When Emily Vinson completed her junior year at Longwood, she had no intention of leaving the school she loved in Farmville, Virginia.
She had just wrapped up her best offensive season and, the year before, had won the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Rawlings Gold Glove Award, recognizing her as one of the top defensive players in Division I softball.
In today’s college sports world, a standout player at a mid-major school often becomes a prime target for high-major programs via the transfer portal. But that wasn’t the case for Vinson — she was loyal to Longwood.
“My last game at Longwood ended in a loss, but I never considered transferring,” Vinson said. “I was already thinking about next season.”
That changed when South Carolina hired Ashley Chastain Woodard as its new head coach. Vinson, a South Carolina native from Elgin who had played high school softball at Lugoff-Elgin, decided to take a chance and enter the transfer portal — but only for one reason.
“I told Coach Brown (at Longwood) I wasn’t exploring bigger opportunities just for the sake of it,” Vinson said. “I only entered the portal for a shot at South Carolina. If that didn’t work out, I was staying at Longwood.”
Vinson and Chastain Woodard had encountered each other before in the Big South, when Chastain Woodard coached at Charlotte. Vinson had seen enough to believe in her ability to revitalize the Gamecocks’ program.
“When you compete against someone, you get a true sense of who they are — more than just through recruiting,” Vinson explained. “I saw what she was capable of and believed she’d do great things at South Carolina.”
Chastain Woodard recalled being impressed by Vinson, describing her as “obviously” Longwood’s top player and admiring her commitment to South Carolina as her sole transfer destination.
Vinson officially committed to South Carolina on August 19.
“I feel lucky,” she said. “I left a place I loved and came to another place I love.”
Joining the Gamecocks fulfilled a lifelong dream for Vinson, and her coach has no regrets about adding her to the roster.
“Looking back, I think it was one of the best choices I made last summer,” Chastain Woodard said. “She brings heart, perspective, and never takes a moment for granted. She went all in, and it paid off.”
Vinson is one of five local players on the team this year. That local pride, she believes, gives South Carolina a unique edge.
Coach Chastain Woodard agreed: “Players like Emily, Lexie Winters, and Nealy Lamb grew up watching this team. I have childhood photos of Emily with Cocky. She dreamed of wearing this uniform.”
Now that she’s living that dream, it still feels surreal to Vinson — even with the regular season nearly over.
Vinson has played in 49 of the team’s 50 games this year. While her offensive stats (.194 average) are modest, her defense shines. A highlight was her home run robbery against Clemson that made ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10. She holds a .962 fielding percentage.
She’s also had key moments at the plate, including a three-hit game and a recent home run versus Auburn. Chastain Woodard noted Vinson might be heating up at just the right time, calling it “lightning magic in a bottle.”
“My job isn’t to hit home runs,” Vinson said. “It’s defense first. But if I can help offensively and get on base for our top hitters, that gives us a better shot down the stretch.”
As her time at South Carolina nears its end, Vinson is feeling emotional. The team’s final home series versus Alabama started with a 13-1 loss, and Senior Day — when Vinson will be honored — falls during the series.
“I guess I’m in denial,” she said, laughing. “I never gave up on the dream of being here, but it felt more out of reach as time went on. To have this final year, graduate on time, and live out everything I dreamed of — it’s a full circle moment. The perfect ending.”
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