Gamecocks, Sooners two Super Regional wins away from trip to College World Series
South Carolina went undefeated in the Columbia Regional, with a win over Manhattan and two one-run victories against Clemson. The Gamecocks got impressive outings from their starting pitchers, specifically Colby Holmes and Jordan Montgomery. Holmes allowed just one hit in eight innings of work against Manhattan on Friday and Montgomery held Clemson to just two runs in his first career NCAA tournament start. USC also got a strong weekend from Adam Matthews, who hit .385, accounted for 10 of South Carolina's 16 runs and was named the Columbia Regional's most valuable player.
The surprise of the regional was catcher Dante Rosenberg. After starter Grayson Greiner was shelved for the weekend with a knee injury, Rosenberg proved to be a more than capable defensive replacement. The junior allowed just one pitch past him in three games and stopped countless balls in the dirt. If Rosenberg's bat comes to life against the Sooners, Gamecock fans will feel even better about the situation at catcher.
USC's bullpen is fresh off an impressive regional. South Carolina's relief pitchers only allowed two runs over three games. As a unit, the Gamecocks' pitching staff has an earned run average of 3.14 and opponents are only batting .224 against South Carolina. The Gamecocks will need another good weekend from their hurlers if USC hopes to move on to Omaha.
As a top-eight seed and the two-time defending national champions, South Carolina will be favored to win the series. Head coach Ray Tanner said after the Columbia Regional that his team "probably couldn't play any better" than they did against Clemson. USC may not need to be better, but in order to keep their season going, they will still have to be pretty good.
Oklahoma lost their first game of the Charlottesville Regional before winning four elimination games in a row, all within 48 hours, to advance to Columbia. The Sooners have won nine of their last 11 contests, including four one-run games, and are making their third appearance at the Super Regionals and their second in three years. The Sooners are led by head coach Sunny Golloway, who has taken Oklahoma to all three of their Super Regional trips.
Offensively, the Sooners are led by center fielder Max White and designated hitter Matt Oberste, who was named the most valuable player of the Charlottesville Regional. In the final two games of the regional against Appalachian State, Oberste went 6-8 with five RBIs. After only managing 11 hits in the first three games of the weekend, Oklahoma pounded out 23 hits in the final two contests against the Mountaineers. The Sooners have been dangerous when trailing opponents, notching 20 come-from-behind wins this season.
On the mound, Oklahoma has four capable starters. Damien Magnifico, a right-hander whose fastball has been clocked at over 100 miles per hour, worked his way into the starting rotation late in the season. Along with Magnifico, the Sooners have Jordan John and Jonathan Gray, who have combined for 16 wins this season. Oklahoma can also turn to Dillon Overton, who was a member of the weekend rotation early in the year.
The Sooners have had their backs against the wall since tournament play began. Although they are not nationally-seeded, Oklahoma has had one of the more successful programs in the country over the past few seasons. Several current Sooners were starters on the 2010 team that reached the College World Series before being eliminated by South Carolina. Oklahoma is the last team to beat the Gamecocks in the NCAA tournament, when the Sooners won 4-3 in the CWS opener for both teams in 2010.
Catcher – Advantage: USC
After Dante Rosenberg's performance this weekend, the Gamecocks have to feel better about potentially being without Grayson Greiner during the series with the Sooners.
First Base – Advantage: USC
Christian Walker is one of the most lethal hitters in the nation and a solid glove. Don't expect Walker to see many good pitches this weekend.
Second Base – Advantage: OU
Chase Vergason still has troubles at times in the field. Vergason turned in a stellar diving catch against Clemson, but USC needs more consistency from him at the plate.
Third Base – Advantage: USC
LB Dantzler changed the course of the regional with his walk-off single against Clemson. Dantzler has also been a surprisingly steady presence at the hot corner.
Shortstop – Advantage: USC
Joey Pankake is peaking at the right time defensively. Offensively, his leadoff triple in South Carolina's second matchup against the Tigers set the tone for the entire game.
Leftfield – Advantage: USC
Tanner English struggled at the plate in USC's first game against Clemson, but responded well the next day. His speed and range make him a crucial cog on defense.
Centerfield – Advantage: OU
Evan Marzilli is as good a defensive centerfielder as you will find, but Max White has been on fire at the plate all season long.
Rightfield – Advantage: OU
Cody Reine has been a steady presence in Oklahoma's offense, but Adam Matthews caught fire last weekend. Both players will be critical in deciding this series.
Designated Hitter – Advantage: OU
South Carolina started three different designated hitters in three games in the Columbia Regional. Oklahoma's Matt Oberste was the Charlottesville Regional's most valuable player.
Pitching – Advantage: Tie
Colby Holmes was on the brink of a no-hitter last weekend and Jordan Montgomery was clutch in a big game against Clemson. However, both pitchers had experienced rough outings leading up to the regional. Oklahoma has four quality starters who can deliver in a big spot for the Sooners. Oklahoma has a capable closer in Steven Okert and the Gamecocks' Matt Price is one of the elite shutdown pitchers in college baseball.