The #18 ranked Gamecock softball team takes on the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Wednesday in a midweek double header.

The Gamecocks are coming off a UNF Tournament appearance to start the season in which they took 2 out of 3, including splitting a pair of one run games with Auburn. Shortstop Mackenzie Boesel brought the bats this weekend going 5/9 at the plate including launching her 29th career roundtripper which is tied for 3rd most in school history. Junior 1B Kassidy Krupit added 7 RBI on 5/11 hitting in the five spot as well as the Gamecocks look to build some momentum early on in the young season.

Coastal Carolina is coming off an up and down performance in the “Battle at the Beach” tournament that saw them go 2-2 including exchanging blowouts with ECU to close out the weekend. The Chanticleers also have someone chasing history with the long ball as Senior Outfielder Courtney Dean pinged her way to 6th all time in school history with her 32nd career home run this past weekend. Dean’s two home runs in Sunday’s game one 11-3 win over East Carolina moved her past Sherry Johnson on the all time list. The Chants will need her bat to stay hot to keep the score close on Wednesday.

The Chanticleers will play their first true road game since 2019 on Wednesday, as they were the only division one team who played their shortened entire 2020 season exclusively at home. The Chants actually ended their 2020 season in a loss to the Gamecocks, and have lost their last 2 against South Carolina. In fact, The Chanticleers are a miserable 3-26 lifetime at Carolina Softball Stadium in Columbia, and the Gamecocks hold a 50-9 lifetimes series advantage head to head.

Prediction…

I fully expect Beverly Smith’s squad to take care of business here at home in the double header. Look for South Carolina to take both games, without a ton of drama. SC 6-2/SC 7-4

First pitch for game one is set for 2 p.m. ET. Both games will be streamed on the SEC Network