COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina Coach Chad Holbrook says his focus is on Saint Louis, even though most everyone else wants to talk about rival Clemson at the NCAA Tournament’s Columbia Regional.
“Please don’t ask me who’s going to win the South Carolina-Clemson game,” Saint Louis Coach Darin Hendrickson joked.
It’s a question most who will fill up 8,200-seat Carolina Stadium this weekend can’t wait to find out.
For the second consecutive season, the NCAA Tournament committee placed the two state schools in the same four-team regional at South Carolina’s home field. A year ago, the Gamecocks took two one-run victories over their rivals to advance to the best-of-3 NCAA super regional series.
The teams were bracketed by the NCAA Tournament committee for a super regional series in 2011 providing they advanced from regional play. South Carolina did while Clemson was beaten at home by Connecticut to end its tournament run.
South Carolina and Clemson play three games each regular season, a series only surpassed in fan fervor and anticipation by the schools’ annual football game.
Clemson Coach Jack Leggett said the South Carolina series is like adding another conference opponent to his grueling Atlantic Coast Conference schedule and hopes the tournament committee will realize putting the rivals at the same spot isn’t what’s best for the game.
“To go back to the same tournament two years in a row and play your rival,” Leggett said. “I always like the idea of new teams and new venues.”
Holbrook and Leggett have had their hands full getting their players back from the brink after horrible conference tournaments. The Gamecocks came in runner-up in the SEC Eastern Division, but went 0-2 at the conference tournament and were quickly back home. The Tigers did worse, going 0-3 in the ACC’s pool-play format and perhaps costing themselves a shot at hosting their own regional.
Leggett said if his club could have held a 7-2 lead in the ninth inning last Friday night against eventual ACC champion North Carolina - the Tar Heels rallied to a 14-9 extra innings victory - “we may not be sitting here right now.”
Another showdown isn’t guaranteed. South Carolina (39-18) must get past Atlantic 10 Tournament champion Saint Louis (41-19) today while Clemson (39-20) must face Big South Tournament champion Liberty (34-27). Victories by the Palmetto State rivals would set up a Saturday night meeting in the winner’s bracket. Losses by each, as unlikely as that looks, would force an elimination game Saturday.
Sports, Pages 17 on 05/31/2013