As the season winds down for NCAA Division I teams, the conference series take on added importance in relation to conference tournament seeds or participation and NCAA tournament hopes.
* Clemson had a much-needed conference series win over Florida State last weekend, but needs to win two or three at home against N.C. State beginning Friday to bolster its chances of making the ACC Tournament and nailing down an NCAA Tournament berth. N.C State is in the Top 10 in most national rankings.
* South Carolina has a three-game series at Kentucky, where the Gamecocks have struggled in recent times. Kentucky has fallen out of most national polls over the past three weeks, so it will be trying to add some cachet to its NCAA Tournament resume by beating USC.
* Furman and Wofford are in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Southern Conference standings and can trim their current three-game deficit in the standings. The Terriers play host to first-place UNC Greensnboro, while Furman is at home against Western Carolina, which shared second place with Mercer entering Mercer's Thursday game against The Citadel. By the way, The Citadel's Friday game with Mercer has been moved from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
* College of Charleston is five games behind first-place UNC Wilmington in the Colonial Athletic Association standings, but the Cougars can pare that margin with a head-to-head series at the Seahawks this weekend.
* Coastal Carolina has a four-game lead in the Peach Belt Conference standings, but faces a dangerous series this weekend at Liberty. The Flames are having a sub-par season, but normally are one of the league's top teams.
Seventh-place Presbyterian is at third-place Campbell and last-place Charleston Southern is at fourth-place Winthrop.
* USC Upstate tries to climb out of last place in the Atlantic Sun Conference with a home series against Florida Gulf Coast.
* USC Aiken tries to bolster its resume for an at-large bid (if it doesn't win the Peach Belt Tournament) to the NCAA Division II playoffs with a Saturday home game against Catawba.
* Francis Marion enters its final Peach Belt Conference series of the season needing two wins at Flagler to clinch a spot in the league tournament.
* USC Beaufort takes the No. 1 seed into Friday's opening round of The Sun Conference Tournament in Fort Myers, Fla. The Sand Sharks face Warner in the first round of the six-team double-elimination event.
* The NJCAA Region 10 Tournament begins Saturday in Kinston, N.C. Regular-season champion Spartanburg Methodist is assured of participating in the Eastern District Tournament. Florence-Darlington Tech, USC Sumter, USC Lancaster or USC Salkehatchie could qualify for the postseason by winning the region tournament or finishing as runner-up to SMC.
Friday. May 6
Francis Marion at Flager, DH, 1 p.m.
Charleston Southern at Winthrop, 6 p.m.
College of Charleston at UNC Wilmington, 6 p.m.
Florida Gulf Coast at USC Upstate,. 6 p.m.
Presbyterian at Campbell, 6 p.m.
The Citadel at Mercer, 6 p.m.
UNC Greensboro at Wofford, 6 p.m.
Western Carolina at Furman, 6 p.m.
Florida Gulf Coast at USC Upstate,. 6 p.m.
N.C. State at Clemson, 6:30 p.m.
South Carolina at Kentucky, 6:30 p.m.
Coastal Carolina at Liberty, 7 p.m.
The Sun Conference Tournament
City of Palms Park, Fort Myers, Fla.
USC Beaufort vs. Warner, 11 a.m.
St. Thomas vs. Southeastern, 3 p.m.
Webber International vs. Keiser, 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 7
Francis Marion at Flagler, 1 p.m.
Western Carolina at Furman, 1 p.m.
College of Charleston at UNC Wilmington, 2 p.m.
Florida Gulf Coast at USC Upstate, 2 p.m.
Charleston Southern at Winthrop, 3 p.m.
Presbyterian at Campbell, 3 p.m.
UNC Greensboro at Wofford, 3 p.m.
Catawba at USC Aiken, 4 p.m.
N.C. State at Clemson, 4 p.m.
South Carolina at Kentucky, 6:30 p.m.
Coastal Carolina at Liberty, 7 p.m.
NJCAA Region 10 Tournament
Grainger Stadium, Kinston, N.C.
Pitt CC vs. Guilford Tech, 10 a.m.
USC Sumter vs. Louisburg, 1 p.m.
Florence-Darlington Tech vs. USC Lancaster, 4 p.m.
Spartanburg Methodist vs. USC Salkehatchie, 7 p.m.
The Sun Conference Tournament
City of Palms Park, Fort Myers, Fla.
Canceled
Erskine at Georgia College
Sunday, May 8
Florida Gulf Coast at USC Upstate, noon
N.C. State at Clemson, 1 p.m.
The Citadel at Mercer, 1 p.m.
UNC Greensboro at Wofford, 1 p.m.
Western Carolina at Furman, 1 p.m.
Charleston Southern at Winthrop, 2 p.m.
Coastal Carolina at Liberty, 2 p.m.
College of Charleston at UNC Wilmington, 2 p.m.
Presbyterian at Campbell, 2 p.m.
South Carolina at Kentucky, 3 p.m., SEC Network
NJCAA Region 10 Tournament
Grainger Stadium, Kinston, N.C.
The Sun Conference Tournament
City of Palms Park, Fort Myers, Fla.
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