Gamecocks baseball coach Ray Tanner holds the College World Championship trophy after the teams back-to-back win. (June 2011/FOX Carolina)COLUMBIA, SC (AP) -
South Carolina already holds a special spot in college baseball history.
After back-to-back College World Series titles, the Gamecocks will take a swing at becoming one of the sport's rare dynasties.
Just the sixth school to win two straight championships, South Carolina begins its quest Friday for a third in a row as the pings of spring start up at college ballparks all around the country.
Only Rod Dedeaux's 1970-74 Southern California squads have won three or more consecutive national titles in Division I baseball.
But South Carolina will have plenty of competition on the road to Omaha, Neb. -- the site of the College World Series played in June. Florida, ranked No. 1 in preseason polls, is a strong contender, as are Stanford, Arkansas, Texas A&M and Texas.
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