USC Gamecocks Baseball

Third game in Clemson-South Carolina baseball series canceled

South Carolina catcher Talmadge LeCroy (5) beats out the throw to Clemson infielder Jacob Hinderleider (6) during the Gamecocks’ game against Clemson at Segra Park in Columbia on Saturday, March 2, 2024.
South Carolina catcher Talmadge LeCroy (5) beats out the throw to Clemson infielder Jacob Hinderleider (6) during the Gamecocks’ game against Clemson at Segra Park in Columbia on Saturday, March 2, 2024. Special To The State

The Clemson and South Carolina baseball teams will not be playing a full three-game series against each other thanks to a rain delay and scheduling issues.

South Carolina’s athletic department announced Tuesday that USC baseball’s home game against Clemson (which was set for Friday, March 1 before being delayed because of weather) “will not be made up” this season.

“A mutual date was unattainable based on remaining competition and academic schedules,” the department said in a statement, adding that fans who bought tickets for the game can exchange those tickets for a future baseball game at Founders Park by emailing the ticket office.

Clemson baseball also confirmed the news on social media.

After the opening game of this year’s rivalry weekend series was rained out, Clemson and USC played the last two games of the series as scheduled. The Tigers beat the Gamecocks 5-4 in 12 innings during the neutral site game at Segra Park in Columbia on March 2 and clinched a series win with a 5-4 win at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, Clemson’s home field, on March 3.

Clemson coach Erik Bakich had said postgame the third game would most likely be rescheduled for some time in mid- to late April.

The rivals have gone in different directions since their early-season non-conference series (which will go down as a 2-0 Clemson sweep). Coach Mark Kingston’s Gamecocks are unranked and sit at 22-10 overall and 6-6 in the Southeastern Conference heading into a Tuesday night game vs. No. 13 UNC in Charlotte. Clemson, meanwhile, is 28-3 and the No. 2 team in the country per D1Baseball.com. The Tigers are 10-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and host USC Upstate on Tuesday night.

Because of Tuesday’s cancellation, fans will go a year without seeing South Carolina play rival Clemson in its home ballpark. Based on the teams’ usual scheduling rotation, USC’s next baseball game vs. Clemson at Founders Park will be the Sunday game in 2025.

This story was originally published April 9, 2024 at 11:16 AM.

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Chapel Fowler
The State
Chapel Fowler, the NSMA’s 2024 South Carolina Sportswriter of the Year, has covered Clemson football and other topics for The State since summer 2022. His work’s also been honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors, the South Carolina Press Association and the North Carolina Press Association. He’s a Denver, N.C., native, a UNC-Chapel Hill alum and a pickup basketball enthusiast. Support my work with a digital subscription
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