Everything you need to know about the teams in the South Carolina regional
The Columbia regional is set and there is a trio of really good teams coming to South Carolina for this weekend’s regional.
The Gamecocks open things up against Central Connecticut State Friday night (7 p.m., ESPN Plus) with either Campbell or NC State Saturday (either noon or 6 p.m.).
Before the regional kicks off, here’s a detailed look at all three teams coming to Founders Park this weekend.
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No. 2 Campbell
Overall record (conference): 44-13 (22-5 Big South)
RPI: 13
Quad records: Quad I, 9-5; Quad II, 8-5; Quad III, 0-0; Quad IV, 27-3
Best series win: at Louisiana (RPI No. 47)
The skinny: Campbell was very firmly on the hosting bubble and there was a very good argument to give the Camels a top 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Instead, they come to South Carolina as one of the best two seeds.
It’s a tough group that won both the regular season and conference titles. It’s a very daunting test if these two teams match up. Campbell went 1-2 this year against Coastal, swept East Carolina and beat North Carolina. All of those games were in the midweek.
What to know on offense: The Camels are one of the most well-rounded teams in the tournament statistically but can really hit the baseball. Campbell has a team average of .318 with a 1.007 OPS. The Camels have hit 116 home runs as a team with six guys with at least 10. The Camels average 2.3 stolen bases per game as well.
They’re molded the same way as South Carolina built around getting on base and hitting for power but the average is also good. The Camels have a .365 BABIP. They’ve struck out almost 500 times this year but are averaging 5.9 walks per game. Eight of the nine hitters with at least 100 at-bats this season have an on-base percentage of at least .400 and all nine are slugging at least .500.
It’s a fairly right-handed lineup with six of the guys in the lineup in the Big South title game righties. Lefty centerfielder Tyler Halstead leads the team in average this season (.377) but Lawson Harrill and Jarrod Belbin make things really tick. Harrill hits in the middle of the order and is hitting .374/.484/.788 this year with 22 homers and a team-best 68 RBI.
Belbin, the left-handed hitting second baseman, is at .325/.430/.658 with 19 homers and 62 RBI. Shortstop Arnold also has 16 homers and 60 RBI. It’s a deep and highly productive lineup that compliments a really good pitching staff.
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What to know on the mound: Campbell has a team ERA of just 4.53 with 542 strikeouts to just 264 walks in over 510 innings. Teams are hitting just .224/.338/.341 against the Camels this season.
Cade Kuehler is the ace of the staff, with a 2.82 ERA in 12 starts with 87 strikeouts to just 24 walks and a .191 batting average against. The Camels, though, will probably have to throw him Friday against NC State.
Right-hander Hunter Loyd (4.61 ERA, 1.43 WHIP) has been the team’s No. 2 starter all season with teams hitting .244 against him. He’s allowed 13 doubles and seven homers this season but has struck out 64 to just 32 walks in 66.1 innings.
Righty Chance Daquila is Campbell’s No. 3 starter with a 5.25 ERA in 61.2 innings and teams hitting .249 against him. He has a 1.25 WHIP and 41 strikeouts to 18 walks.
From a bullpen perspective, Campbell’s shutdown closer is Aaron Rund. The righty has five saves and a 3.83 ERA in 56 innings. He’s struck out 65 to 25 walks. Ty Cummings (3.22 ERA, 1.03 WHIP) is another go-to option along with Cade Boxrucker (4.15 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) and Jackson Roberts (2.30 ERA, 0.99 WHIP).
No. 3 NC State
Overall record (conference): 35-19 (13-16 ACC)
RPI: 23
Quad records: Quad I, 10-17; Quad II, 8-2; Quad III, 2-0; Quad IV, 15-0
Best series win: vs. Louisville (RPI No. 43)
The skinny: The Wolfpack got off to a strong start in non-conference play but hit the skids early in ACC play. They lost four of their first five series and started 5-9 in league play, finishing 8-7. It’s a team that has strong computer numbers with no bad losses. But it lacks a ton of great series wins in the ACC.
The Wolfpack has a midweek win at Coastal Carolina but doesn’t have a series win over an ACC team that made the tournament. NC State was on the bubble and got into the tournament but has the talent to make some noise in a regional.
What to know on offense: This is an NC State offense that hits for a good average as a team. But it doesn’t get on base at a really high clip as a team. The Pack does hit for a good amount of power with 124 doubles, 10 triples and 89 homers. State puts the ball in play and that’s the identity of the offense with just 6.96 strikeouts per game. The offense also averages 5.09 walks per game.
DH Cannon Peebles leads the way with a .346/.456/.715 slash line with 12 homers and 48 RBI. LuJames Groover III is behind him at .332/.432/.530 with 48 RBI and 11 homers. The Pack doesn’t steal a ton of bases. But they have three other guys hitting at least .300 and three with double-digit homers.
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What to know on the mound: Justin Lawson headlines the bullpen with a 3.51 ERA and 63 strikeouts in just 48.2 innings. Teams are hitting .286 against him with five homers but he’s only allowed 19 earned runs all season and walked 16.
Dominic Fritton, a lefty, has started games for the Pack in the past but has come out of the bullpen as well. He’s got a 3.59 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 62.2 innings with 75 strikeouts to 24 walks. Teams are hitting a paltry .211 against him. He might be the team’s best arm.
Logan Whitaker (4.54 ERA ERA, 1.15 WHIP) is the game-one guy and coming off a seven-inning, one-hit performance against Pitt to end the regular season.
Matt Willadsen (3.54 ERA, 1.31 WHIP) is the game two guy with Sam Highfill (4.18 ERA, 1.35 WHIP the game three guy. If matched up with the Pack, South Carolina could have a tough pitching matchup on hand.
No. 4 Central Connecticut State
Overall record (conference): 35-12 (25-5 Northeast)
RPI: 111
Quad records: Quad I, 0-4; Quad II, 0-0; Quad III, 1-0; Quad IV, 35-8
Best series win: vs. Sacred Heart (RPI No. 229)
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The skinny: Central Connecticut State was one of the best teams in its conference all season. But the Blue Devils haven’t really been battled tested with a ton of tournament teams. They played just four games against RPI top 50 teams this season with four losses. Two were run-rule losses at LSU followed by a 5-2 loss to Northeastern and a 10-4 loss to Connecticut.
What to know on offense: The offense has some really good pieces and can really hit for average. They have a .302 team average this year with eight guys hitting over .300 on the season (min. 70 at-bats). It’s not a team that gets on base at a super high clip (.395 as a team) and doesn’t hit for a ton of power (.472). But they can steal bases (56 in 48 games). The Blue Devils don’t strike out a ton (6.4 strikeouts per game) but only average about 4.5 walks per game.
The best hitter is first baseman Ramon Jimenez, who’s slashing .347/.417/.647 this season with 11 homers and 57 RBI. Teams have struck him out just 33 times in 190 at-bats.
Two of their better hitters are lefties in infielder Brady Short (.323/.426/.418) who’s walked 10 more times than he’s struck out in 158 at-bats. Hunter Pasqualini is hitting .306/.443/.425 with 30 walks, 17 strikeouts and 19 stolen bases.
What to know on the mound: As a team Central Connecticut has a 5.02 ERA and strikes out 7.24 batters per nine innings. The staff has allowed just 34 home runs this season with a 1.42 WHIP. They don’t walk a ton of guys (4.2 per nine) either.
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Central Connecticut’s ace is left-hander Dominic Niman, a veteran with a 2.76 ERA in 97.2 innings this year. Teams have struck out 90 times against him to just 24 walks. He’s 12-2 with two complete games. It seems likely South Carolina faces him Friday night at Founders.
Righty Luke Garofalo is the team’s closer with 11 saves this season with a 2.09 ERA in 43 innings. He’s struck out 45 to 10 walks and allowed three homers. One of the better bullpen arms is lefty Vincent Spizzoucco, who has a 2.64 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 30.2 innings.
Another good bullpen arm, lefty Anthony Mozzicato, hasn’t pitched since April 22.
