How Monte Lee wants South Carolina to look offensively
There is a certain pecking order and way of life in the wild. Each animal in the ecosystem knows its role and how to play it. Monte Lee is taking a similar strategy for South Carolina offensively.
“One of the first things we’re going to talk about with the guys is understanding what you are. You’re either a buffalo or a deer,” Lee said. “We don’t want the buffaloes trying to be a deer and we don’t want the deer trying to be a buffalo.”
The analogy is simple: power guys play the power role while some of the fleeter-footed players get on base and use speed to their advantage.
It’s what can make an offense well-rounded. And it’s what Lee—who was hired recently as the Gamecocks’ associate head coach—wants South Carolina to look like at the plate.
“People sometimes don’t like guys swinging for the fences. I understand that. It does lead to more strikeouts and pop up and weak contact. But one thing we cannot defend is the home run. You can’t defend a home run and you can’t defend a walk,” Lee said.
“I’m big on plate discipline and big on maximizing power. I’m also big on guys who don’t have power don’t need to be trying to hit for power. If you’re a deer and can run and bunt and push or drag and hit and run and manipulate the bat and hit it all over the ballpark, we want you to be a deer.”
South Carolina has struggled at times offensively the last two seasons. It ranked at or near the bottom in most offensive categories.
The top half of South Carolina’s offense fared well, slashing .317/.396/.524 while the bottom of it was largely inconsistent with mostly freshmen. It ended hitting .222/.334/.319.
What Lee doesn’t want to sacrifice, if the buffalo are up to bat, is still being able to get on base. He wants a team that doesn’t chase and competes exclusively in the strike zone.
“One of the absolute fundamentals, though, is strike zone discipline. We have to be competitive in the strike zone and understand chasing pitches out of the zone is not going to work in our offense,” he said.
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“Our goal is to put together a lineup on base that can score runs. It’s all about scoring runs. However you score those runs doesn’t matter, whether it’s via the home run or via small ball. We have to score runs.”
Lee also harped on the Gamecocks’ ability to run the bases well, saying that’s going to be a critical thing he addresses with the team’s hitters.
“You’re going to see a team where if it’s ball in dirt, they’re going to go. We’re going to go first to third and we’re going to score on doubles from first base,” Lee said. “We’re going to run the bases the right way. That’s going to be a major, major priority for us. That’s our special teams, so to speak.”
Lee has a tall task ahead, getting acquainted with the hitters he’ll be working with before fall scrimmages start in September.
The next few weeks will help him determine who the buffalo and deer are on the roster and how he can use those players.
But ideally, for Lee, the 2023 lineup looks like a well-balanced attack.
“I think the hardest teams to play typically are the teams that have a blend of both,” Lee said. “You want a blend of power and speed in the lineup so all your hitters aren’t similar to pitch to. Then you want a blend of left-handed and right-handed hitters. I don’t like overly dominant right-handed or left-handed lineups.
