Coming off an impressive 3-0 victory over USC Upstate on Wednesday, the South Carolina softball team will get back to conference play when it faces Arkansas at home this weekend.
Ranked 31st nationally in the NCAA’s RPI rankings, the Gamecocks are preparing for what they hope will be a comeback in the SEC.
Sitting near the bottom of the SEC standings with a 2-10 record, South Carolina needs to turn things around in order to have a successful season in conference play. This weekend the Gamecocks may just get the opportunity they desperately need. Like South Carolina, Arkansas finds itself near the bottom of the conference standings, but the Razorbacks are the only team in the SEC without a win against another SEC team, having gone 0-12 in conference play up to this point.
With that said, South Carolina is entering the series with the mindset that it can’t take any team or opponent for granted, regardless of their record.
“I know Arkansas hasn’t won any conference games yet, but I’m not gonna let them fool me with that, because they’ve certainly got a lineup of great athletes,” South Carolina head coach Beverly Smith said.
The outcomes of the games this weekend may very well depend on a few key factors. Certainly home field advantage will be pivotal. South Carolina is 18-6 when at home, while Arkansas has a 3-8 record in away games. This seemingly distinct advantage doesn’t guarantee an easy win in itself and South Carolina is looking for consistent play for once, in a season that’s featured its fair share of highs and lows.
“We’ve had some ups and downs, but we’ve really learned,” South Carolina sophomore first baseman Kaylea Snaer said.
According to Snaer and Smith, two areas the Gamecocks must excel in are defensive play and communication and if South Carolina is to win this weekend, they will have to show these new strengths on the field.
“It’s really about who’s gonna play best on game day,” Smith said.
Statistically, the Gamecocks seem to be in a good position to win at least two out of three games against Arkansas, and possibly even sweep the series this weekend. That would give the Gamecocks the footing necessary to move up in the SEC standings.
Despite its up and down season, Snaer believes South Carolina is poised to play much better down the stretch. That, of course, begins with taking care of business at home against Arkansas.
“We’re ready to bounce back, and they’re a great team to take it to,” Snaer said.
South Carolina enters the series against the Razorbacks having won six of its last nine games. Unfortunately for the Gamecocks, all six of those wins have come in non-conference games and South Carolina hasn’t defeated an SEC opponent since March 14 against Tennessee.
Despite that. Smith, like her first baseman, still feels good about her team and their chances to have a successful remainder of the season.
“I feel great about this squad,” said Smith. “I really have more options this year than I ever had.”