South Carolina softball finishes season with highest ranking in program history
South Carolina softball coach Ashley Chastain Woodard made quite the first (second?) impression on the Gamecocks. In her debut season as the leader of her alma mater, the former USC pitcher helped guide the team to a 44-17 record and the first winning season in SEC play since 2018. That overall win total was the most ever by a Carolina softball coach in her first campaign. Although the season ended in the Super Regionals (the third in school history), 2025 was special.
With those accomplishments, South Carolina finished the year with prominent spots in the final rankings, finding itself in the top 15 of all four rankings from major collegiate softball outlets. That included an all-time program-best No. 10 spot in the USA Softball/ESPN.com poll. The NFCA/USA Today rankings slotted the Gamecocks in at No. 12 overall. D1Softball ranked USC No. 13, and Softball America placed Chastain Woodard’s team in the No. 14 position.
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The season was one full of other recognitions, too. D1Softball named Chastain Woodard their National Coach of the Year, first baseman Arianna Rodi set a new program mark for home runs and walks while bringing home South Carolina’s first-ever Rawlings Softball Gold Glove award, and the team set new all-time marks for runs, RBI, doubles, and team fielding percentage. Five Gamecocks made the NFCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region Team, and pitcher Sam Gress earned a spot on the All-SEC squad before being drafted by the Florida Vibe of Fastpitch United Pro Series Softball.
This offseason, Chastain Woodard and her staff have been retooling the roster to make another deep postseason run. So far, the Gamecocks have added five transfer portal commitments to go with four high school signees. Those newcomers will look to replace the team’s four outgoing transfers and seven graduates ahead of the 2026 season.