With the exception of the Big South Conference, the regular-season championships are up for grabs in the NCAA Division I leagues involving S.C. schools. Here's a look at where things stand entering the final weekend of the season..
Atlantic Coast Conference
Miami (19-6) has clinched the Coastal Division title and has a one-game lead over Louisville in the race for the overall regular-season championship and top seed for next week's tournament.
Louisville (19-8) has a two-game lead over Florida State (15-8) for the Atlantic Division title. Florida State must sweep its home series with Miami and have Louisville lose at least two games at Wake Forest (13-14) in order to win the Atlantic Division and overall titles.
Only 5 1/2 games separate teams four through 13 in the standings. Virginia Tech is the only team with no path to an ACC Tournament bid entering the final weekend. Clemson (13-14) could finish from a tie for third to 12th in the standings.
Thursday's ACC games
Clemson at Notre Dame, 6:05 p.m.
Duke at Pittsburgh, 6 p.m.
Louisville at Wake Forest, 6 p.m., ESPN3
Miami at Florida State, 6 p.m., ESPN3
North Carolina at N.C. State, 6 p.m., ESPN3
Virginia Tech at Virginia, 6 p.m.
Boston College at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m., ESPN3
Southeastern Conference
Six teams, including South Carolina, have a shot at winning the overall regular-season championship and top seed for next week's conference tournament.
Florida (18-8) has a half-game lead over Mississippi State and Texas A&M (18-9), a one-game lead over USC (17-9) and a 1 1/2-game edge over LSU and Mississippi.
Florida plays at LSU, Mississippi is at Texas A&M, Mississippi State is at home against Arkansas and South Carolina is at Alabama (15-12). USC likely would need to sweep Alabama and have LSU sweep Florida to have a chance at the top seed. Florida and USC split a rain-shorted two-game series and it looks like Florida would hold the first tie-breaker should the Gamecocks and Gators finish in a tie.
The top four finishers in the overall standings have a first-round bye and miss the single-elimination portion of the tournament. The bottom two teams in the standings miss the tournament.
Arkansas and Tennessee (both 7-20) currently are the odd teams out, but Auburn and Missouri (both 8-19) could get leapfrogged. Georgia (10-17) can assure itself of a tournament spot with one win at home against Tennessee.
Thursday's SEC games
South Carolina at Alabama, 8 p.m., SEC+
Missouri at Kentucky, 6:30 p.m., SEC+
Tennessee at Georgia, 7 p.m., SEC+
Arkansas at Mississippi State, 7:30 p.m., SEC+
Auburn at Vanderbilt, 7:30 p.m., SEC+
Florida at LSU, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU
Mississippi at Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m., SEC
Atlantic Sun Conference
USC Upstate (3-14) cannot qualify for the league tournament, which consists of the top six teams. The Spartans can play spoiler, though as they play host to second-place Jacksonville (13-5). The Dolphins are one game behind first-place Kennesaw State (14-4), which plays at Florida Gulf Coast (9-9).
North Florida (12-6) also has a chance to first as it visits last-place New Jersey Tech (2-15).
Thursday's Atlantic Sun games
Jacksonville at USC Upstate, 6 p.m.
North Florida at New Jersey Tech, 6 p.m.
Kennesaw State at Florida Gulf Coast, 6:30 p.m.
Lipscomb at Stetson, 6:30 p.m.
Big South Conference
Coastal Carolina (18-3) wrapped
up the regular-season championship last weekend. The Chanticleers play
host to Campbell, which shares second-place with High Point (14-10). But
the Camels are ineligible for next week's Big South Conference Tournament in Lexington
because of Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores.
High Point can clinch the second seed in the tournament with two wins over Liberty.
Winthrop (11-10) could finish in a tie for the second seed if it sweeps a series
at Gardner-Webb and High Point loses at least two games.
Presbyterian (10-11) could finish as high as fifth if it fares well at home against
Charleston Southern. Charleston Southern (5-16), meanwhile, could
qualify for the tournament if it catches Radford (6-15) and finishes
ahead of UNC Asheville (also 5-16).
Thursday's Big South games
Charleston Southern at Presbyterian, DH, noon
Winthrop at Gardner-Webb, DH, 1 p.m.
Campbell at Coastal Carolina, 6 p.m.
Liberty at High Point, 3 p.m.
Longwood at Appalachian State, 6 p.m.
UNC Asheville at Radford, 6 p.m.
Colonial Athletic Association
The top six teams qualify for next week's tournament at Patriots' Point in Charleston. College of Charleston is the host team but has yet to clinch a spot. The Cougars (10-11) are tied with James Madison for fifth and sixth place entering the weekend.
The Cougars play host to second-place William & Mary (13-7), which is trying to catch first-place UNC Wilmington (14-5). Charleston could finish as high as in a tie for fourth place with a sweep this weekend.
UNCW visits Delaware, which like Towson is 9-12 in the league and trying to move past Charleston and/or James Madison into the tournament field.
Thursday's CAA games
William & Mary at College of Charleston, 6 p.m.
James Madison at Hofstra, 3 p.m.
UNC Wilmington at Delaware, 3 pm..
Towson at Northeastern, 3 p.m.
Richmond at Elon, 6:30 p.m.
Southern Conference
Mercer and UNC Greensboro (both 14-7 in the SoCon) share first place and the winner of their head-to-head series in Greensboro will claim the regular-season title and top seed for next week's tournament at Fluor Field in Greenville. Should the teams split two games and a third gets rained out, the title would be determined by a tiebreaker.
Should either the Bears or Spartans sweep, the series loser would fall behind Western Carolina (15-9), which has completed its conference schedule.
Furman (12-9) could tie Western Carolina for second or third with a home series sweep of Wofford (11-10). A series sweep by Wofford or a Samford (11-0) home sweep of VMI could put those teams in a tie for third or fourth place.
The Citadel (6-15), which plays at East Tennessee State, is locked into a play-in game against VMI in the first round of the tournament next week.
Thursday's SoCon games
The Citadel at East Tennessee State, 6 p.m.
Wofford at Furman, 6 p.m.
VMI at Samford, 1 p.m.
Mercer at UNC Greensboro, 6 p.m.
Western Carolina at Kent State, 6 p.m.
No comments:
Post a Comment