#Clemson and #Gamecocks sink in rankings after rough weekend

Both South Carolina and Clemson took a tumble in the D1 Baseball rankings after suffering through three-game sweeps in their respective series this past weekend, putting a dent in each of their postseason resumes heading into the final week of conference play.

The Gamecocks sank 11 spots, from no. 13 to no. 24, and the Tigers fell from their perch at no. 2 and landed fourth in this week’s rankings. Their opponents reaped the benefits with both Wake Forest and Georgia climbing into the top 10. After rolling through USC at Founders Park, Georgia has now won eight straight and moved up six spots to no. 9. Wake Forest has won nine in a row and moves up to no. 8 after sweeping Clemson in Winston-Salem, NC.

It appears both the USC and Clemson pitching staffs are leaking oil down the stretch. The Bulldogs came into the series boasting one of the nation’s best offenses and Gamecocks pitching did nothing to sully that reputation. Georgia scored in double-digits in each of the three games, outscoring Carolina 39-21. Gamecocks’ starters averaged just 2.2 innings, shifting a heavy load to USC’s vulnerable bullpen. Roman Kimball failed to get out of the first, Thursday, forcing head coach Mark Kingston to dip into his cache of long relievers ahead of schedule in the first game of the series.

Clemson, on the other hand, lost in three distinct manners in Winston-Salem. In the opener, Deacons’ ace Chase Burns outdueled Ethan Darden to claim Game 1, 4-2. In Game 2, the Tigers entered the eighth with a 5-4 lead, but the pen couldn’t hold it and Wake Forest pulled off an 8-5 come-from-behind victory. Game 3 was simply a good, old-fashioned thrashing, as the Deacons launched five homers for a 13-3 run-rule victory.

The Tigers are still atop the ACC standings and as evidenced by their no. 7 RPI ranking, have stacked a lot of hay in the barn. Clemson is still in position to wrap up a top-8 national seed with a solid close to the season. Erik Bakich’s club will get an opportunity to right the ship when they play host to scuffling Boston College (22-26, 8-19) this weekend.

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But prior to the season finale, Clemson has a midweek trip to Conway on deck. The Tigers will face Coastal Carolina in what will be the final regular season home game in the career of legendary coach Gary Gilmore, Tuesday. It should be a charged atmosphere as the Chanticleers are fighting for an at-large spot in the upcoming Regionals. Whether the Tigers win or lose in Conway, they’ll have an opportunity to wrap up the top seed in the ACC Baseball Championship against the Eagles.

It’s a little trickier for the Gamecocks. USC will make the trek up Rocky Top to square off with Tennessee, the nation’s top-ranked team, to close out its conference schedule before entering the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. With no chance of earning a top-4 seed, South Carolina will be playing in the single-elimination round of the tournament. Furthermore, the Gamecocks don’t have a track record of success at Hoover Met Stadium.

USC is ranked 19th in the RPI and may yet play host to a Regional, but the Gamecocks will need to stand tall against some strong competition over the next two weeks to make it happen.