The South Carolina softball team is ready for the NCAA tournament. 

The Gamecocks were selected as the No. 8 seed during Sunday’s NCAA tournament selection show. South Carolina’s journey to the Women’s College World Series will start at home for the first time since 2018 as the team earned the right to host the Columbia Regional. 

South Carolina was awarded an at-large bid in the tournament for the third year in a row. The team is in its first year under the guidance of Ashley Chastain Woodard. She is a former Gamecock pitcher and has had success as a head coach at Charlotte. 

In her first season with the Gamecocks, the team secured a national top-eight seed for the first time in modern program history. 

The Gamecocks finished the year 40-15 and 12-11 in SEC play. The team started the season 20-0, tying a program record. South Carolina was tested all year and accumulated multiple ranked wins in and out of conference, which contributed to their selection as a national seed. 

South Carolina advanced to the quarterfinal round of the SEC tournament before losing to eventual co-champion Texas A&M.  

Joining the Gamecocks in the Columbia Regional will be Virginia, North Florida and Elon. There will be a lot on the line for South Carolina, which will host a Super Regional should they win the Columbia Regional. 

The Gamecocks will start NCAA tournament play this Friday against Elon. The winner will go on to play the winner of the Virginia and North Florida game. The loser will move into the losers' bracket, where one more loss would eliminate them. 

The second round and first two elimination games of the Columbia regional will be Saturday, followed by the championship round on Sunday. 

Virginia and North Florida will get the action started on Friday at 3 p.m. The Gamecocks and Phoenix will follow and take the field at 5:30 p.m. The first day of games will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Friday’s schedule 

North Florida vs. Virginia - 3 p.m.

South Carolina vs. Elon - 5:30 p.m. 

Saturday’s schedule 

Winners game - 1 p.m. 

Elimination game 1 - 3:30 p.m.

Elimination game 2 - 6:30 p.m. 

Sunday’s schedule 

Championship game 1 - 1 p.m. 

Championship game 2 (If necessary) - 3:30 p.m.