South Carolina softball places five on all-region team
South Carolina softball begins hosting the Regional round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday with a showdown against the Elon Phoenix at Beckham Field. The Gamecocks are a national top-8 seed in head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard’s first year at the helm and have already clinched a 40-win campaign.
This season’s success in Columbia has been marked by a team-first approach that has seen various players step up all year to help get South Carolina to the point of becoming one of the nation’s best teams.
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On Thursday, five Gamecocks claimed spots on the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) Mid-Atlantic All-Region Team. Pitcher Jori Heard, first baseman Arianna Rodi, and catcher Lexi Winters all made the second team. Outfielder Quincee Lilio and pitcher Sam Gress earned inclusion on the third team.
Heard, a junior who has spent her entire career at USC, had another strong showing after a breakout sophomore campaign. The right-handed pitcher took the circle 38 times in 2025 with 20 starts, logging a 2.71 ERA and 16-3 record. She cracked 100 strikeouts on the season while peppering the zone with strikes over 60% of her pitches.
Now the owner of the South Carolina softball record for single-season home runs, Rodi backed up a big-time sophomore season at Charlotte with Coach Chastain Woodard with another one as a junior with the Gamecocks. With the NCAA Tournament left to play, the slugging first baseman has logged a .333/.489/.739/1.228 slash line with 16 home runs, 50 RBI, 36 runs scored, and 46 walks.
Winters also arrived in Columbia after playing for Chastain Woodard at Charlotte. Known as a defensive stalwart behind the plate, the Gamecock catcher turned in a strong offensive effort as a junior. She hit .325 on the year and smacked 19 extra-base hits.
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A transfer from Oklahoma, Lilio came to South Carolina in search of an opportunity. Emphatically, she made the most of the one she got. The Gamecocks’ centerfielder played more than she ever had before, starting all 55 games on the schedule. Lilio hit .373 on the year while getting on base at a .500 clip.
Like Rodi and Winters, Gress also followed Chastain Woodard from Charlotte. The sixth-year senior joined with Heard to make up a formidable one-two punch. Gress finished the season with a 12-9 overall record, a 3.12 ERA, and an SEC-leading five saves. Last week, she earned a spot on the All-SEC second team and the SEC All-Defense squad.
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Heard, Rodi, Winters, Lilio, and Gress will look to lead the Gamecocks to their first Super Regional since 2018. If they win their Regional, South Carolina will host again in the Supers with a chance at the team’s first Women’s College World Series appearance since 1997 on the line.
South Carolina softball fans can tune in to watch the Gamecocks open Regional play against Elon at 5:30 p.m. Friday. The game will not be on traditional television but will be available via streaming on ESPN+.
