The South Carolina Gamecocks are in Omaha once again with a chance to win the College World Series, and should they hoist the trophy in late June they will have won the tournament for the third straight year. They will face the No. 1 national seed Florida Gators on Saturday, a rematch of the 2011 CWS championship series.
The Gamecocks ride a 21-game postseason winning streak and an 11-game College World Series into Saturday night's contest, which will feature senior Michael Roth (7-1, 2.50 ERA) on the mound. Roth has plenty of Omaha experience so he'll be battle-hardened for this contest. First baseman Christian Walker enters this game as South Carolina's top hitter with a .315 batting average, 11 home runs and 54 RBI.
Florida went 3-0 in the regionals and then went 2-0 against N.C. State in the Super Regionals to secure a spot in Omaha. LHP Brian Johnson (8-4, 3.56 ERA) takes the mound for the Gators. He hasn't pitched since the Gators defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 15-3, in the final game of the Gainesville, Fla., regional. He allowed one run on three hits in five innings.
The Gators offense features catcher Mike Zunino (third overall pick, 19 home runs) and former Colorado Rockies draft pick (now Houston Astros draft pick) Preston Tucker (16 HR).
Game time/date: 7:00 p.m. MT, Saturday, June 16, 2012
Location: TD Ameritrade Park, Omaha, Neb.
Broadcast: ESPN/WatchESPN
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For a complete bracket, visit NCAA.com.
