South Carolina softball's 2024 season wasn't just a run, it was a revival! Picked to finish last in the SEC. A first-year head coach at the helm of a program long overdue for a breakthrough. A roster full of players who chose to believe rather than doubt. And what followed was nothing short of extraordinary, even if the final chapter came with heartbreak.
The Gamecocks fell 5-0 to UCLA in the final game of the series of the Columbia Super Regional, ending their season just one win shy of the Women's College World Series. With the loss came the dash of hope for a chance to make it to Oklahoma City for the first time since 1997. But to focus only on the ending would require missing out on the greater story: a season that redefined South Carolina softball.
“I just am filled with so much gratitude and so much pride,” said head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard, herself a former Gamecock. “This first year laid the foundation of who we’re going to be from here on out.”
The Gamecocks opened the season 20-0, tying the best start in program history. They also finished SEC play with a winning record, only the second time in 22 years. They hosted a regional for the first time since 2018, earned a national seed in the NCAA Tournament, and were granted the opportunity to host a Super Regional. South Carolina beat No. 9 UCLA 9-2 and the, in a moment that will live in "what if" forever, the Gamecocks came within one win of the Women's College World Series.
But sometimes, the most powerful progress comes not from where you finish, but from how far you rise. “This season set the expectations for us,” catcher Lexi Winters said. “It’s transformed the way people look at South Carolina. All we can do is build on it.”
But head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard didn't just surpass expectations for the season, she shattered them. Most wins by a first-year head coach, multiple program records broken, and most importantly, a culture reset that has recruits taking notice and fans having hope again. But make no mistake, this isn't the end of a story. In fact, it's just the beginning of a new era.
“I fell back in love with this place,” Chastain Woodard said. “And the respect we earned nationally? That’s a big deal. We’re just getting started.” South Carolina softball has arrived, and the best is yet to come.