Rivals announce move from Greenville in 2012
The annual South Carolina-Clemson baseball series will broaden its horizons in the upcoming season.
After playing the series’ neutral game in Greenville the previous two years, the two programs have agreed to move the matchup to Charleston in 2012 and will kick off the three-game stretch at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park, home of the minor league Charleston RiverDogs.
The switch from Greenville won’t be permanent, however, as both sides have also agreed to return to Fluor Field in 2013.
“We are ecstatic to showcase the Carolina-Clemson rivalry across the great state of South Carolina,” said USC head coach Ray Tanner in a release. “Charleston is a great baseball city with great Gamecock fans and we look forward to a tremendous crowd there for the first game of our series as well as continuing our partnership with Greenville in 2013. The atmosphere has been outstanding at Fluor Field and we appreciate their involvement in the series.”
Following the series-opener in Charleston, game two will be played in Columbia and the finale will take place in Clemson. The two teams began playing one of their three annual meetings at a neutral site in 2010, with each of the previous meetings in Greenville drawing sellout crowds.
“We are excited about taking our rivalry to the Lowcountry,” said Clemson head coach Jack Leggett in the release. “We have a large fanbase in the Charleston area that doesn’t get to see us on a regular basis. Riley Park will be a tremendous environment for our players and fans.”
The series will begin on Friday, March 2 with start times yet to be determined.