And the Gamecocks Will Go To. . .
posted by Scott Hood on Monday, May 26, 2008
Will the Gamecocks actually go play in Conway, S.C. at Coastal Carolina University rather than being sent somewhere else?
I don’t think so.
As intriguing as the prospect of the Gamecocks staying in the Palmetto State is, I think the NCAA will continue its tradition of sending USC to an ACC school and making it earn its way to the Super Regional.
USC managed to overcome Virginia’s home field advantage in 2006 with its somewhat unexpected Regional victory in Charlottesville. The previous year, USC couldn’t get past Georgia Tech.
The ACC, as top-heavy a league as you’ll ever see, has four schools hosting NCAA Regionals – Florida State, Miami, North Carolina, N.C. State.
Each team has a chance to host the Gamecocks.
USC and North Carolina have hooked up three times in post-season play since 2003, twice in the Super Regional, including last year’s three-game showdown in Chapel Hill.
Because USC and UNC have seen each other so often, I believe USC will be sent somewhere else. However, don’t be surprised if USC’s Regional and the Chapel Hill Regional are matched up in the Super Regional round again for the right to go to Omaha for the World Series.
Raleigh is a strong possibility because of Ray Tanner’s historical connections to N.C. State. Remember, he played and coached there before taking the USC job in 1997.
Miami is another possibility, but I expect the NCAA will send the Florida Gators there for another ACC-SEC battle.
Florida State? The Gamecocks and Seminoles haven’t squared off on the baseball diamond since 1991, the final season of USC’s involvement in the Metro Conference. USC’s last trip to Tallahassee occurred in 1990.
Because of the Metro Conference connection, Florida State appears a logical destination for the Gamecocks.
The NCAA cherishes ACC-SEC matchups in the tournament because they promise to knock out one of those conference teams in each round prior to Omaha.
The ACC and SEC have dominated college baseball in the last decade or so. Some years, the SEC has delivered three or four teams to the College World Series.
I can assure you the NCAA hates that.
So, they’ve taken steps to minimize the impact of the ACC and SEC – particularly the latter – upon the College World Series. That’s why you see so many ACC-SEC matchups in the tournament.
The most popular politically correct term of the moment – and the NCAA might be the most PC organization in the country – is ‘geographic diversity.’
NCAA Div. I Baseball Committee chair Larry Templeton must have used that term, or something similar, about a dozen times in Sunday’s teleconference in which he answered questions about how the NCAA decided on the 16 host sites.
The NCAA is always fearful of too many Southern-based schools making it to Omaha. In their own version of paradise, when the eight finalists line up at Rosenblatt Stadium during the opening ceremonies, there will two or three schools from the Southeast, two or three from the West Coast, one or two from the Southwest and/or Midwest and, hopefully, one from the Northeast.
That’s why Michigan was named a regional host Sunday night. There’s no question the NCAA is rooting for the Wolverines to make it to Omaha.
If it’s likely USC will travel to an ACC site, who goes to Conway, S.C.? Probably East Carolina, which opened the season with a three-game series against USC in February. Behind Rice, they’re one of the top teams in Conference USA.
In the latest official RPI rankings released by the NCAA on May 20, East Carolina was No. 17, one spot ahead of USC. They finished fifth in the regular season C-USA standings, but their high RPI suggests they might be better than that.
Of course, East Carolina could also be sent to the regionals hosted by North Carolina or N.C. State. The Pirates played in the Chapel Hill Regional last season and gave the Tar Heels all they wanted and then some.
If ECU is sent to one of those Regionals, the prospect of USC playing in Conway grows stronger.
But, in the end, the urge to watch USC battle a highly-ranked ACC team over three days will be too powerful for the NCAA to overcome.
My prediction: USC will play in Tallahassee.
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The announcement of the 16 NCAA Regional host sites on Sunday night raised an interesting question for South Carolina baseball fans.
Will the Gamecocks actually go play in Conway, S.C. at Coastal Carolina University rather than being sent somewhere else?
I don’t think so.
As intriguing as the prospect of the Gamecocks staying in the Palmetto State is, I think the NCAA will continue its tradition of sending USC to an ACC school and making it earn its way to the Super Regional.
USC managed to overcome Virginia’s home field advantage in 2006 with its somewhat unexpected Regional victory in Charlottesville. The previous year, USC couldn’t get past Georgia Tech.
The ACC, as top-heavy a league as you’ll ever see, has four schools hosting NCAA Regionals – Florida State, Miami, North Carolina, N.C. State.
Each team has a chance to host the Gamecocks.
USC and North Carolina have hooked up three times in post-season play since 2003, twice in the Super Regional, including last year’s three-game showdown in Chapel Hill.
Because USC and UNC have seen each other so often, I believe USC will be sent somewhere else. However, don’t be surprised if USC’s Regional and the Chapel Hill Regional are matched up in the Super Regional round again for the right to go to Omaha for the World Series.
Raleigh is a strong possibility because of Ray Tanner’s historical connections to N.C. State. Remember, he played and coached there before taking the USC job in 1997.
Miami is another possibility, but I expect the NCAA will send the Florida Gators there for another ACC-SEC battle.
Florida State? The Gamecocks and Seminoles haven’t squared off on the baseball diamond since 1991, the final season of USC’s involvement in the Metro Conference. USC’s last trip to Tallahassee occurred in 1990.
Because of the Metro Conference connection, Florida State appears a logical destination for the Gamecocks.
The NCAA cherishes ACC-SEC matchups in the tournament because they promise to knock out one of those conference teams in each round prior to Omaha.
The ACC and SEC have dominated college baseball in the last decade or so. Some years, the SEC has delivered three or four teams to the College World Series.
I can assure you the NCAA hates that.
So, they’ve taken steps to minimize the impact of the ACC and SEC – particularly the latter – upon the College World Series. That’s why you see so many ACC-SEC matchups in the tournament.
The most popular politically correct term of the moment – and the NCAA might be the most PC organization in the country – is ‘geographic diversity.’
NCAA Div. I Baseball Committee chair Larry Templeton must have used that term, or something similar, about a dozen times in Sunday’s teleconference in which he answered questions about how the NCAA decided on the 16 host sites.
The NCAA is always fearful of too many Southern-based schools making it to Omaha. In their own version of paradise, when the eight finalists line up at Rosenblatt Stadium during the opening ceremonies, there will two or three schools from the Southeast, two or three from the West Coast, one or two from the Southwest and/or Midwest and, hopefully, one from the Northeast.
That’s why Michigan was named a regional host Sunday night. There’s no question the NCAA is rooting for the Wolverines to make it to Omaha.
If it’s likely USC will travel to an ACC site, who goes to Conway, S.C.? Probably East Carolina, which opened the season with a three-game series against USC in February. Behind Rice, they’re one of the top teams in Conference USA.
In the latest official RPI rankings released by the NCAA on May 20, East Carolina was No. 17, one spot ahead of USC. They finished fifth in the regular season C-USA standings, but their high RPI suggests they might be better than that.
Of course, East Carolina could also be sent to the regionals hosted by North Carolina or N.C. State. The Pirates played in the Chapel Hill Regional last season and gave the Tar Heels all they wanted and then some.
If ECU is sent to one of those Regionals, the prospect of USC playing in Conway grows stronger.
But, in the end, the urge to watch USC battle a highly-ranked ACC team over three days will be too powerful for the NCAA to overcome.
My prediction: USC will play in Tallahassee.
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Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.