COLUMBIA, S.C. – The App State Softball team (1-4) is set for another weekend packed full of action that includes four games at the Carolina Classic in Columbia, S.C.
The tournament, hosted by South Carolina, will include games against the reigning MAC champion Miami (Ohio) RedHawks (Feb. 14), the Winthrop Eagles (Feb. 15 and 16) and the South Carolina Gamecocks (Feb. 16), who are ranked 25th in the most recent Softball America Top-25 poll.
Who: App State vs. Miami (Ohio) (1-4) // Winthrop (3-2) // South Carolina (5-0)
Where: Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field // Carolina Classic // Columbia, S.C.
When: Friday, Feb. 14 – Sunday, Feb. 16
Last Time Out
App State wrapped up play at the Tiger Invitational last Sunday with a 1-4 record. The Mountaineers defeated the Southern Illinois Salukis 9-3 to open their schedule and suffered tight, one-run losses to both Auburn and North Carolina. App State's season-opening victory over the Salukis marked the first time it has started 1-0 since 2020
The Mountaineers saw four different players record their first hit in the Black and Gold this past weekend, including the first collegiate hits from
Julia Girk,
Leah Gore and
Summer Simpson. All three tallied at least three hits in Auburn and drove home at least two runs. Additionally, the duo of
Makayla McClain and
Grace Barrett accounted for 14 hits, five doubles, two homers and 11 RBI.
In the circle, App State saw debuts from
Bel Varadi,
Mollie Bulla and
Sophie Moshos. Moshos recorded the win in the Mountaineers' season-opening victory over the Salukis on Feb. 7 and made a team-best four appearances. Bulla made her first career start against North Carolina on Feb. 8 while Varadi allowed just one earned run in 3.1 innings pitched.
Leading Off
Head coach Whitney Jones became the first Mountaineer head coach in program history to win their debut game after tallying the victory over Southern Illinois last Friday.
Entering play in Columbia, the Mountaineers sit at 497 wins in program history. If App State gets three more wins, it will eclipse 500 victories in its program's history.
The Mountaineers haven't defeated a Power Five program in nearly five years, last winning on Feb. 8, 2020, against Virginia. App State will have plenty of chances to break that streak this year as it will square off with five Power Five programs in 2025.
The Mountaineers played three teams in Auburn that won at least 30 games in 2024. Overall, App State is set to play against 13 teams that won at least 30 games a year ago. Additionally, App State is set to square off with seven NCAA Tournament participants in 2025.
Scouting the Mountaineers
The Mountaineers are coming off one of their best offensive seasons in program history, setting single-season program records in team batting average (.296), slugging percentage (.434) and doubles (67). App State also posted top-five marks in runs scored (241), hits (399), home runs (36) and on-base percentage (.365).
Known for her proclivity as a hitting coach, Jones comes to the High Country with a hitting pedigree as across stints at UCF and Ohio State the last three years, her teams have posted top-five conference marks in batting average, homers-per-game, runs scored and slugging percentage.
Of the 22 players on App State's roster, only nine are upperclassmen (41 percent). The Mountaineers will return just 35 percent of its hits, 19 percent of its homers and 34 percent of its RBI from a season ago.
Scoring 25 runs across the five games in Auburn, the Mountaineers enter play in Columbia as one of four teams in the Sun Belt Conference with at least 25 runs scored. App State tallied at least five runs in three of its five games at the Tiger Invitational.
Additionally, two players hit their first home run in an App State uniform in McClain and Girk. Girk's home run came against Auburn on Feb. 8 while McClain's came on Sunday against SIU. The Mountaineers clubbed three homers in Auburn, making them one of five Sun Belt teams with at least three long balls entering Friday.
Barrett exploded for eight hits, four doubles and a homer at the Tiger Invitational. Her weekend was highlighted by a pair of three-hit games against North Carolina (Feb. 7) and Auburn (Feb. 8). Entering play at the Carolina Classic, Barrett is in the Sun Belt's top 10 in batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, hits, RBI and doubles.
Series History
- App State vs. Miami (Ohio)
- Record: 1-3
- Last Meeting: Feb. 10, 2024
- Trends:
- The Mountaineers and RedHawks will meet for the third time in the last two years on Friday.
- All but one game between the two teams has been decided by three or fewer runs
- App State vs. Winthrop
- Record: 9-12
- Last Meeting: Feb. 17, 2024
- Trends:
- App State and Winthrop will square off for the second time in as many years on Saturday. The two teams played for the first time since 2015 last February.
- The two squads have been evenly matched in recent history as they have split the last four matchups.
- App State vs. South Carolina
- Record: 0-2
- Last Meeting: Feb. 12, 2015
- Trends:
- Sunday's meeting with the Gamecocks will be the first meeting between the two teams in almost exactly 10 years.
- South Carolina has won each of the previous two contests, which were both played in Columbia.
Up Next
The Mountaineers will next head to Athens, Ga., for the Georgia Classic next Friday-Sunday. App State will play five games in Athens, with three coming against Power Five opponents (Syracuse and Georgia twice). The Mountaineers will play a doubleheader on both Friday and Saturday before capping off play with Utah Valley on Sunday. First pitch against Syracuse on Friday is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.
