South Carolina baseball: Gamecocks positioning to be regional host
By Jacob Elsey
South Carolina baseball has eyes set on postseason play.
Mark Kingston has the Gamecocks in a tie for fourth place in the SEC, having posted a 22-9 overall record, with an 8-4 mark in conference play. The team is currently on a three-game winning streak after a 9-0 shutout of in-state foe Charleston Southern last night, and a huge road series with LSU awaits this weekend.
Though the Tigers have struggled a bit in comparison to program standards, Alex Box Stadium presents a hostile playing environment and you can be sure that LSU will have a raucous crowd in the stands with a top 10 opponent coming to town.
Should the Gamecocks escape with fourth straight series win, they’d continue to position themselves favorably as a potential postseason host site.
This year’s selection process for regional and super regional hosts will be a bit different due to COVID protocols. The NCAA will be choosing these sites midseason, as opposed to waiting for conference championships to wrap up. This gives officials an extended time to safely prep stadiums and ensure that locations are certified, which takes about three weeks.
With that condensed timeline, the Gamecocks’ next handful of SEC series will be crucial. South Carolina faces LSU, No. 1 Arkansas, and No. 6 Ole Miss over the next three weeks. Sites are expected to be announced on May 10th, the day after a three-game set with No. 4 Mississippi State.
After taking two-of-three games from Georgia last week, South Carolina is projected by Baseball America to be the 13th seed, hosting Pitt, Charlotte, and USC Upstate in the regional round. They’ll need to post a record of around .500 in conference play over the next four weeks in order to stay in contention. The path starts on Thursday, with the Gamecocks hoping to take at least two games from LSU. If they can achieve that, being able to post a 4-5 mark or better in three consecutive series versus top 10 foes should do the trick.
It’s certainly attainable, with the Gamecocks having one of the league’s best starting rotations, as well as the luxury of having two of those series in Columbia. Competition will be stiff, but it’s also an opportunity for the team to make a jump into the super regional conversation.
Founders Park is a perfect venue for summer time baseball, the performance of the home team will dictate whether or not that postseason dream will come to fruition.