COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -
South Carolina's chance at three-peat history hinges on Wednesday night's game and with that comes a lot of pressure. The question is how will the team handle it?
"Playing baseball, if you're coming to the plate to bat, you have to forget about what you just did on defense," little league Coach James McCord said.
That's good advice whether in the dugout at Pinehurst Park's little league field, or at the College World Series defending your national title, again.
"In order for them to perform at the level they're capable of, they can not think about history," McCord said.
As one of four teams in the last 25 years to repeat CWS championships, the pressure's on.
"When you have a championship team, year after year after year, a lot is bestowed upon them. The question is can they carry it? And it's very hard," said psychologist Dr. Nicholas Cooper Lewter.
Maybe what the Gamecocks have learned in the 10 come-from-behind wins in their 22 game winning streak is resiliency.
"What have I learned from my losing is that allows me to now apply it so that I can rebound," Lewter said.
Fans are confident, even with freshman Jordan Montgomery on the mound.
"I think he can do it," said Gamecock fan Tom. "He's played throughout the year, so he's got to pull it out tonight.
The true pressure may be yet to come in the championship series.
"I think that, at that time they will feel some pressure because they'll have to beat that team twice," McCord said.
Including Wednesday night's game, the team will have to have three consecutive wins to make it to the championship round.
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