South Carolina softball continues to roll under new head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard, winning yet another SEC series over the weekend. The Gamecocks took two of three from Ole Miss in Columbia, dominating in pitching and hitting to secure the series win. With the victory, South Carolina improves to 30-8 overall and 6-6 in SEC play.
With the win, the Gamecocks now sit on top of the RPI rankings, thanks to ranked series win over Virginia, Duke, LSU, Texas Tech, Georgia, and Ole Miss. The recent win over the Rebels marks their fourth consecutive series win against a ranked opponent.
Even with the RPI standing and strength of schedule, the Gamecocks are no longer a consensus Top-10 team in the national polls. Their composite rankings slipped this week, unchanged in two major polls, rising one spot in another, and falling two places in ESPN rankings. The dip in the in the ESPN rankings were particularly surprising considering the win over a ranked team this weekend.
Where the Polls Have the Gamecocks:
- D1Softball: No. 6 (unchanged from last week)
- Softball America: No. 6 (up one from No. 7)
- USA Today/NFCA: No. 10 (unchanged)
- ESPN.com/USA Softball: No. 11 (down two spots from No. 9)
Looking ahead, South Carolina will face in-state rival Charleston Southern at Beckham Field on Wednesday. First pitch is at 6:00 p.m. Next, the Gamecocks head to Fayetteville for a three-game SEC showdown against Arkansas, a consensus Top-13 team. One poll even ranks the Hogs higher than the Gamecocks.
South Carolina will continue to push for national recognition as they set their eyes on stacking up ranked wins to secure a high postseason seed.