South Carolina College Sports

[BryCola]

I have to admit, and I know its mean, but I almost fell in the floor laughing at those pictures.

Also, spartan is a grad of Carolina doing his grad school work at clemson.

One more thing, I have always thought of SC being a nice baseball state. We seem to always have at least one team in the runnings at the end of the year, and the baseball games at Carolina seem to always have a great crowd at them

Well, it was mean to post them too...but I just couldn't help myself.

[Spartan]

Spartan...I actually think SC is a pretty big baseball state. We have some of the highest attendance of college baseball in the country, and that will only increase when the new stadium on the river in Columbia opens next year. Or did you mean 'baseball state" as in minor league baseball? I'll admit I don't have much interest in that.

Also, you live in Clempson and are a Gamecock fan??? Good Lord, I couldn't imagine!

Well thats true. I guess I just don't pervieve us as being thought of that way on the national level in terms of college baseball. Maybe I'm wrong though... I'm just not into baseball enough to be aware of that perception. I just pay enough attnetion to keep track of how my schools are doing. I do enjoy the occasional game though.

I'm a fan of both to an extent. Carolina always come first though.

[whitehourseview]

They have to get it where they can, since they lost the Palmetto Bowl

And lets congradulate SC for being home to 3 baseball teams in the top 25 this week, and to Clemson for being #1 while having played zero games. I'm really suprised SC is not more of a baseball state, given our highly ranked teams.

I'd say South Carolina is one of the biggest baseball states in the nation in terms of collegiate success, fan attendance, number per capita of high school players going to college and the pros, even with the four minor league teams in the state, the Big League World Series in Easley and the new Upstate Baseball complex set to open in Greenville.

Winthrop recently expanded their ball field and plans to build more. Clemson intends to make Kingsmore Stadium up to AAA standards, largely because nearly every game is a sell out, USC's new stadium, along with the improvements to the College of Charleston facility make collegiate baseball very fan friendly.

Now if the state could just get the ACC tournament back...

[krazeeboi]

Yes, Winthrop is in the process of adding additional seating to its stadium, which is still relatively new. They tend to do well every year.

I'm just looking forward to our men's basketball team bringing home the Big South championship once more and actually advancing in the NCAA Tournament this year.

[goodbye]

Another close loss for Clemson. I see the trend now.

[g-man430]

Who'da thunk it. A Clempson fan trying to talk trash about basketball. LOL I guess when your football team collapses, you grab at whatever you can...even a basketball team that is in the throws of a similar collapse.

"Someone in the upstate is lying"...Steve Spurrier

Wow. You guys beat Clemson for the first time in six years at football and automatically assume their football team collapsed. You have some nerve. It's funny. We always fight over which college is better at football and the truth is, both colleges actually suck at it. Neither has been to a main bowl game in over 20 years. Go Florida Gators, because they can actually win games instead of losing them like USC and Clemson do. I still support Clemson though.

[g-man430]

Another close loss for Clemson. I see the trend now.

I've given up on the men's Clemson basketball team for the rest of the season. They're doing the exact same thing their football team did. The only thing I will be supporting when March rolls around is their baseball program because they actually start off strong and stay strong throughout the season.

[GvilleSC]

Another close loss for Clemson. I see the trend now.

That's ACC basketball for you.

[BryCola]

Wow. You guys beat Clemson for the first time in six years at football and automatically assume their football team collapsed. You have some nerve. It's funny. We always fight over which college is better at football and the truth is, both colleges actually suck at it. Neither has been to a main bowl game in over 20 years. Go Florida Gators, because they can actually win games instead of losing them like USC and Clemson do. I still support Clemson though.

Um, did you not watch ANY Clempson football this year? Losing 4 of the last 5 after being ranked in the Top 10 is the VERY DEFINITION of "collapse".

"They can actually win games instead of losing them like USC and Clemson do."

You don't follow college football, do you? Carolina has won 4 of it's last 5 bowl games....2 of those being New Years Day games. Not BCS games of course...but still wins.

[Spartan]

Wow. You guys beat Clemson for the first time in six years at football and automatically assume their football team collapsed. You have some nerve. It's funny. We always fight over which college is better at football and the truth is, both colleges actually suck at it. Neither has been to a main bowl game in over 20 years. Go Florida Gators, because they can actually win games instead of losing them like USC and Clemson do. I still support Clemson though.

No, the first game in 4 years. Clemson hasn't had a five game winning streak against Carolina in several decades (if ever). I remind you that Carolina came within 1 point of beating the 2006 national champions (Florida), and we really should have won that game but they had a very fortunate field goal block. It also helped Florida with Ohio State being the most overrated football team in the nation, but thats ok

Clemson and Carolina finished up the 2006 season with the same record (8-5). USC was average all season, with a slight upturn towards the end. Clemson soared, peaking on the Ga Tech game... then collapsed towards the end of the season, which ultimately averaged them out. Next year will be interesting to say the least.

[whitehourseview]

No, the first game in 4 years. Clemson hasn't had a five game winning streak against Carolina in several decades (if ever). I remind you that Carolina came within 1 point of beating the 2006 national champions (Florida), and we really should have won that game but they had a very fortunate field goal block. It also helped Florida with Ohio State being the most overrated football team in the nation, but thats ok

Clemson and Carolina finished up the 2006 season with the same record (8-5). USC was average all season, with a slight upturn towards the end. Clemson soared, peaking on the Ga Tech game... then collapsed towards the end of the season, which ultimately averaged them out. Next year will be interesting to say the least.

Clemson has a seven game winning streak from 34 - 40, and six four game winning streaks, including two four game streaks in the past 10 years. USC has had just one four game streak and hasn't won two games in a row in the series in over 35 years.

Realistically, neither Clemson or USC should improve significantly better next season, even though both have had nice recruiting seasons the past two years. USC's 3-5 mark in the SEC will be hard to top with their SEC schedule which includes LSU. Clemson's 5-3 mark in the ACC will be hard to top with improved Maryland, FSU and Virginia Tech squads.

[krazeeboi]

Winthrop just scored its 13th straight victory over non-conference Missouri State; it was also Missouri State's worst home loss of the season. The score was 77-66.

Congrats to the Gamecocks for an 81-64 win over Tennessee today.

[Spartan]

I think that USC will persevere next season. Everyone will get a very tough fight, and in the SEC thats saying alot. There is no more walking over USC.

I'm proud of my Gamecocks for the win over Tennessee. I always want a win, but I really didnt expect it given the recent history with basketball. This win has resored my belief that the NIT isn't out of the question anymore. I'll take a 3rd championship if necessary. Go Cocks!

[teshadoh]

^ With the NIT - all it takes in many cases is a strong finish & a win over Tennessee will make a good case for USC.

But unfortunately, a very weak finish even with over 20 wins makes a good case to not be added to the NCAA tournament. I don't see Clemson making it this year.

[Spartan]

There is a lesser known rivalry in our state... but the potential for it to be revived has returned. With USC Upstate moving to Division I next year (Atlantic Sun), the opportunity has arisen for Upstate and Wofford to once again have a great crosstown rilvalry. Upstate last played basketball with Wofford in 1988, losing in that particular match. The Spartans, however, maintain a 15-7 lead over the Terriers in the series. That series may not seem very long, but remember that USC Upstate was only founded in 1967.

Wofford has said its not interested in the matchup... at least not now. Conference rules and NCAA regulations play a part with Wofford from having a matchup with Upstate. They play The Citadel, the College of Charleston, Furman and Davidson through the Southern Conferece. They say that the local exposure is great, and Wofford gets to play a lot of other big schools which give it more exposure.

There are matches in other sports, but with basketball being Upstate's most "high-profile" sport, there is more emphasis on that from their end (Upstate doesn't have football at this point). Also, Spartanburg's effort to establish itself as more of a college town would be improved dramaticly with a great crosstown rivalry. We are one of two cities in the state with two Division I schools, and what's better is that they are only 3 or 4 miles apart. (Charleston has CofC and the Citadel, but I don't know if there is any rivalry there, or what is involved with that.)

So for now, the rivalry is on hold. Its unfortunate that this situation can't be taken advantage of for the sake of Spartanburg.

Herald-Journal

[whitehourseview]

There is a lesser known rivalry in our state... but the potential for it to be revived has returned. With USC Upstate moving to Division I next year (Atlantic Sun), the opportunity has arisen for Upstate and Wofford to once again have a great crosstown rilvalry. Upstate last played basketball with Wofford in 1988, losing in that particular match. The Spartans, however, maintain a 15-7 lead over the Terriers in the series. That series may not seem very long, but remember that USC Upstate was only founded in 1967.

Old NAIA District Six basketball, those were some good ol' days there, great competition.

Coastal Carolina and Winthrop may be the state's most fierce college basketball rivalry today. The USC v Clemson basketball game is hardly noticed, because of a TV contract that forces the two to play the same day as the ACC & SEC football championships and the SC High School football championships.

But Coastal & Winthrop have become some fierce rivals over the past few years.

[krazeeboi]

Yes we have. Our matchup against Coastal was the very first sellout in the history of the men's basketball team. I have a feeling it will be the same way during the conference tournament.

[Spartan]

Old NAIA District Six basketball, those were some good ol' days there, great competition.

Coastal Carolina and Winthrop may be the state's most fierce college basketball rivalry today. The USC v Clemson basketball game is hardly noticed, because of a TV contract that forces the two to play the same day as the ACC & SEC football championships and the SC High School football championships.

But Coastal & Winthrop have become some fierce rivals over the past few years.

True. I would have missed Clemson/Carolina basketball game if I weren't tied to both schools. They may as well have been playing some obscure team from the midwest. It was also the week after the Palmetto Bowl this season.

[Spartan]

The first Clemson v Carolina baseball matchup is this weekend... with both teams in the top 5, it could really go either way in each game. neither school has played a formidable opponent yet.

Also, a Division II baseball update:

USC Aiken (#13) 11-3

USC Upstate (#24) 10-4

[krazeeboi]

Today at 2pm, Winthrop will secure their 7th Big South Conference title against VMI (Virginia Military Institute). I'm kinda sad that VMI knocked Coastal out; I was looking forward to us whooping their behinds again.

[CorgiMatt]

The Gamecocks just blanked Clemson 12 - zip in Clemson!!! They play in Columbia tomorrow. Go Cocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And Ray Tanner just raked in the nation's #1 recruiting class. And next year the Cocks play in their brand new state-of-the-art riverside stadium with a city skyline view!

[krazeeboi]

Wow, congrats to Carolina!

In other news, the Eagles squeaked out a victory over VMI, 84-81. We're going to the Big Dance!

[CorgiMatt]

Wow, congrats to Carolina!

In other news, the Eagles squeaked out a victory over VMI, 84-81. We're going to the Big Dance!

I predict Gregg Marshall is USC's next coach.

[krazeeboi]

Interestingly enough, I was talking about that very same subject today before the game with one of my fraternity brothers. He said that he thinks this year is Marshall's last at Winthrop and that he could very well have his eye on USC (or USC may have its eye on him). I wouldn't think that Marshall would turn down the CofC head coach position just to come back to Winthrop for only a year, but who knows. If Marshall does eventually decide to leave for USC, I can't say I would blame him for doing so. I think he could work wonders for the team, one that would have a better shot of making it far into the NCAA tournament than Winthrop currently does.

[Spartan]

I was honestly suprised at this game. I had a feeling the Gamecocks would win, but I didn't think it would be a shut out. Tomorrow's game is going to be very interesting. If Clemson looses again, it could mean some big changes in the rankings, among other things.