COLUMBIA, S.C. ? The University of Kentucky softball team wraps up its 10-day road trip as it takes on its third Southeastern Conference foe in South Carolina. The Cats and Gamecocks will face off this weekend, Mar. 18-19, for a three-game series in Columbia.

This weekend will be a homecoming of sorts for Kentucky?s second-year head coach Eileen Schmidt whose coaching career began in Columbia. Schmidt served as an assistant coach for the Gamecocks during the 1995 season.

Both teams are looking for their first conference win this weekend as the conference foes meet for the 33rd time in school history. The Gamecocks lead 25-7 in the all-time series, including two wins in Lexington last April. The third game of the series was canceled last season due to inclement weather.

The Gamecocks are currently 18-8 on the year and 0-3 in the SEC after dropping three straight at Alabama last weekend. USC defeated Eastern Kentucky by a score of 6-1 earlier this week, Mar. 15, to snap its three-game losing skid.

The Wildcats have lost six straight SEC games to even their record at 12-12 on the year. The Cats are 0-6 after losing a pair of conference series at No. 20 Auburn and No. 11 Georgia earlier on this road swing.

Senior Meghan Cooper has led the Cats during SEC games, batting .389 (7-for-18) with two doubles, three runs scored and two RBI against the Tigers and Bulldogs. Cooper and Ashley Fertic lead the team with four-game hitting streaks.

?We will find a way to get back on track. We had two very tough series and besides the last Georgia game, we were in all the games, we had our chances,? said Schmidt. ?We will get over that hump. When we learn to finish a game and believe we can compete in every game in this conference, we will be tough.?