South Carolina softball sees first wave of Gamecocks enter the transfer portal

South Carolina's softball season ended last week, and the page officially turns to the 2027 season. The Gamecocks were eliminated by UCLA in the Los Angeles Regional, losing 15-1 to the Bruins. 

Just a week after the season had ended, the Gamecocks have already had several players enter the transfer portal. As some posted to their personal X accounts, pitchers Nealy Lamb and KG Favors as well as outfielders Dakota Potter and Nia McKnight announced they would be entering their names into the transfer portal. 

Lamb, who was a junior this past season, had transferred from Charleston Southern after the 2024 season. She finished this season with the Gamecocks having pitched 56.1 innings, with a 4-7 W-L record. Her ERA was a 4.37. 

Lamb was a highly-touted pitcher coming out of high school at Williamsburg Academy in Cades, S.C. There, she was named as Region Player of the Year, and produced 103 K’s in 20 games, along with a 2.94 ERA.

Pitcher KG Favors spent the 2026 season as a true freshman in Columbia. A native of Orange Beach, Ala., she made three starts on the mound this season, getting a 2-1 record. She gave up 13 runs on the year, and had a 4.12 ERA on the season. 

Like her teammate Lamb, Dakota Potter also had just arrived at South Carolina and had her true freshman season in Columbia. A native or Norco, Calif., Potter played in 13 games for the Gamecocks this season, getting six runs on the year. Coming out of Norco High School, she was named to the All-League First Team in 2024, and helped her club team, Athletics Mercado, win four national titles. 

Nia McKnight was a sophomore in 2026, where she primarily served as a pinch runner for the Gamecocks. As a true freshman in 2025 she scored 15 runs and was 5-for-5 on stolen bases. She made 26 starts for South Carolina this past season, and had 17 hits with 28 runs, including a .941 on-base percentage.

While of course head coach Ashley Chastain would love to retain players as much as possible, losing players who seek opportunities elsewhere is commonplace, especially in 2026. Of course, there is always the option for players to enter the portal, test the waters and decide to come back to their team. 

We'll see if any other fellow softball Gamecocks follow suit. 

ALSO READ: Key name in South Carolina baseball coaching search taken off the board

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