Ashley Chastain Woodard Shares Why South Carolina Softball is Building New Identity in 2026

South Carolina Athletics

During Ashley Chastain Woodard’s first season at the helm of South Carolina softball in 2025, the Gamecocks were one win away from the Women’s College World Series (WCWS). 

The historic season featured 44 wins, the most for a first-year head coach in program history, as well as broken single-season records for RBIs, runs, walks, doubles, and a tie for sacrifice flies. The team earned the No.8 national seed, won the Columbia Regional, and hosted a Super Regional for the first time in program history.  

As one can imagine, the expectations for the 2026 season and Chastain Woodard’s second year are mounting. While five standouts, including ace Sam Gress, won’t be returning, 10 transfers join, as well as four freshmen, among a strong core of returners. 

It’s inevitable for comparison to be the topic of conversation as the spring comes closer, but that’s the last thing Chastain Woodard is thinking about. In Softball America’s 2026 preview of South Carolina, she admitted that while she is having her team reflect on the previous season, she wants them to know they are a whole new team this season, and their unique identity will be the key to success. 

“There’s such a fine line,” Chastain Woodard told Brady Vernon of Softball America. “I don’t want this team to feel like last year’s team because that model doesn’t work. Now what we have is a player development system that we believe is second to none and combine that with the legacy of last year’s team, we can stand on that and build off of that. We don’t have to repeat it. We don’t have to be them. Go figure out your identity; it doesn’t have to be the same to knock the next door down.”

Losing Gress to graduation was a huge loss for the circle. She became the first South Carolina pitcher named to the SEC All-Defensive Team after making a career-high 44 appearances while making 18 starts. She led the team and the SEC with five saves, was second on the team with an ERA of 2.83, 104 strikeouts, and a 14-11 record. 

That’s why Chastain Woodard worked hard in the transfer portal to secure three arms: Josey Marron, Emma Friedel, and Julie Kelley, who will be utilized at any point. 

“I said what we lost in Sam Gress from a physicality and leadership standpoint, we were going to have to add back with three or four arms,” Chastain Woodard told Softball America. “We went into the portal trying to find different pieces…We don’t have anybody on staff that we won’t use, which is nice. They all bring something different. They need to throw early to see what they have and see if they can get the job done.”

Right ahead of Gress, Jori Heard led the team with a 2.79 ERA over 140.2 innings in 2025. Back for her senior season, she’s expected to be in peak form and may even see a leadership role as an upperclassman. 

As for the offense, while a few strong pieces of the lineup are lost, four hitters who all hit over .330 are back. Quincee Lilio led the team with a .359 average and a .485 on-base percentage after transferring from Oklahoma. At the same time, Arianna Rodi set the single-season program record for home runs and walks and finished third all-time for RBIs. Lexi Winters also ended the season fifth all-time for RBIs in a season, and Kelly Shelton led the team with 18 doubles. 

Transfers Tate Davis, Alyssa Hovermale, Sage Scarmardo, Tori Ensley, Jamie Mackay, and Natalie Heath all head to Columbia with a plethora of experience that is set to make this lineup so powerful. Making a game day plan may be hard for Chastain Woodard and her staff. 

Softball America took a stab at a projected lineup.

South Carolina Gamecocks Projected Lineup

• C Lexi Winters
• 1B Arianna Rodi 
• 2B Karley Shelton 
• SS Shae Anderson 
• 3B Tate Davis/ Alyssa Hovermale
• LF Tori Ensley 
• CF Quincee Lilio
• RF Kai Byars/Jamie Mackay/Ansley Bennett
• DP TBD

While the high of the historic 2025 season will be in the air in Columbia, fans can certainly expect a new presence on the field and a new style of play when watching the Gamecocks in 2026. 

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