South Carolina baseball score vs Central Connecticut State: Live updates from NCAA Tournament regional

COLUMBIA — South Carolina baseball is hosting its first NCAA Tournament regional as a top-16 team since 2016, but the Gamecocks don’t have any easy path as the No. 15 national seed.

South Carolina (39-19) opens its tournament against 4-seed Central Connecticut State (36-12) at Founder’s Park on Friday (7 p.m., ESPN+). The winner advances to face the winner of Game 1 between 2-seed Campbell and 3-seed NC State (6 p.m., TV TBD), while the losers will play in an elimination game Saturday (noon, TV TBD).

The Gamecocks earned a host site despite ending the regular season on four straight SEC series losses and being eliminated by unranked Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament. Still, South Carolina’s resume includes a 20-15 record against top 50 opponents and a No. 5 ranking in the RPI.

The program is 10-2 all-time in region championships when hosting, and only one of the two losses came when the Gamecocks were the top seed. South Carolina is 26-7 at Founder’s Park this season and only dropped two home series.

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South Carolina baseball score vs Central Connecticut: Live updates from NCAA Tournament regional

South Carolina 3rd: Talmadge Lecroy leads off the 3rd with a double down the left field line. Gavin Casas drives him in with an RBI double. South Carolina 2, CCSU 0.

Central Connecticut 3rd: James Hicks has 6 strikeouts through three innings. 1-2-3 3rd for CCSU.

South Carolina 2nd: Gavin Casas singles to leadoff the inning, and Dylan Brewer gets an infield single in between the mound and first base. Will McGillis then walked to load the bases with one out. Braylen Wimmer struck out, but Ethan Petry walked on four pitches to bring in the game’s first run. South Carolina 1, CCSU 0.

Central Connecticut 2nd: South Carolina third baseman Talmadge Lecroy had a busy inning. He misplayed a hot grounder to third before making a good play on a popped-up bunt attempt. Nothing else for CCSU there.

South Carolina 1st: Will McGillis leads off with a single, but he’s caught in a rundown after stealing on a pickoff attempt and is thrown out at second base. The Gamecocks load the bases with a walk and consecutive HBPs, but Michael Braswell grounds out to short to end the inning.

Central Connecticut 1st: James Hicks, the righthander, is South Carolina’s starting pitcher.

A 5-4-3 double play ends the inning. Hicks works around a leadoff HBP.