Doubleheader With Gamecocks Highlights Pacer Fall Slate that Begins this Weekend

AIKEN, S.C. - Coming off one of the best seasons in program history, the USC Aiken softball team opens its fall season this upcoming weekend on Saturday, Sept. 26 by hosting a fall tournament.

The fall tourney will feature the nationally-ranked Pacer softball team playing three games on Saturday, beginning with an 11 a.m. game against the Florence Fury from J.H. Satcher Field.

After tangling with the Fury, USC Aiken will square off against the Cobras at 3 p.m. before ending its first fall tourney by taking on the Thunder Cats at 7 p.m.

"We are really excited about our fall season," remarked USC Aiken head coach Jerry Snyder. "Coming off of a record-setting season coupled with having a real good recruiting class coming in, it will be good to see how much the team's hard work during the summer and so far this fall has paid off. If you want to see some good Pacer softball please come out and watch us play in our two home tournaments on Sept. 26 and Oct. 3."

After opening up the season by hosting a fall tournament, USC Aiken will get the opportunity to play against the University of South Carolina for the first time in program history on Friday, Oct. 2. The Pacers and Gamecocks will play a doubleheader at Beckham Field beginning at 5 p.m. on Oct. 2. The second game of the twinbill is scheduled for approximately 7 p.m.

"We are glad to have the opportunity to play USC," said Snyder. "It will be a real test for our young squad, but at the same time a good measuring stick of where we are at this time. It will also let our players understand what they need to work on in the remaining winter months to get ready for the spring. We would like to invite everyone to plan a trip to Columbia to watch the Pacers take on the Gamecocks for the first time in 23 years."

On Oct. 3, USC Aiken will play its final three games of its 2009 fall campaign with another fall tournament, beginning at 11 a.m. against USC Sumter at J.H. Satcher Field. After taking on the South Carolina Bandits at 3 p.m., USC Aiken's final contest of the fall will be against USC Salkehatchie at 7 p.m.

USC Aiken's softball team concluded the 2009 campaign ranked a program-best 12th in the final National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II Top 25 poll.

The first Pacer squad to participate in the NCAA Division II Tournament, USC Aiken ended the 2009 campaign with a 34-16 record. The Pacers' 2009 mark garnered the 2009 USC Aiken softball team the best winning percentage (.680) in program history.

USC Aiken's 34 victories in 2009 tied them for second in program history for the most wins in a single season.

The 2009 campaign was an incredibly special year for the Pacers with Snyder, who now has a record of 529-528 in his 22 years at the helm, earning his 500th career win earlier in the year.

The 500^th win was just a sign of things to come for the Pacers as they continued to embark on one of the greatest seasons in school history. After splitting with UNC Pembroke on Feb. 15 to claim that special 500th victory, USC Aiken went on to earn its first ever national ranking en route to its first ever NCAA Division II Tournament appearance.

The second game win over UNCP led to a season-high eight-game winning streak and the stretch helped USC Aiken to claim a victory in 12 of its next 13 games to stand at 18-7 after a 4-0 win over Tusculum on March 8.

The Pacers would go 13-5 the rest of the regular season to earn the second spot in the Southeast region by the start of the 2009 Peach Belt Conference Tournament in Florence, S.C.

The Pacers ended the year ranked in the final five NFCA polls, entering the poll for the first time in school history at No. 24 on April 8.

The sixth Snyder team to claim 30 or more victories in a single season, the 2009 Pacers advanced to the 2009 Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship Game before falling to NCAA Division II softball championship semifinalist and third-ranked North Georgia.