–1981	Judy Martino	85–29	{{winpct\|85\|29\|0}}
1982	Terri Drake	25–9	{{winpct\|25\|9\|0}}
1983–1986	Lou Piel	100–58–3	{{winpct\|100\|58\|3}}
1987–2010	Joyce Compton	951–486–3	{{winpct\|951\|486\|3}}
2011–2024	Beverly Smith	461–323	{{winpct\|461\|323\|0}}
2025–present	Ashley Chastain	40–15	{{winpct\|40\|15\|0}}

Coaching staff

class="wikitable" style="font-size:93%;"
{{CollegePrimaryHeader\|team=South Carolina Gamecocks\|Name\|Position coached\|Consecutive season at South Carolina in current position}}
Ashley Chastain	Head coach	align=center\| 1st
Katie Rietkovich Browder	Associate Head coach	align=center\| 1st
Jody Davidson	Assistant coach	align=center\| 1st
Zack Parsons	Assistant coach	align=center\| 1st
colspan="4" style="font-size:8pt; text-align:center;"\|Reference:{{cite web \|title=Chastain Finalizes Softball Coaching Staff \|url=https://gamecocksonline.com/news/2024/06/17/chastain-finalizes-softball-coaching-staff/\|website=gamecocksonline.com \|publisher=University of South Carolina \|access-date=17 June 2024}}

Year-by-year results

class="wikitable"

rowspan="2" | Season

! rowspan="2" | Coach

! colspan="2" | Record

! rowspan="2" | Notes

width="70px" align="center" | Overall

width="40px" align="center" | Conference

style="background-color: #ffffdd;" colspan="5" | Independent

1972

|

|

| —

| AIAW Women's College World Series

1973

|

|

| —

| AIAW Women's College World Series

1974

| Pam Backhaus

| 6–3

| —

| AIAW Women's College World Series

1975

| Vivian Hamilton

| 8–4

| —

|

1976

| Frankie Porter

| 21–2

| —

| AIAW Women's College World Series

1977

| Elaine Taylor

| 11–6

| —

|

1978

| Molly Maguire

| 9–5

| —

| AIAW Women's College World Series

1979

| Judy Martino

| 38–14

| —

| AIAW Women's College World Series

1980

| Judy Martino

| 28–6

| —

| AIAW Women's College World Series

1981

| Judy Martino

| 19–9

| —

| AIAW Women's College World Series

1982

| Terri Drake

| 25–9

| —

| NCAA Tournament

1983

| Lou Piel

| 30–10

| —

| Women's College World Series

1984

| Lou Piel

| 15–18

| —

|

1985

| Lou Piel

| 33–10–3

| —

|

1986

| Lou Piel

| 22–20

| —

|

1987

| Joyce Compton

| 34–14

| —

|

1988

| Joyce Compton

| 47–14

| —

| NCAA Tournament

1989

| Joyce Compton

| 46–12

| —

| Women's College World Series

1990

| Joyce Compton

| 49–14

| —

|

1991

| Joyce Compton

| 51–13

| —

|

1992

| Joyce Compton

| 54–14

| —

|

1993

| Joyce Compton

| 36–21–1

| —

|

1994

| Joyce Compton

| 52–17

| —

| NCAA Tournament

1995

| Joyce Compton

| 53–21

| —

| NCAA Tournament

1996

| Joyce Compton

| 38–13

| —

| NCAA Tournament

style="background-color: #ffffdd;" colspan="5" |Southeastern Conference (East Division)

1997

| Joyce Compton

| 63–5

| 25–1

| SEC Champions; SEC Tournament Champions; Women's College World Series

1998

| Joyce Compton

| 36–21

| 15–11

|

1999

| Joyce Compton

| 49–21

| 17–11

| NCAA Tournament

2000

| Joyce Compton

| 41–28

| 11–16

| SEC Tournament Champions; NCAA Tournament

2001

| Joyce Compton

| 40–20–1

| 18–8

| NCAA Tournament

2002

| Joyce Compton

| 46–20

| 20–10

| NCAA Tournament

2003

| Joyce Compton

| 41–20

| 18–10

| NCAA Tournament

2004

| Joyce Compton

| 28–24

| 12–18

| NCAA Tournament

2005

| Joyce Compton

| 28–28–1

| 11–16

|

2006

| Joyce Compton

| 28–30

| 8–21

|

2007

| Joyce Compton

| 38–26

| 12–16

| NCAA Super Regional

2008

| Joyce Compton

| 21–26

| 8–18

|

2009

| Joyce Compton

| 21–24

| 6–21

|

2010

| Joyce Compton

| 11–40

| 1–27

|

2011

| Beverly Smith

| 26–30

| 6–22

|

2012

| Beverly Smith

| 23–32

| 3–25

|

2013

| Beverly Smith

| 34–25

| 8–16

|NCAA Regional

2014

| Beverly Smith

| 35–20

| 11–13

|NCAA Regional

2015

| Beverly Smith

| 38–22

| 10–14

|NCAA Regional

2016

| Beverly Smith

| 38–23

| 7–17

|NCAA Regional

2017

| Beverly Smith

| 34–25

| 8–15

|NCAA Regional

2018

| Beverly Smith

| 49–17

| 15–9

|NCAA Super Regional

2019

| Beverly Smith

| 34–12

| 7–10

|NCAA Regional

2020

| Beverly Smith

| 17-6

| 1-2

|Season cancelled due to COVID-19

2021

| Beverly Smith

| 26-26

| 4-20

|

2022

| Beverly Smith

| 26-30

| 3-21

|

2023

| Beverly Smith

| 40-22

| 9-15

|NCAA Regional

2024

| Beverly Smith

| 36-24

| 8-16

|NCAA Regional

| Ashley Chastain

| 40-15

| 13-11

|

=NCAA Tournament seeding history=

National seeding began in 2005.

class="wikitable"

!style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|South Carolina Gamecocks|border=0}};"|Years →

align=center

| style="text-align:left; {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|South Carolina Gamecocks|border=0}};"|Seeds →

|9

8

South Carolina Gamecock's Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Americans

class="wikitable"

Player

! Year(s)

! Position

! Team

Darlene Lowery

| 1983, 1985

| Pitcher

| 1st

Karen Sanchelli

| 1987, 1988

| Catcher

| 1st

Gretchen Koenig

| 1988

| Pitcher

| 2nd

Tricia Popowski

| 1989, 1990, 1991

| Outfield

| 1st, 2nd, 1st

Michelle Delloso

| 1989, 1990, 1991

| Second Base

| 1st, 1st, 2nd

Tiff Tootle

| 1991, 1992, 1993

| Shortstop

| 2nd, 1st, 3rd

Dana Fulmer

| 1995

| Outfield

| 2nd

Chanda Lee

| 1996

| Outfield

| 2nd

Trinity Johnson

| 1995, 1996, 1997

| Pitcher

| 3rd, 2nd, 1st

Tina Plew

| 1995, 1997

| At-Large (C), Utility

| 3rd

Kim Pietro

| 1999

| Outfield

| 1st

Megan Matthews

| 1999

| Pitcher

| 3rd

Alaynie Page

| 2015

| At-Large/OF

| 1st

Mackenzie Boesel

| 2021

| At-Large/2B

| 3rd

Alana Vawter

| 2024

| At-Large/P

| 3rd

colspan="4" style="font-size: smaller; text-align:center;" |Reference:{{cite web | url=https://nfca.org/index.php/awards/louisville-sluggernfca-all-americans | title=NFCA | National Fastpitch Coaches Association }}

See also

List of NCAA Division I softball programs

{{Portal|Baseball|United States}}

References

{{reflist}}

External links

{{official website}}

{{University of South Carolina}}

{{Southeastern Conference softball navbox}}

{{softball-team-stub}}

{{ColumbiaSC-stub}}

{{SouthCarolina-sport-team-stub}}