USC baseball goes into the NCAA Chapel Hill Super Regional as an underdog to No. 5 national seed North Carolina. The Trojans had to travel to Texas for their regional. Now they have to go to the East Coast to play a top-tier opponent. It’s going to be a grind, and it is likely to be very difficult. However, USC certainly has a path to Omaha and the College World Series. Tar Heels Wire offers perspective on this specific point:
“Every star pitcher is going to encounter struggles. Jason DeCaro, UNC’s staff ace, hit his wall during the ACC Tournament and Regional Round. DeCaro lasted just 3 2/3 innings during North Carolina’s 7-5 win over ECU, giving up three runs on six hits and two walk. A week earlier against Virginia Tech, when the Diamond Heels won 10-4, DeCaro hurled 3 1/3 frames of 3-run ball. UNC isn’t asking DeCaro to toss a full nine innings against USC, but if he can pitch the minimum five innings required for a win, it’ll make things much easier in Chapel Hill.”
This might be the number one key to the entire series. If North Carolina’s ace doesn’t get back on the beam and USC roughs him up early, the Trojans would gain the leverage they need to piece together a series win. If, on the other hand, Jason DeCaro returns to being the big dog the Tar Heels expect, USC’s window of opportunity narrows considerably.
This is the big storyline to follow on the weekend in Chapel Hill.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC’s biggest hope against North Carolina in baseball super regional
Reporting by Matt Zemek, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Matt Zemek, Trojans Wire | USA TODAY Network
