Lucy Wrote:Believe it or not, I think UNC will come away victors in this matchup. UNC is peaking at the perfect time, they have been quietly strong all season, and I'm thinking that USC is overlooking the competitiveness of the Tarheels, leaving the Gamecocks wide open for the upset.
The close proximity of Columbia to the UNC fanbase in North Carolina should also help the Heels to have a loud following in the stands too.
Go Heels...stomp the Chickens!
Lucy, I think both teams are peaking right now, but I'd say UNC's wins in Starkville were more impressive than USC's in Atl.
Both teams are pretty equal record wise, & their strengths seem to offset each other.
USC feels like right now we have 5 pitchers that can get the job done as good as anybody, & we're starting 1st team A-A David Marchbanks in game 1. On the flip side, UNC has really impressed me with their bats, & as they demonstrated on Sunday they're never out of it due to their hitting.
One thing that you can count on is that coach Ray Tanner will not allow the Heels to be overlooked. He, & the holdovers from last season remember how hard UNC fought in game 2 on Sunday in last years regional.
Also, don't expect a vocal following from UNC fans at Sarge Frye Field either. Gamecock fans will (& probably have) gobble tix up very quickly as there's a lot of fan support in Columbia for Gamecock baseball.
Should be a barn burner as the irresistible force (UNC's hitting) meets the immovable object (USC's pitching). I'm confident about USC's chances, but in no way am I over confident as UNC's bats scare the beegeebees outta me.