Why Campbell baseball will – and won’t – win Columbia NCAA Tournament Regional
Campbell baseball’s 2023 NCAA Tournament will begin at the Columbia Regional in South Carolina.
The Camels (44-13) face No. 3 NC State (35-19) on Friday (1 p.m., ACC Network) before host and No. 1 South Carolina (39-19) plays No. 4 Central Connecticut State (36-12) in the nightcap (7 p.m., ESPN+).
Tickets can be bought through the South Carolina ticket office.
Campbell, which had two NCAA Tournament appearances prior to 2018, is in the tournament for the fifth time in six years. The Camels, who have their second-most wins in program history, were top 15 in the RPI and racked up several impressive nonconference victories.
Following a sweep of the Big South Conference championships and being left out as a host team, can Campbell use those experiences to fuel a postseason run?
Here's why the Camels will – and won't – win the Columbia Regional.
Why Campbell baseball will win NCAA Tournament Columbia Regional
These Camels are built to beat the best with the highest-scoring offense in the nation at 9.8 runs per game and a total of 558 runs through 57 games. Every player in Campbell’s typical starting lineup has at least a .250 batting average and six Camels have double-digit home runs.
Lawson Harrill, the Big South Conference Player of the Year, paces the pack as Campbell’s leader in homers (22) and RBIs (68). But the Camels also have the ability to move runners with the third-most stolen bases (129) in the 64-team bracket.
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As for its history against NC State, Campbell has won three of the past four in the series. The Camels beat the Wolfpack in 2019 at the NCAA Greenville Regional.
Why Campbell baseball won’t win NCAA Columbia Regional
The first red flag is Campbell’s history against South Carolina. The Camels are 2-12 against the Gamecocks, including a pair of losses in the 2014 NCAA Columbia Regional. South Carolina, which outscored Campbell 14-2 in those two tournament games, hasn’t lost to Campbell since 1979.
Even with their recent history against NC State, the Camels are facing a program that advanced to the College World Series the last time it made the postseason. After missing the field in 2022, the Wolfpack will be hungry to prove it’s capable of another extended stay in the tournament.
Campbell is 5-9 against ACC and SEC opponents in the last three seasons.
Prediction for Campbell baseball at NCAA Columbia Regional
Campbell’s offense is the best weapon in the Columbia Regional. Despite having the third-best ERA (4.53) behind South Carolina (4.20) and NC State (4.37), the margin isn’t too wide. The Gamecocks are the host but they ended the regular season with four SEC series losses in a row. NC State has new life after sweating it out on Selection Sunday, but the Camels are the safest bet to advance to the super regional round.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Campbell baseball: Why Camels will win Columbia NCAA Regional
