The first opponent the Gamecocks will face in the Columbia Regional will be the 4th-seeded Rhode Island Rams. This is just the second time that Rhode Island has made it to the postseason and they're still looking for an NCAA Tournament win after going 0-2 in their 2005 appearance. The only previous meeting between the Gamecocks and Rhode Island was a Carolina win in 2011.
The Rams come into the Columbia Regional at 30-25 (18-6 Atlantic 10) and they got an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Atlantic 10 conference tournament. Rhode Island had a spectacular year in conference play, winning seven conference series and losing only one.