The two-time defending national champion South Carolina baseball team will square off against the Arizona Wildcats in the best-of-three championship series to begin today at 8 p.m. at TD Ameritrade Park. The series continues on Monday night at 8 p.m. with an if-necessary game slated for Tuesday at 8 p.m.
Arizona, which has won three national championsips, and South Carolina have never met on the diamond. The Wildcats will be the designated home team on Sunday, before the teams switch on Monday. South Carolina won a coin toss late Friday night and would be the home team again if a third and deciding game is needed.
So who are these Wildcats? Here is five things to know about them:
1. The Wildcats are scheduled to send right-hander Konner Wade (10-3, 4.17) to the mound in the opener. Tanner named Forrest Koumas the starting pitcher for tonight’s game.
2. The two hitters to watch out for on the Wildcats side are Robert Refsnyder and Riley Moore. Both are hitting .400 and Refsnyder has one of the two ‘Cats homers in the CWS. The other is had by Bobby Brown.
3. The ‘Cats only have one error in the CWS. So don’t expect many mistakes from this team.
4. Arizona is 38-5 after six innings when having the lead. So they know how to protect what they got.
5. The ‘Cats are 4 for 4 on stolen base attempts. So expect them to test the USC catchers at least a few times.
So there you have it. Now you are smarter about Arizona baseball.
USC can become the first team to win three consecutive College World Series titles since Southern California won five straight from 1970-74. To do it, they must continue to find the will to win, get quality pitching and capitalize off timely hitting.
Come on South Carolina, get two-out-of-three and place the stamp on the Gamecocks baseball dynasty.
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