Last weekend was more of a status quo weekend. There wasn't a lot of movement at the top of the polls as most of the top teams held court in conference play. This week could be much different. It will be a tell-tale weekend for a couple of teams, the epicenter of which will be the Carolinas.

Upstarts like Coastal Carolina and South Carolina will go into the lion's den in their respective conferences as they'll take on their toughest road assignments yet this season. The ACC will have rivals North Carolina and NC State trying to one-up each other in their fight for postseason survival.

Beyond Tobacco Road, we've got smokin' action coast-to-coast, including perilous Pac-10 pairings, some Sun Belt slugfests and the start of the Patriot League playoffs.

Let's just see who is left in the crush-proof box to rise from the ashes of what could be an elimination weekend.

1. Will South Carolina prove us all wrong and give us a head-slapping road series win? If last week's tank job at Kentucky is any indication, my guess is no. I mean, this is the SEC. And these are an angry bunch of Razorbacks they'll be going up against.

2. Can Liberty knock off the best mid-major since the days when Rice played in the WAC? Welcoming in Coastal Carolina is one way to conduct the ultimate litmus test for your team. And the Chanticleers are an experienced bunch that can win in any environment. They'll get it done in Lynchburg, Va., or the next round is on me.

3. Can teams like TCU, Louisville, Cal State Fullerton and Connecticut hold on to their respective hopes of earning a national seed and hosting a regional despite the specter of weak-RPI opponents? My only answer for that is, let's hope so. Unlike a lot of lazy higher-ranked teams out there, these four have scheduled out of conference about as well as they feasibly can, so let's hope the selection committee signs this memo, as well.

4. Will anybody remember some of the great rivalries that go head-to-head this weekend? Probably not. And yes, it's bizarre to think that matchups like Cal State Fullerton-Long Beach State, USC-UCLA, Southern-Grambling, Texas A&M-Oklahoma State and San Jose State-Fresno State will get completely ignored this weekend.

5. Will we recover from the depression of knowing that a number of teams have already completed their seasons? No. This college baseball season is going much too quickly for our liking.

1. No. 12 Miami at No. 6 Georgia Tech

By the numbers:
Miami: 36-11, 18-6 ACC | No. 8 RPI
Georgia Tech: 39-9, 17-7 ACC | No. 11 RPI

What's at stake: National seeding.
Oh sure, there's that whole Coastal Division title thing in the ACC that's up for grabs, but both of these teams have bigger fish to fry, as we all know. A series win for either team here puts them in prime position to grab a top-eight national seed and home-field advantage all the way to Omaha. No guarantees, of course. But just to make sure, these guys better not slip up here.

Key matchup: Georgia Tech pitching vs. Yasmani Grandal.
Nobody gets on base more than sweet-swingin' Cane Grandal does in the ACC. Not only that, but in two wins over Tech last year, the Hurricane backstop went just 1-for-4. But he also had five walks, a HBP and his lone hit was a yard call. Some of the Jackets' youthful arms must not only be wary of his presence at the dish, but also make sure there are no ducks on the pond, since Grandal is also second in the ACC with a .732 slugging percentage. Yikes.

2. No. 12 South Carolina vs. No. 10 Arkansas

By the numbers:
South Carolina: 36-11, 17-7 SEC | No. 19 RPI
Arkansas: 37-11, 16-8 SEC | No. 6 RPI

What's at stake: SEC supremacy.
This is it. The showdown between Eastern and Western division leaders has come. Armageddon is at hand … OK, that's a bit overdramatic. Sorry. But this will be a huge matchup in terms of seeding for the SEC tournament. And as you know, anytime a team is the top seed in the SEC, it's getting a home ride to Omaha. Why is this significant? Because win or lose, Arkansas looks in good shape (as long as it doesn't hit a huge losing streak). But Carolina is way down at No. 19 in the RPI. If the season ended today, the Gamecocks would be on the road as a 2-seed.

Key matchup: Gamecock pitching vs. Cox, Eibner and Wilkins.
In their three games last season, South Carolina's pitching made ribbons of the Hogs' big three of Zack Cox, Brett Eibner and Andy Wilkins, handcuffing them to a combined 6-for-29. This year, Cox is hitting almost 200 points better than last year (at .455) and Eibner is clipping along 128 points better (.359), which means this will be a much stiffer challenge than last year's series for the Gamecocks' pitchers. Oh, and that whole venturing into the Hogs' den thing makes it three times as tough, as well.

3. No. 4 Coastal Carolina at Liberty

By the numbers:

Coastal Carolina: 42-6, 20-0 Big South | No. 6 RPI
Liberty: 37-12, 18-6 Big South | No. 45 RPI

What's at stake: The rise of the Flames or the flame-out of the Chants?
If Liberty pulls a stunner and wins this series, it could do two things: No. 1, it could cement the Flames as at-large candidates to the NCAA tournament. No. 2, it could damage Coastal's hopes for a national seeding. I don't think the Chanticleers could possibly tank it so bad down the stretch they'd lose a No. 1 seed, but how cool would it be to see them play their way to Omaha in their own backyard? This series should be a blast.

Key matchup: The cool of the Flames vs. the Coastal thieves.
As is the key to anyone beating Coastal Carolina, the most important factor is keeping the fleet feet of Scott Woodward (43 stolen bases) and Rico Noel (42) in neutral. If the Flame flingers lose their composure and start putting these human blurs on the basepaths, it's lights out, man. But coach Jim Toman has big-time faith in his rotation of Shawn Teufel (10-1, 2.10), Keegan Linza (8-0, 5.11) and Steven Evans (7-1, 3.33), so I'm looking for a nip-and-tuck series. Not sure if Coastal will agree.

4. North Carolina at No. 3 Virginia

By the numbers:

North Carolina: 31-17, 11-13 ACC | No. 29 RPI
Virginia: 40-9, 18-6 ACC | No. 3 RPI

What's at stake: Carolina's postseason hopes.
The Tar Heels are in a knock-down, drag-out battle with Boston College and NC State for the final two spots in the ACC tournament field. Hard to believe, but yes, a team with an RPI of 29 is in danger of not making its conference tournament. So, if the Heels get swept here, is it over? Not totally. But it sure increases the degree of difficulty. So while you're scoreboard watching this weekend, just keep in mind that you've gotta win one here, Tar Heels. Two wouldn't be bad, either.

Key matchup: The Tar Heels nerves vs. the Big Game environment.
If you want to know why Tar Heels coach Mike Fox has a few more gray hairs this season, it's because his charges have had a knack for folding under pressure. Namely, they'll kick the ball around a little bit more on defense and hand out the free passes a bit more than usual. With additional right-field bleachers being propped up around Davenport Field this weekend, the crowd will be bigger and louder than ever. So beyond Matt Harvey on Friday night, the Heels need to dig in their heels a bit more this weekend.

5. No. 2 Arizona State at Arizona

By the numbers:

Arizona State: 41-5, 14-4 Pac-10 | No. 1 RPI
Arizona: 30-16, 9-9 Pac-10 | No. 25 RPI

What's at stake: Arizona's legitimacy.
We all know about the Devils. They're the winningest team in the nation with 41 W's to their ledger and they lead the Pac-10 by four games with just nine to play. But the Desert Cats have fallen on hard times. Sure, Arizona's RPI is good enough for an at-large bid, but losing two-of-three in three straight weekend series has people wondering if the Wildcats' relatively easy schedule early in the season has pumped up their numbers, you know … SEC-like. Now is the chance to flush all that nonsense.

Key matchup: Devils' experience vs. Wildcats' lack thereof.
One thing we've seen from ASU is that nothing fazes them. Coach resigns amid controversy? Big deal. Lose ace Josh Spence? No problem. Go to face off with UCLA's vaunted staff? Sweep city. Earlier this season, Arizona coach Andy Lopez reiterated how extremely young his squad was. The youth is starting to show a tad more as they appear to be wearing down in this long season, losing seven of their past 10 games. But keep in mind, before this 3-7 skid, the Cats beat the Devils in a mid-week game 4-2.

6. NC State at No. 8 Florida State

By the numbers:

NC State: 31-18, 11-13 ACC | No. 66 RPI
Florida State: 36-12, 16-8 ACC | No. 12 RPI

What's at stake: The Wolf Packs' postseason hopes.
As pointed out above, the Pack are in a battle with BC and North Carolina over the eighth and final spot in the ACC tournament field. Without that, there's no chance of getting to the bigger prize. And with an RPI in the 70s, NC State needs a lot more help to get an at-large bid, but this will be a good place to start. As for the Seminoles, some projections have them as national hosts, but this is no place to slip up.

Key matchup: Pack offense vs. the FSU starters.
The biggest key in NC State's stunning series wins over Georgia Tech and Virginia was its knack for getting some early leads and making them stand up. Other than Grant Sasser (2-3, 3.20, 3 saves), the Big Red's staff hasn't been the best at locking down after the starters hit the showers. There are a ton of 5.00-plus ERAs in that bullpen. So Sean Gilmartin, John Gast and Geoff Parker must give quality starts against this Pack offense, which hits .337.

7. Kansas vs. No. 24 Kansas State

By the numbers:

Kansas: 29-19-1, 10-10-1 Big 12 | No. 53 RPI
Kansas State: 32-15, 11-9 Big 12 | No. 42 RPI

What's at stake: C'mon, beating your hated rival is enough.
These two teams are going in reverse directions. K-State looked good for a while against Texas, getting a win in the first game of the series. But digging deeper, the Wildcats have gone just 2-6 in their past three Big 12 weekends. KU swept its other big rival last weekend, winning three straight against Missouri -- always a cathartic experience if you're a Jayhawk. Neither team can run the risk of dropping any further in the Big 12 standings, since a top-eight finish is vital to furthering their postseason hopes.

Key matchup: Kansas catcher James Stanfield vs. the fleet cleats of the Wildcats.
It's a perfect storm of trouble for KU. No team in the conference has given up more stolen bases than the Jayhawks have (53). And no team has stolen more bases than the Wildcats (101). You can almost hear Nick Martini (18 stolen bases), Adam Muenster (19) and Carter Jurica (17) licking their chops over any and every curveball that might be thrown while they're on base.

8. St. John's at No. 9 Louisville

By the numbers:

St. John's: 33-14, 14-7 Big East | No. 83 RPI
Louisville: 40-9, 16-5 Big East | No. 4 RPI

What's at stake: St. John's last stand.
For the Johnnies, this is their biggest chance at making a plea for the postseason as a series win could vault their RPI into at-large consideration. For the Cardinals, winning in order to stay on track for a national seed is vital. Losses to teams outside of the top 40 can have huge consequences. So don't blow it, Cards. But this series will be much tougher than it appears, as the Johnnies are 20-5 since being swept at Pitt in late March. And you know how important momentum is for college-aged players.

Key matchup: The psyche of St. John's pitching vs. Louisville's power bats.
No other team in the Big East gives out more free passes than the Johnnies do, walking 246 opposing batters so far this season. Tell you what, if they keep this up, power hitters like Phil Wunderlich (19 HRs), Andrew Clark (11 HRs) and Ryan Wright (13 HRs) will rack up the RBIs in no time flat. The St. John's staff will have to be as mentally tough as possible this weekend.

9. No. 9 Southern Miss at No. 23 Rice
By the numbers:
Southern Miss: 29-17, 11-7 C-USA | No. 58 RPI
Rice: 30-18, 13-5 C-USA | No. 28 RPI

What's at stake: The C-USA title.
Rice leads Conference USA by two games over USM with six games to play so it is completely possible for the Owls to lock things up here. Both teams know about the ups-and-downs of a long season with some bumpy stretches. The Eagles are coming on like gangbusters, sweeping the past three weekends in C-USA play and winning 11 straight overall. This is also Southern Miss' big chance at making a push for at-large consideration.

Key matchup: Southern Miss' starting pitchers vs. Rice's offense.
Setting the tone with solid starts will be huge this weekend for the Eagles. If Scott Copeland (7-0, 4.48) and Todd McInnis (5-4, 2.78) can get to the seventh or eighth innings without much damage, league saves-leader Collin Cargill (3-2, 1.57) can lock down a few wins here, especially since Rice hasn't found a hammer in the 'pen to assure closeout games.

10. Washington at Oregon State

By the numbers:

Washington: 25-22, 8-10 Pac-10 | No. 56 RPI
Oregon State: 24-18, 7-11 Pac-10 | No. 33 RPI

What's at stake: Slivers of hope.
It may be a stretch, but the Huskies are still in the at-large bid picture for the NCAAs as they'll play the Beavers, then host Oregon and finish at USC, all three winnable series. OSU showed renewed vigor after the sweep of the Ducks and need to win as often as possible, since they'll close at Arizona State and versus Arizona in the last two weeks of the regular season. Again, both teams should be given some benefit of the doubt with their geographic limitations on scheduling.

Key matchup: OSU's pitchers vs. their own mind tricks.
Look, this is a matchup of the two weakest offenses in the Pac-10, with Washington hitting .276 and OSU hitting .257. And no pitching staff has as much potential as do the Beavers, just look what it did last weekend against Oregon, holding the Ducks to nine runs in 30 innings. The week before that, Cal ran up 34 runs on them. Which staff will show up? If Washington can get on them early, let the mind games begin.

Eric Sorenson covers college baseball for College Baseball Today