Recapping Upstate Softball's 2023 Season
5/25/2023 11:08:00 AM | Softball
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - USC Upstate softball had another successful year as the 2023 season saw numerous players of the week, post season honors, and another Big South Softball Championship appearance. Â
The Spartans started the season with 15 straight wins which is the most consecutive wins to start the season since the 2018 season, when Upstate started the season with 18 wins. Upstate hosted three home tournaments and went undefeated through all three, beating Bucknell, Maine, George Washington, George Mason, Holy Cross, Maryland Eastern Shore, Drexel, Iona, and Queens (N.C.). During their first road games at the USF Tournament, the Spartans were able to beat Kansas 3-0 as well as beating Army 9-1 in five innings. As far as Big South opponents, Upstate won four Big South series, three of which were series sweeps. In its final weeks going into the Big South Softball Championship, Upstate went 6-0 with back-to-back sweeps of Gardner-Webb and Presbyterian. Overall, the Spartans had a 38-17 record with a 13-8 Big South record. Â
Throughout the season, several Spartans racked up Big South weekly honors. Casey Goguts, Tiffany Domingue, and Denver Lauer all received their first ever Big South Player of the Week honors. Freshman pitcher, Maddie Drerup not only earned her first ever Big South Freshman of the Week honor but also was named a Big South Pitcher of the Week. Alyssa Kelly was a three-time Big South Pitcher of the Week for her performances in the circles. Kelly and Lauer also received NFCA Top Performer recognition during the last week of the regular season. Â
As far as postseason honors go, Peyton Darnell, Denver Lauer, and Casey Goguts all earned Big South All-Conference First Team honors while Alyssa Kelly, Summer Johnson, and Tiffany Domingue earned All-Conference Second Team honors. Drerup earned an Honorable Mention from the Big South as well as earning a spot on the All-Freshman Team. Cassie Norris earned a spot on the Big South All-Academic Team after achieving a 3.857 GPA. In addition to the postseason honors, Lauer and Domingue were named to the All-Tournament Team for their performances during the Championship. Â
Upstate for the fifth consecutive year earned a spot in the Championship as the Spartans finished third in the conference and entered the Big South Softball Championship as the No. 3 Seed. Despite falling in the Big South Softball Championship, Upstate led the Big South Conference across the board with a .304 batting average, 2.00 ERA, and 0.970 fielding percentage. Outside of the Big South several Spartans found themselves in national rankings including Lauer who finished the season ranked second in the nation for stolen bases as well as set a new Upstate softball record for stolen bases with 47. Goguts tied the second all-time record with Shellie Robinson (2013) and Kendsey Chappelear (2016) for triples in a single season with four. Darnell tied the all-time record for sacrificed flies (4) with Hayley Reinfield (2012), Alyssa Oakes (2019), and Sarah Price (2019). Â
 Â
Connect with the Spartans                  Â
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics                 Â
Twitter | @UpstateSoftball @UpstateSpartans                 Â
Instagram | @UpstateSoftball @UpstateSpartans                 Â
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans  Â
Make a difference in the lives of USC Upstate student-athletes!  Donate to the USC Upstate U Club today!    Â
