A first look at Georgia softball ahead of weekend series against South Carolina

After a perfect start to the 2025 season, the South Carolina softball team has seen its fortunes reverse over the past week.

Last weekend, the Gamecocks suffered their first losses of the season to Oklahoma, which swept them with three one-run victories. However, they also could not return to winning ways in a midweek matchup against Coastal Carolina, resulting in a 5-3 loss.

In facing Georgia, another one of the sport’s elite programs, South Carolina has an opportunity to rebound in a big way. Before the series begins, here’s what the Bulldogs bring to the table.

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How they got here

Georgia heads into this series with a 20-4 overall record, with 19 of those victories coming against non-conference opponents. The Bulldogs were undefeated through its 14 games of the season until it fell 5-3 to Clemson on Feb. 26.

Like the Gamecocks, though, Georgia did not have the strongest of first showings in SEC play – at least, when it came to results. The Bulldogs matched up against Tennessee, D1Softball’s No. 7 team in the country at the time, in a three-game series at home. Georgia claimed a 4-3 victory in the second game of the series on Saturday, but the entire affair was was bookended by 6-1 and 5-2 losses on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

The team had an opportunity to add to its win column during the midweek, and it did so against Georgia Southern. The Bulldogs mustered just one hit – a sixth-inning solo home run by Esther White – in the contest. That provided all the damage it needed, though. Lilli Backes pitched a three-hit shutout to help Georgia claim a 1-0 victory.

Last time out

Georgia has made a nearly-annual appearance on South Carolina’s schedule since the schools’ first meeting on the diamond in 1997. The Bulldogs maintain a 46-33 overall advantage in the all-time series, including a 3-1 record in 2023.

That lone win for the Gamecocks came when the team needed it most, though. After suffering a three-game series sweep to Georgia less than one month earlier, South Carolina got its revenge with a 2-1 win in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.

Georgia got on the board first with a solo home run by Sydney Chambley in the bottom of the third. The Gamecocks, however, provided a quick response with a solo home run by Riley Blampied in the top of the fourth. Both teams would remain off the scoreboard until the eighth inning, when Brooke Blankenship‘s RBI single in the top of the eighth brought home the winning run. Donnie Gobourne, who was credited with the win, went on to cap off a five-inning outing with a scoreless frame in the bottom of the inning.

Where they sit in the rankings

There are four major polls in NCAA softball: D1Softball, Softball America, ESPN.com/USA Softball, and NFCA Coaches. The Bulldogs are ranked in all of them.

Georgia is ranked highest in the ESPN.com/USA Softball and NFCA Coaches polls, which place it at No. 13. The Bulldogs moved up one place in the former poll but remained in the same spot in the latter poll.

Georgia also did not move from the No. 16 spot in the D1Softball poll. Softball America, meanwhile, decreased the Bulldogs’ ranking from No. 15 to No. 17.

Players to watch

Jaydyn Goodwin (Junior, utility player) – Goodwin has emerged as a regular contributor to one of the centerpieces of Georgia’s roster. Before this year, Goodwin’s highest single-season batting average was the .279 mark she recorded last year. She currently leads the team with a .395 batting average, .750 slugging percentage and 1.184 OPS. Goodwin has also presented the team with plenty of power and offensive production, hitting five home runs and totaling 24 RBIs.

Dallis Goodnight (Senior, outfielder) – While Goodnight does not pose much of a home run threat, she is most dangerous on the base paths. She is 16-17 on stolen base attempts so far during the 2025 campaign. Her stolen base count is seven more than the next-highest player on the team. Goodnight also reaches base frequently, with a .311 batting average and .400 on-base percentage. Heading into the season, Softball America listed her as the No. 91 player in the country.

Lilli Backes (Senior, pitcher) – Backes’ success as a top-of-the-line starter for the Bulldogs has translated in the early parts of this season. Through 15 appearances, including eight starts, she has already pitched 61 innings. She has pitched to a 9-1 record and 2.00 earned run average during that time frame, while holding opposing hitters to a .212 batting average. Backes also received some preseason recognition – she was on a 53-player watch list for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award.

Series details

South Carolina’s full schedule for the weekend series is below:

• Game 1: Friday, March 14 (6 p.m.)
• Game 2: Saturday, March 15 (3 p.m.)
• Game 3: Sunday, March 16 (1 p.m.)

All three contests will be held at Beckham Field in Columbia. They will also be available for streaming on SEC Network Plus.

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