Who will LSU face in Chapel Hill regional? What to know about Wofford, UNC and LIU

The LSU Tigers are headed to Chapel Hill, where they are set to play in their 12th straight Regional beginning on Friday at 11 a.m. It will be the first time the Tigers will play a Regional in the Eastern Time Zone.

But who will they face? Things will start with Wofford University. Scroll below for key info about each team.

ABOUT WOFFORD

The Terriers are making their first NCAA Tournament since 2007 and second in program history. They won the Southern Conference Tournament as a fifth seed, beating second seeded Samford Bulldogs twice after losing to them earlier in the tournament.

They are a great hitting team with a team batting average of .340 with 144 stolen bases. The 144 stolen bases ranks No. 7 in the nation. And the .340 average is No. 3 in the country.

Junior outfielder Marshall Toole is their top position player. He’s hitting .383 with nine home runs, 64 RBIs and 42 stolen bases. That’s the second highest in the country.

They also have a few thumpers in the lineup. Tyler Hare has 16 home runs, Dixon Black has belted 13 and Daniel Jackson 12.

Wofford’s ace is Zac Cowan. He will likely get the ball against LSU. Cowan is 9-2 with 3.55 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 104 innings. Cowan is a 5-11, 180-pound right-hander.

If LSU and North Carolina both win on Friday, they will face each other on Saturday at 4 p.m. central time.

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ABOUT UNC

The Tar Heels have hit 105 home runs, the same as LSU. They have three great hitters, Parks Harber, Casey Cook and Vance Honeycutt.

Honeycutt is a .319 hitter with 22 home runs and 58 RBIs. He also has 28 stolen bases and is an outstanding defensive outfielder.

Cook is hitting .345 with 18 home runs and 76 RBIs. The sophomore also put up big numbers as a freshman. Harber is hitting .351 with 20 home runs and 60 RBIs.

The Tar Heels may pack a punch at the plate, but make no mistake: This team is the No. 4 seed because of its pitching. UNC has a team ERA of 4.19, which ranks No. 14 in the country.

Jason Decaro and Shea Sprague are the Tar Heels top two starters. Decaro is 5-1 with a 3.80 ERA and Sprague is 3-1 with a 4.02 ERA.

Matthew Matthijs has appeared in 31 games and is 12-4 with a 3.81 ERA. It’s amazing he has 12 wins, while not making a start.

Dalton Pence leads the team with six saves with a 2.14 ERA.

North Carolina as a pitching staff has only allowed 55 home runs.

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ABOUT LIU

The No. 4 seed in the Chapel Hill regional is Long Island of New York, a team making just its second NCAA Tournament appearance overall, but also its second in the past three years.

The Sharks won the Northeast Conference Tournament Championship. Jake Mastillo is their top player. He’s hitting .305 with 16 home runs and 67 RBIs.

Featured Image Photo Credit: USAT Images