South Carolina excited to have home-field advantage for regional play at Founders Park

This was what Mark Kingston envisioned when he first came to South Carolina. A chance to play meaningful baseball in front of the home crowd.

It happened once before, but it was short-lived as the Gamecocks were eliminated in their own regional in 2021.

But two years later, Kingston will get another crack at it, this time hoping for a better outcome. South Carolina, a top-16 seed, is set to play an NCAA Regional at Founders Park this weekend.

“We’ve been paying the price to be here, to get this opportunity for a long time,” Kingston said. “This team has worked extremely hard. They’ve done everything necessary to get here and to be successful. So I’m really proud of them. And now I hope our best baseball is ahead of us.”

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The Gamecocks had a strong resume to be able to host, finishing 39-19 with the fourth-hardest strength of schedule in the country. They earned the No. 15 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Throughout the season, teams are not just playing to win. They’re trying to secure home-field advantage in the postseason. And in some cases, it can make a difference in how a team plays.

“My freshman year, I remember playing here, it really makes all the difference. We’re not having to travel and worry about not sleeping in our own beds,” Jack Mahoney said. “Just being home at Founders, we’re so familiar playing here. We know how this park plays.”

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South Carolina played some of its best baseball at home this year. It went an impressive 26-7 at Founders Park and averaged 8.6 runs per game. On the other hand, visiting teams struggled to score in bunches and only averaged 4.1 runs.

A large part of this success has to do with the energy. Founders Park tends to draw larger crowds on weekends compared to a midweek game. It can hold more than 8,000 fans, making it challenging for any opponent to come in and win.

“I’ve been to Mississippi State, I’ve been to Auburn, UGA. There is nothing like Founders Park when it’s packed out — nothing,” Michael Braswell said. “People brag about Mississippi State, I don’t care. Founders Park is a formidable place to be when the crowd’s rocking.”

For opponents, it’s unfamiliar territory. But the ones coming into Columbia this weekend are up for the challenge. South Carolina will welcome in Campbell, NC State and Central Connecticut State for regional play.

Some teams, like Campbell, have been able to play in a Columbia regional before. None of the current players were on the team back in 2014, but current head coach Justin Haire was an assistant and remembers the experience all too well.

“We had South Carolina the first night. It was a really good game, I think it finished like 5-3,” Haire said. “We had a team that was hot, and there’s 10,000 people here and Sandstorm comes on in the seventh or eighth inning. Man, it’s an electric atmosphere.”

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While Haire’s team won’t draw the Gamecocks in the first game, instead facing NC State, they’ll be ready to go for a rowdy environment.

“Our guys, they enjoy that. They don’t shy away from it, they embrace those environments. And it tends to bring out the best in us,” Haire said. “So I think anybody that’s going to navigate their way through this regional has to play, obviously, very sound and get some breaks along the way. You’re going to have to play with some confidence and with some aggression because there’s some really good teams in this regional. And the team that comes out on top is going to be the team that carries that confidence through the weekend.”

In the days leading up to the weekend, the anticipation has been building. It’s becoming one of the hottest tickets to get for fans. And how can you blame them?

“I know people are kind of itching to get back in these seats. I’ve got a bunch of people texting me that I think I’ve met once. I don’t even know how their numbers are in my phone. They’re calling saying, ‘Is there any way you can get me a ticket?’ and it’s like no, sorry. We’re just excited to get back in front of all the fans and can’t wait to see what this atmosphere is like this weekend,” Mahoney said.

South Carolina will open regional play versus Central Connecticut State at 7 p.m. Friday night on ESPN Plus. If the Gamecocks lose Friday, they’ll play at noon Saturday while a win puts them at 6 p.m. Saturday night. 

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