Coastal Carolina learned on Monday that it would be the only team from the state of South Carolina participating in the NCAA D1 baseball tournament this year. To continue into the “Super Regionals”, the Chanticleers will have to break a disturbing trend against our neighbors to the north. CCU is 0-7 this year against teams from the Tar Heel state, suffering losses to Charlotte, UNCG, UNCW, and Wake Forest during the midweek, while being swept by North Carolina over the weekend of March 4th through the 6th.
To change that pattern, CCU will have to win at least three games in a very difficult place to play. “It’s a different atmosphere, man; they’ve (ECU) got some great fans here,” head coach Gary Gilmore said following Thursday’s regional workout in Greenville. “They support their team through thick and thin and they will be a handful whoever potentially wins our game if they happen to win theirs.”
But before worrying about East Carolina, who faces Coppin State in the regional opener on Friday afternoon, the Chanticleers square off with 2nd seeded Virginia at 6pm. The Cavaliers were 38-17 this year, finishing third in the ACC’s Coastal Division. They are also no strangers to the postseason, having made five trips to the College World Series, winning the national championship in 2015. And being in Greenville, much like last year in Columbia, South Carolina, may be good luck for the ‘Hoos. In three of the five seasons that UVA reached Omaha, including 2021, they opened the NCAA tournament on the road.
Coastal is 5-4 all-time against Virginia, including a 5-4 victory in the team’s most recent meeting in 2016. The same year CCU won its only national championship in baseball.
Scheduled Starting Pitchers on Friday:
CCU: LHP Reid VanScoter 9-2, 3.06 ERA
UVA: LHP Nate Savino 5-6, 4.02 ERA
NCAA Greenville Regional Schedule
Friday
Game 1: 1 E.T. – No. 4 Coppin State vs. No. 1 East Carolina (ESPN+)
Game 2: 6 p.m. E.T. – No. 3 Coastal Carolina vs. No. 2 Virginia (ESPN+)
Saturday
Game 3: 1 p.m. E.T. – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Game 4: 7 p.m. E.T. – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Sunday
Game 5: 1 p.m. E.T. – Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4
Game 6: 7 p.m. E.T. – Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5
Monday
Game 7: 1 p.m. E.T. – If Necessary
