South Carolina, NC State poised to renew rivalry for spot in regional championship
What does top-seeded South Carolina get after a 19-run, 16-hit performance Friday night against fourth-seeded Central Connecticut State in the opening round of the Columbia Regional?
A date with third-seeded North Carolina State, a team that was sitting on the bubble when the NCAA Tournament field was announced Monday. The Wolfpack received a shutdown pitching performance in a 5-1 victory over No. 2 seed Campbell on Friday. That allows the two Carolina schools to renew a rivalry that leans heavily in N.C. State’s favor, but one that has been dormant for most of the 21st century.
The two winners from Friday will square off Saturday evening at 6 p.m. at Founders Park with a berth in the regional championship on the line.
“They’re a great ball club. They always seem to play well late in the season,” South Carolina coach Mark Kingston said. “They’re athletic, they have power, and they can pitch. It’s a ball club we respect very much. We know it’s going to be a great ball game.”
Even though the Wolfpack wasn’t sure it would be in the postseason until seeing its name called Monday, the Gamecocks expect to get their best shot. The Wolfpack finished 36-19 overall and 13-16 in the ACC, which was good for 5th place in the Atlantic Division.
The Gamecocks watched some of the early action between N.C. State and Campbell on Friday and will be ready to go in front of a pro-USC crowd on Saturday.
“I just watched a little bit of the game for fun and scouted out what they do,” USC designated hitter Will McGillis said.
The two nearby rivals have only played three times since the turn of the century. The most recent games in the series came in 2008 when the Wolfpack defeated South Carolina twice in the NCAA Tournament and eliminated the Gamecocks along the way. Both of those were one run games, a 5-4 victory before clinching the regional with a 2-1 win in the championship.
South Carolina trails in the all-time series 35-22 but have a 3-2 advantage in NCAA Tournament games.
N.C. State coach Elliott Avent, who has been coach in Raleigh for 27 years, is two victories shy of 1,000 career wins with the Wolfpack. He has brought a team to Columbia for a regional before. Avent and the Wolfpack lost twice to Stetson in 2011 and went 1-2 but didn’t face the Gamecocks. South Carolina went on to win its second-straight national championship later that summer.
His message to his team afterward was to hydrate, get a good meal and be ready to go again on Saturday.
“This is probably cool for Columbia for this time of year. It’s still a change,” Avent said. “I don’t think it was hot today, but it just felt like it was a little hot today.”
South Carolina likely will give the starting pitching nod to Jack Mahoney (6-3, 4.01 ERA). Avent hasn’t named a starter, but if the pattern of the regular season holds, the Wolfpack will start Matt Willadsen (5-4, 3.54) or Sam Highfill (6-3, 4.18).
South Carolina vs NC State baseball game
The South Carolina Gamecocks take on North Carolina State at 6 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+.
