Clemson tries to clinch a spot in the ACC Tournament and South Carolina bids to solidify its chances for a national seed as the NCAA Division I regular season winds up this weekend.
Most of the other DI schools in the state still have incentives, while three teams open play in the NCAA Division II playoffs and Spartanburg Methodist continues its quest to qualify for the NJCAA World Series.
Division I series begin on Thursday this week to allow teams to better align their pitching staffs for next week's conference tournaments.
* Clemson has the No. 12 RPI in the nation, but has yet to nail down a spot in next week's ACC Tournament as it opens a series at Notre Dame. I'm guessing the NCAA would give Clemson an at-large bid to the NCAA playoffs even if it fails to make the ACC Tournament, but the Tigers would like to avoid any suspense. Job One is to make the 10-team tournament; Job Two is to finish in the top six and avoid the single-elimination play-in round involving 7, 8, 9 and 10 seeds; Job Three is to finish strong and possibly enter the regional host discussion.
How tight are the ACC standings entering the final week? The Tigers could finish as high as a tie for third or as low as 12th. It's conceivable they could qualify for the ACC Tournament even if they are swept by Notre Dame.
* South Carolina is seventh in the latest official NCAA RPI, and the Gamecocks likely would nail down one of the eight national seeds for the NCAA Tournament by winning two or three in its regular-season finale at Alabama.
The Gamecocks are still in contention for the overall regular-season championship in the SEC, but would need some help to catch and pass Florida, Texas A&M and Mississippi State.
If USC finishes in the top four in the SEC overall standings, it would bypass Tuesday's single-elimination play-in round and head straight to the double-elimination segment of next week's SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala.
* Furman and Wofford play a three-game Southern Conference series in Greenville with some high stakes. The Paladins have a one-game lead over the Terriers and could finish as high as in a tie for second place. Wofford is trying to pass Furman in the standings and could get a share of third place with the right sequence of events.
* The Citadel can't change its No. 8 seed and play-in game slot in the Southern Conference Tournament when it plays at East Tennessee State this weekend.
* Coastal Carolina has clinched the Big South Conference regular-season championship, but the Chanticleers can enhance their chances of hosting an NCAA regional by winning its home series with Campbell. The Camels are tied for second place with High Point, but are ineligible for the conference tournament because of the baseball program's most recent APR scores.
* With Campbell ineligible for the tournament, Presbyterian has clinched its first-event Big South Tournament bid entering its weekend home series with Charleston Southern. CSU can clinch a bid if it catches or passes Radford (currently one game ahead) in the standings. The Buccaneers are tied for UNC Asheville and would lose a head-to-head tiebreaker if those teams are tied.
* USC Upstate didn't qualify for the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament, so its weekend home series with Jacksonville will be for pride and trying to finish a little closer to a .500 record.
* Claflin, Lander and USC Aiken begin play in the NCAA Division II playoffs today. Claflin faces West Florida in the South Regional in Tampa. Lander meets Mount Olive and USC Aiken plays Tusculum in the Southeast Regional in Columbus, Ga. The two regional winners go to the NCAA DII World Series in Cary, N.C. later this month.
* Spartanburg Methodist is the fourth seed for the NJCAA Eastern District Tounament, which begins Friday in Bel Air, Md. The Pioneers face host Harford in a first-round game at 6 p.m. Region 10 rival Pitt CC and Monroe are the other teams in the double-elimination event, which will determine one entrant in the Junior College World Series in Grand Junction Colo., later this month.
* USC Beaufort continues its competition in the Savannah bracket of the NAIA playoffs. The bracket winner goes to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.
Thursday's games
Charleston Southern at Presbyterian, DH, noon
Winthrop at Gardner-Webb, DH, 2 p.m.
Campbell at Coastal Carolina, 6 p.m.
Jacksonville at USC Upstate, 6 p.m.
The Citadel at East Tennessee State, 6 p.m.
William & Mary at College of Charleston, 6 p.m.
Wofford at Furman, 6 p.m.
Clemson at Notre Dame, 6:05 p.m.
South Carolina at Alabama, 8 p.m.
NAIA Savannah Regional (Historic Grayson Stadium)
Game 5 - USC Beaufort vs. Point, 11 a.m.
Game 6 - Campbellsville vs. Freed-Hardeman, 3 p.m.
Game 7 - Loser Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 7 p.m.
NCAA Division II South Regional, Tampa, Fla. (U of Tampa)
Game 1 - Delta State vs. Lynn, 11 a.m.
Game 2 - West Florida vs. Claflin, 3 p.m.
Game 3 - Nova Southeastern vs. West Georgia, 7 p.m.
NCAA Division II Southeast Regional, Columbus, Ga. (Columbus State)
Game 1 - USC Aiken vs. Tusculum, 11 a.m.
Game 2 - Lander vs. Mount Olive, 3 p.m.
Game 3 - Belmont Abbey vs. Catawba, 7 p.m.
Friday's games
The Citadel at East Tennessee State, 2 p.m.
Winthrop at Gardner-Webb, 2 p.m., ESPN3
William & Mary at College of Charleston, 2:30 p.m.
Charleston Southern at Presbyterian, 3 p.m.
Wofford at Furman, 4 p.m.
Campbell at Coastal Carolina, 6 p.m.
Jacksonville at USC Upstate, 6 p.m.
Clemson at Notre Dame, 6:05 p.m.
South Carolina at Alabama, 8 p.m.
NAIA Savannah Regional (Historic Grayson Stadium)
Game 8 - Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 7, 10 a.m.
Game 9 - Winner Game 8 vs. Loser Game 8, if necessary, 2 p.m.
NCAA Division II South Regional, Tampa (U of Tampa)
Game 4 - Game 2 loser vs. Game 3 loser, 11 a.m.
Game 6 - Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 3 p.m.
Game 5 - Columbus State vs. Game 1 winner, 7 p.m.
NCAA Division II Southeast Regional, Columbus, Ga. (Columbus State)
Game 4 - Game 2 loser vs. Game 3 loser, 10:30 a.m.
Game 5 - Columbus State vs. Game 1 winner, 2 p.m.
Game 6 - Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 5:30 p.m.
NJCAA Eastern District Tournament, Bel Air Md. (Harford CC)
Game 1: No 3 Monroe vs. No. 2 Pitt CC, 2 p.m.
Game 2: No. 1 Harford vs. No. 4 Spartanburg Methodist, 6 p.m.
Saturday's games
Jacksonville at USC Upstate, 1 p.m.
The Citadel at East Tennessee State, 1 p.m.
William & Mary at College of Charleston, 1 p.m.
Wofford at Furman, 1 p.m.
Clemson at Notre Dame, 1:05 p.m.
Campbell at Coastal Carolina, 2 p.m.
South Carolina at Alabama, 3 p.m.
Moved to May 19
Charleston Southern at Presbyterian
Winthrop at Gardner-Webb
NCAA Division II South Regional, Tampa, Fla. (U of Tampa)
Game 7 - Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 loser, 11 a.m.
Game 8 - Game 1 loser vs. Game 6 loser, 3 p.m.
Game 9 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 7 p.m.
NCAA Division II Southeast Regional, Columbus, Ga. (Columbus State)
Game 7 - Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 loser, 11 a.m.
Game 8 - Game 1 loser vs. Game 6 loser, 3 p.m.
Game 9 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 7 p.m.
NJCAA Eastern District Tournament, Bel Air Md. (Harford CC)
Game 3: Winners of Games 1 and 2, 11 a.m.
Game 4: Losers of Games 1 and 2. 2:30 p.m. (elimination game)
Game 5: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4, 6: (elimination game)
Sunday's games
NCAA Division II South Regional, Tampa, Fla. (U of Tampa)
Game 10 - Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, noon
Game 11 - Game 10 winner vs. Game 9 loser, 3:30 p.m.
NCAA Division II Southeast Regional, Columbus, Ga. (Columbus State)
Game 10 - Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, noon
Game 11 - Game 10 winner vs. Game 9 loser, 3:30 p.m.
NJCAA Eastern District Tournament, Bel Air Md. (Harford CC)
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5, 11 a.m.
Game 7: If necessary, rematch of Game 6, 30 minutes after Game 6
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