The USC Upstate Spartan Softball Team is off to a hot start in the 2025 season. Posting a 26-7 record in the first portion of the season, the team looks to return to the NCAA Tournament for a second year in a row. The Spartans are full of talent both offensively and defensively, and Sophia Kardatzke has done it on both sides of the ball.
The freshman from Jacksonville, Florida, Kardatzke, comes to Spartanburg as a two-way player, meaning she pitches and bats. Offensively, Sophia currently has a .426 batting average with 46 hits, 7 home runs, and 31 runs batted in. While that in itself is impressive, Kardatzke has also put up good numbers pitching. She has a 2.78 earned run average, with 40 strikeouts in just over 40 innings thrown. In the NCAA, she is Top-20 for hits and Top-10 for doubles.
Kardatzke talks about the team’s attitude and managing playing offense and defense when she said, “The competitive atmosphere that we bring on a day-to-day basis is what pushes me to be a better person and player on and off the field. I enjoy playing defense and offense. When I pitch and hit in the same game, I can help my team on both sides of the field.”
Most recently, Sophia picked up her fourth Big South Freshman of the Week Honor. As the season goes on, Sophia and the Spartans look to maintain a top position in the Big South Conference.
All softball games played on campus at Hawkins Field at Cyrill Stadium are free to attend courtesy of Ingles. Concessions will also be available at most home games, as Upstate continues conference play.
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