'Premier league for softball': Ashley Chastain plans to bring South Carolina conference success

Ashley Chastain is taking over a program that hasn’t had a stellar in-conference record as of late. 

South Carolina softball went 8-16 against SEC opponents in the 2024 season. The Gamecocks have not had a winning conference record since 2018 when they went 15-9. 

Chastain said turning around the program’s losing SEC record will hinge on recruiting. 

“We’re going to recruit coast to coast and bring the best players and the best talent that we can to this program to win the SEC because that’s what we’re here to do, is to win the league,” Chastain said. “It is the premier league for softball in the country and we want to be really successful in the conference.”

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She also called the prospect of beating Texas and Oklahoma a “tall task” now that they’ve joined the conference.

The 2024 Women’s College World Series came down to both of those new additions. Oklahoma defeated Texas to claim its fourth consecutive national title, further confirming its powerhouse status. 

“College softball is just really booming across the country right now,” Chastain said. “It’s really fun to watch. The talent in the game is the best it’s ever been, so really excited for the challenge.”

Chastain, a former Gamecock pitcher and graduate assistant, asserted that the CWS is in South Carolina’s future. She said that from her observations over the past decade, the first step to success will be holding their own in the SEC.  

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“At the end of the day, the win-loss column is a byproduct of the systems that we have within the program. All I can do moving forward is to come in and change the system, change the process, bring the right people in, and then have to believe that the outcomes are going to be a byproduct of all of that when it comes to wins and losses.”

In her time leading a program, Chastain has proven she knows how to take control of a conference. She led Charlotte to a sweep of both the regular season and the American Athletic Conference Tournament title in 2024.  

“Our goal and our vision is to lead this program to championships in the SEC and get the program to Oklahoma City where it belongs.”

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