Latest local news, weather and high school sports from the Midlands

COLUMBIA, S.C -- No one has to tell South Carolina coach Ray Tanner how important the next month will be to his Gamecocks.

Losing all three games at Florida last weekend has put the team in a bind as it tries to qualify for both the Southeastern Conference and the NCAA tournaments.

The Gamecocks are 9-12 in the SEC with only three more weekends of conference play remaining. They have to finish in the top four of the league's six-team Eastern Division if they want to reach the conference tournament in May.

The road to rebouding begins Friday night at Carolina Stadium with a three-game series against Vanderbilt (27-17, 10-10 SEC).  South Carolina is in fourth place in the SEC Eastern Division and eighth place overall.  Vanderbilt is just ahead of tjem in third place in the division and seventh place overall. There are nine games remaining in the conference schedule beginning Friday night.

Failure to make the SEC tournament would make it difficult for South Carolina to secure an at-large NCAA bid.