Clemson coach Erik Bakich speaks about strength of college baseball in South Carolina

There will be plenty of college baseball action in the state of South Carolina this weekend as Clemson, Coastal Carolina and South Carolina are all hosting regionals.

That means that of the 16 host sites for the NCAA Tournament, nearly 19 percent are from the Palmetto State.

Clemson coach Erik Bakich spoke with the media on Monday after the NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed about the Tigers hosting and having two other teams from South Carolina hosting, too.

“I think it speaks to the caliber of the talent in this state of college baseball,” Bakich said. “You’ve got those other two teams who have won national championships. And Clemson looking to add to that list. But all three teams are thinking they can compete for trips to Omaha every year.”

South Carolina won back-to-back national titles in baseball in 2010-11, while Coastal Carolina won the national championship in 2016. Clemson has yet to win a national title, but the Tigers have come close several times.

Clemson has made 12 trips to the College World Series and has a solid chance to get back there this season as the Tigers are the No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The three teams hosting from South Carolina is the most of any state. Clemson and South Carolina were regularly appearing in the College World Series from 2000-2012. It appears as though they may be on the verge of getting back to being two of the better programs in the sport.

Bakich added that there’s more talent in South Carolina than just the big-name schools.

“Really a lot of other teams in this state, as well, and in this region… just the caliber of baseball is outstanding,” he said.

Bakich believes that the success that local colleges are having is due in part to having so many talented players growing up in the area.

There is high-level baseball being played in high school and on travel ball teams throughout South Carolina and in surrounding states.

“I can just speak from a recruiting standpoint – recruiting in the southeast, the caliber of baseball of the high school player, the travel ball player, it’s just a very advanced player,” Bakich said. “These kids have had a lot of repetition from a young age playing baseball and they just have an advanced skillset. They bring that into the schools that they go into throughout the southeast and create the high level of play you see in these conferences.”