By Jennifer Robinson
The University of South Carolina's softball team will take on Western Carolina in their home opener Wednesday at 4pm. It looks to be a good game. The Gamecocks faced the Catamounts a year ago in the home opener, defeating them 4-1 at Beckham Field. Kate Pouliot had a no-hitter through six innings to lead South Carolina.
The Lady Gamecocks hope to bounce back from this past weekend where they got off to a rocky start in the FAU Kickoff Classic, winning their season opener but losing the next four games. However, the expectations are set high for 2008.
In 2007 the Gamecocks rebounded from their first losing season since 1984 to post 38 wins, and they grabbed a postseason bid for the first time since 2003. This year's squad hopes to continue its climb up the ladder in the Southeastern Conference and go a step farther in the NCAA Tournament, with their eye on the Women's College World Series.
Eight starting position players return from last year's group along with an outstanding pitching staff that ranked in the SEC top five in team earned run average a year ago. The top two starters from 2007 also return for the Gamecocks this season. Seniors Melissa Hendon and Kate Pouliot pitched well from the circle last year and will get the chance again against some top competition.
Catcher McKenna Hughes, who led the squad in home runs and runs batted in, is gone, but possibly filling her shoes behind the plate are P.J. Fulmer, Cassie Gogreve, Laura Mendes, and Jill Semento who all had storied high school careers. Senior third baseman Becky Martinez and sophomore shortstop Lindsay Walker will hold down the left side of the infield. Jacqueline Wetherbee returns at first base, where she provided perfect defense during the SEC season.
After Wednesday's home opener, the Gamecocks head out west to take on five 2007 NCAA Tournament teams at the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic, hosted by UNLV. In Las Vegas, Carolina will face UCLA, Cal Poly, Oklahoma, Oregon and Cal State Northridge. This will be the Gamecocks' fourth trip to Sin City, the last coming in 2003. That season, Carolina went 2-3 in the desert, which included a loss to UCLA in the team's first game out there. All time in Las Vegas, South Carolina holds a 7-9 record.
