2023 Columbia Regional Schedule

Friday, June 2

Game 1 – Campbell vs. N.C. State, 1 p.m. (ACC Network)

Game 2 – South Carolina vs. Central Connecticut State, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)

Saturday, June 3

Game 3 – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, Noon (TV TBA)

Game 4 – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 6 p.m. (TV TBA)

Sunday, June 4

Game 5 – Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, Noon (TV TBA)

Game 6 – Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 6 p.m. (TV TBA)

Monday, June 5

Game 7 – If Necessary, TBD (TV TBA)

Are Open Wheel...ed(?) vehicles allowed on Merican streets? Ya know, like a Jalopy or a Hot Rod?

Oh! Yeah!!! Who Won???

Any idea what the models are? Are ALL FORDS Mustangs?
What are the Chevy and MoPar models?
TOY-EAU-Ders???
I'd like to know.

Anyone care anymore?

If I'm not mistaken, there were a couple or 3 Caddies in the first Darlington 500.


EDIT: Just saw a Camry

Dodge/Ram .... make up your mind!!!

For those that don't know, because of Covid, the NCAA picked 20 host schools. Only these 20 can host this year, so if there is a 1 seed outside of the 20, they have to travel. Here is the RPI ranking among the 20 preselected host schools (** with 2 schools added that I want to talk about with a star by their name):

1. Arkansas
2. Vandy
4. Tennessee
5. Texas
6. TCU
7. Old Dominion*** (cannot host)
8. Miss. State
9. Arizona
10. Texas Tech
11. Notre Dame
12. Oklahoma State*** (cannot host)
13. Ole Miss
14. Stanford
15. East Carolina
16. Oregon
17. Florida
18. South Carolina
22. Southern Miss
23. LA Tech
26. Gonzaga
29. Charlotte
50. Pittsburgh

After the Gamecocks blew it in Hoover, I posted that our best, and potentially only, shot of hosting was for Old Dominion to win the Conference-USA tournament. Now that they have done so, I can lay that out.

Old Dominion rose to #7 in RPI after winning the tournament. It's not a fluke of RPI either, they actually have a really good resume. They're 42-14, SOS of 33. 14-6 in Quad 1 games, 8-5 Quad 2, 6-4 Quad 3, 7-1 Quad 4. I just don't see any way where they are not a 1 seed.

So, since they are a 1 seed and they cannot host, they have to be sent somewhere. There are only a few options because remember, they can only be sent somewhere among the 20 above schools that is not chosen as a 1 seed/host. The only schools on this list that aren't going to be 1 seeds are: South Carolina, Southern Miss, LA Tech, Gonzaga, Charlotte, and Pittsburgh.

Well, rule out 3 of those off the bat. Southern Miss, La Tech, and Charlotte are all conference foes of Old Dominion, so you wouldn't think they'd be sent there. That leaves, South Carolina, Gonzaga, and Pittsburgh.

This is pure opinion, but it seems like Columbia is just the most practicable option on every level. If you want to look at it from picking the school among the 3 with the best resume, that's clearly South Carolina. If you want to be the most fair to Old Dominion, South Carolina is the closest destination as well. There's also a question of whether Oklahoma State will be chosen as a 1 seed over LA Tech. OK State has a much better RPI than them. If they are chosen, you would think Gonzaga would be a likely destination for them.

Of course, I suppose there's always the option of sending Old Dominion to Columbia, but sending the Gamecocks elsewhere. That would perhaps be the most fair (as D1 baseball has pointed out, Old Dominion will obviously have far from a home field advantage here), but it seems unlikely to me that the NCAA will do that because it would weird and very few people would go to it.

For these reasons, I just have a feeling that Founders Park is going to see some post season baseball. I have no insider knowledge or anything. I think this is what the NCAA should do, but of course, I've long since given up trusting the NCAA to do what it should do. Here's hoping! Go Gamecocks!

LSU has pictures on somebody. Committee is gonna make sure they get to Omaha.

Courage and sacrifice

We'll know the opponents tomorrow, but South Carolina baseball is going to host.

Crazy weather sometimes here in SC. I'm loving it.

...can I do with two avocados?

We all had our doubts about him being an athletic director, but I thought he would at least make sure the baseball program continued its long proud history. If he doesn't fire Kingston I am convinced he is totally inept.

Reno becomes just the 8th Gamecock commit in history to be invited.

Hello from the Hoover Met. The sun is out! What a novel concept for this place. Gamecocks really need to win this game to have a realistic chance of hosting a regional, and maybe even win another one after this. Mark Kingston knows it, and is starting Jack Mahoney today.

I would be **extremely** careful with Mahoney today considering what you have next week and how much more important that is (and the fact he threw 93 pitches last Saturday), but we'll see how Kingston plays it. The big news is the absence of Cole Messina for the first time all season, as he is still in concussion protocol and is not in the starting lineup. Here are those full lineups:


South Carolina:
Michael Braswell - SS
Braylen Wimmer - DH
Ethan Petry - RF
Talmadge LeCroy - 3B
Gavin Casas - 1B
Will Tippett - 2B
Dylan Brewer - LF
Evan Stone - CF
Jonathan French - C

Jack Mahoney - P

Texas A&M:
Hunter Haas - SS
Jack Moss - 1B
Trevor Werner - 3B
Jace LaViolette - RF
Jordan Thompson - CF
Ryan Targac - LF
Austin Bost - 2B
Brent Minnich - DH
Max Kaufer - C

Justin Lamkin - P

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Knight is the #1 Dual Threat QB in the 2025 class currently.

Game story from Hoover today with quotes from Mark Kingston and Jack Mahoney. Will have something more big picture for subscribers up probably tomorrow. As always thank you for reading!

Congratulations to Kingston for achieving the most colossal melt down in college baseball history.

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Will have more on this soon, but obviously not the most ideal news. It is the lowest rated recruit in the current class, but he's also been getting national attention lately.

Game story from Hoover today with quotes from Mark Kingston on the bullpen and Eli Jones and Ethan Petry on where his swing is with the NCAA Tournament approaching.

Also an update from Kingston on Cole Messina's status:

Alright, here we go. The last two games of the regular season, a very good chance it's the last two games of the year at Founders Park if the Gamecocks can't win both of them, and it could be the last two games of the Mark Kingston era in Columbia. It's Tennessee vs. South Carolina for two seven-inning games, with game one starting at 2 p.m. Jack Mahoney has the ball against Chase Dollander, more or less a battle of defacto aces.

Game two will start 45 minutes after the conclusion of game one, and both games are on SEC Network. Here is the South Carolina lineup for game one:

Dylan Brewer - LF
Braylen Wimmer - DH
Cole Messina - C
Ethan Petry - RF
Gavin Casas - 1B
Talmadge LeCroy - 3B
Michael Braswell - SS
Will Tippett - 2B
Evan Stone - CF

Jack Mahoney - P