Championship atmosphere renews as Upstate Softball travels to Winthrop for a three-game weekend series

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Continuing play on the road, USC Upstate Softball travels to Rock Hill, South Carolina to battle Winthrop in a weekend Big South series renewing the story and championship atmosphere between the two programs. This series marks the first meeting against Winthrop since the 2025 Big South Softball Championship final, where Upstate won 7-4 to claim the Big South Tournament Championship.

Overview

With both teams sitting atop the Big South at 7-2, looking to claim first place in the standings, both teams take the field with much history between the two being an hour away from each other. For Upstate, this marks the first time playing in Rock Hill, South Carolina since May 12, 2024, where the Spartans claimed their first Big South Tournament Championship since moving to the conference. The story continued going into the 2025 season where Upstate moved past Winthrop in the weekend series and followed up meeting again with a trip to the 2025 Big South Softball Championship on the line in Clinton, South Carolina where the Spartans rallied for a 5-4 win. The following morning on May 10, 2025, the two programs met in the Championship Final resulting in Upstate surging past the Eagles to repeat as Tournament Champions for another trip to NCAA Regionals. In the present day, USC Upstate (24-16; 7-2 Big South) fell to #14 Georgia in a 19-6 final and Winthrop (22-16; 7-2 Big South) dropped their midweek battle, 5-2 to Wofford. This series will determine seeding and could play a key role in situational standings for the regular season title. Fans who will not be able to attend the weekend series will be able to watch all three games on TV as all three games will be streamed on ESPN+.

This Weekend's Matchup

Apr. 10, 2026| 4:00 P.M. EST

Apr. 11, 2026| 2:00 P.M. EST

Apr. 11, 2026| 4:00 P.M. EST

USC Upstate Spartans (24-16; 7-2 Big South) vs. Winthrop Eagles (22-17; 7-2 Big South)

Location: Terry Field| Rock Hill, South Carolina

TV: ESPN+ | Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App

How they Stack Up

All-time series: USC Upstate leads 18-12

Last five meetings: May 10, 2025 (UPST 7; WIN 4); May 9, 2025 (UPST 5; WIN 4); Apr. 5, 2025 (UPST 6; WIN 0); Apr. 5, 2025 (WIN 4; UPST 3); Apr. 4, 2025 (UPST 2; WIN 1)

Players to Watch

USC Upstate: Senior Infielder, Carson Shaw has proven to fill the stats sheet and flip the momentum of a game with one swing of the bat. In the opening game of the weekend series during the 2025 season, Carson Shaw knocked a solo home run that sent game one into Upstate's favor in a 2-1 final. Shaw's experience on the field continues to be a key factor for success in the lineup as she adds a .324 batting average, 35 hits, 10 runs scored, three home runs, 24 RBI, two stolen bases and a .463 slugging percentage. Shaw adds six multi-hit games (five with two, one with three) and six multi-RBI games (five with two, one with three). Shaw is ranked #2 in the Big South with 265 putouts with a .989 fielding percentage with 784 career putouts and a .994 career fielding percentage. Going into the weekend, Carson Shaw will be a player to keep an eye on as the history opens another chapter in Rock Hill.

Winthrop: Freshman Outfielder, Rebecca Amos has opened her collegiate career with immediate impact, leading the Eagles with a .382 batting average, 50 hits while adding two doubles and three triples. Amos adds 10 RBI and leads with 16 stolen bases proving to stuff the staff sheet playing her role. Amos leads the Eagles with 16 multi-hit games (12 with two, three with three, one with four) and adds four multi-RBI games. As Upstate heads to Rock Hill, the Spartans will be tasked with taking on one of the top freshman players in the conference.

Up next for the Spartans

Following the weekend series, Upstate Softball returns to the Hawkins Field at Cyrill Stadium beginning with ETSU on Tuesday, April 14th at 3:00 & 5:00 P.M. The action continues with the home and home crosstown rivalry renewing with Wofford on Wednesday, April 15th at 6:00 P.M. Eastern Time.

USC UPSTATE TO HOST 2026 BIG SOUTH SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Buy your tickets now for 2026 Big South Softball Championship to be held at Hawkins Field at Cyrill Stadium. The event will be held May 6-9 and for more information and tickets, click here. (A clear bag policy will be enforced for this event.)

TICKETS ON-SALE FOR SPARTY'S BALL – MAY 15th
Support USC Upstate student-athletes at Sparty's Ball, the largest fundraising event of the year for the Upstate Athletic Fund (UAF), to be held Friday, May 15, 2026 at The Piedmont Club. For tickets, sponsorship and auction information, click here!

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Players Mentioned

Carson Shaw

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