Five South Carolina players featured in GamecockCentral's All-Columbia Regional Team

The South Carolina softball team, once projected to finish last in the SEC, earned its way to hosting an NCAA Tournament regional with a strong 2025 season. The Gamecocks thrived on their home-field advantage and advanced to the tournament’s Super Regionals after a perfect 3-0 weekend, putting it two wins away from reaching the College World Series.

Before South Carolina’s Super Regional tilt against UCLA begins on Friday, the days leading up to it allow for reflection on the first round of national postseason action at Beckham Field. GamecockCentral put together a list of players, five of which are Gamecocks, deserving of All-Columbia Regional honors – if such designations were awarded – and also crowned an All-Columbia Regional Most Valuable Player.

Get the inside scoop on all things Gamecocks for just $1 for 7 days—lock in this special offer!

Infielders

First Baseman: Arianna Rodi, South Carolina – Rodi has been hitting covers off softballs throughout the 2025 season. The Gamecocks’ new single-season home run leader did exactly that during the Columbia Regional, launching a two-run shot in the team’s 5-2 win over Elon on Friday. She finished the weekend going 3-8 (.375) with three RBIs, two walks and a 1.375 OPS.

Second Baseman: Bella Cabral, Virginia – Cabral was one of six players to go deep in the Columbia Regional and the only second baseman to do so. She went 3-10 (.300) with one double, one home run, 3 RBIs and a .700 slugging percentage.

Shortstop: Brooke Blankenship, South Carolina – Despite falling behind Virginia’s Jade Hylton (3-10, two home runs, four RBIs, 1.417 OPS) in numerous statistical categories, Blankenship delivered when the Gamecocks needed her most. One of two South Carolina players with a multi-hit performance in the team’s 8-2 regional-clinching win over North Florida, she hit .500 (4-8), scored three runs, drove in three more and stole two bases across three starts at shortstop.

Third Baseman: Sarah Coon, Virginia – Coon ended the Columbia Regional with the strongest numbers of any player at the hot corner. She went 2-9 (.222) with one solo home run, one walk and a position-high .856 OPS.

Outfielders

Left Fielder: Kassidy Hudson, Virginia – Hudson started in left field for just two of the Cavaliers’ three games, but that didn’t keep her from making positive contributions at the plate. She hit .333 (2-6) and logged two runs scored, one RBI and one walk.

Center Fielder: Kelly Ayer, Virginia – Center fielders did not provide much offensive production for any of the four teams in the Columbia Regional. Of the four who logged at least five plate appearances at the position, Ayer (2-11, two RBIs, one run scored) played the best.

Right Fielder: Abigail Knight, South Carolina – Knight also delivered in South Carolina’s regional championship game, much like Blankenship. She went 2-3 in the contest, driving in a team-high three runs and giving the Gamecocks a new nickname: the “Two-Out Bandits.” Knight hit over the course of the entire weekend.

Catcher and Designated Player/Utility Player

Catcher: Sydney Hartgrove, Virginia – Hartgrove was an on-base machine for the Cavaliers, reaching base in half her plate appearances. She hit .375 (3-8), scored one run, and was walked twice in three games.

DP/UP: Allison Benning, North Florida – Benning showed why she is one of the top-two way players in the country during the Columbia Regional. In the Ospreys’ regional-opening game against Virginia, she pitched a one-run complete game, allowing just two hits and striking out five batters. She was an “Iron Horse” on the mound, hurling 315 total pitches across 17.1 innings.

While she finished the weekend with a 1-2 record and 4.15 earned run average, her exploits at the plate garnered even more attention. She hit her way to a .500 batting average and 1.292 OPS, accumulating one run, one double and a regional-high four walks along the way.

Pitchers

Pitcher: Jori Heard, South Carolina – Heard was virtually untouchable whenever she made her way to the circle. She pitched 8.2 scoreless innings across three appearances, picking up two victories and allowing just one hit in the process. Heard also did not issue a free pass to any opposing hitter, while striking six out.

Pitcher: Sam Gress, South Carolina – Gress’ strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.20) was significantly smaller than that of Heard (infinity), but she finished regional as just one of two hurlers with a 0.00 ERA across more than two innings pitched. She also picked up a win over North Florida on Sunday, throwing four innings of three-hit ball.

All-Columbia Regional Most Valuable Player

Heard’s numbers speak for themselves: 0.00 ERA, 0.12 WHIP, two wins and six strikeouts to zero walks. She helped South Carolina escape from an early jam in its first game of the regional after Nealy Lamb failed to progress past the second inning, picking up a winning decision in that contest and the Gamecocks’ 3-0 win over North Florida on Saturday. She also picked up a save by pitching the final inning of South Carolina’s run-rule win against the Ospreys on Sunday.

While numerous other players – namely Blankenship and Benning – made substantive claims for the honor, Heard is GamecockCentral’s All-Columbia Regional Most Valuable Player.

Visit The Insiders Forum, our exclusive Gamecocks-only, no-trolls message board!