Clemson, USC learn NCAA baseball opponents

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson will face some unfamiliar teams this weekend in its NCAA baseball tournament regional.

The top-seeded Tigers open the tournament Friday night with No. 4 seed Tennessee State, who they have only played twice back in 2003.

On the other side of the double-elimination bracket, No. 2 seed Alabama plays third-seeded Oklahoma State in their opener.

“We have three new teams that we have not played this year, so we have no opinions going into the games except that these are good teams,“ Clemson coach Jack Leggett said.

The Tigers are back in the tournament after missing the NCAAs last season, breaking a streak of 21 straight appearances.

The winner of the Clemson regional faces the winner of the regional hosted by Arizona State in the best-of-3 super regionals.

South Carolina is heading north for its NCAA regional for the second year in a row. The Gamecocks are the No. 2 seed in the regional being hosted by top-seed East Carolina.

South Carolina opens the double-elimination regional Friday afternoon with No. 3 seed George Mason, while East Carolina plays No. 4 seed Binghamton.

The Gamecocks go into the NCAA tournament playing their best baseball of the year. They won 10 of 11 to end the regular season and vault themselves into the tournament for a 10th straight year. Coach Ray Tanner said the hot finish helps lessen the pressure of playing in the postseason.

“We’ve been playing with some pressure on us the last three-quarters of the year,“ Tanner said.

The winner of the East Carolina regional plays the winner of the North Carolina regional, which includes Coastal Carolina.