Like father, like son: South Carolina baseball's Beau Hollins goes yard 30 years after his dad, Dave
South Carolina baseball couldn’t salvage their series against the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville this weekend. The Gamecocks didn’t capitalize on several chances they had to control Sunday’s finale, including when they got out to a quick 2-0 lead following solo home runs from Nathan Hall and Beau Hollins. For the freshman Hollins, the long ball was the first of his career.
The homer also looked vaguely familiar to older Gamecock fans.
That feeling of familiarity came because Beau’s father Dave Hollins hit 31 balls over the fence while wearing garnet and black from 1985-1987.
You can compare the two players’ swings in the videos below.
Though the pre-pitch bat angle differs, Beau and Dave share very similar stances and swings from the right side. The knee bend is close to the same, and the two-handed swings are compact, violent, and have a natural lift. It worked out well for Pops, and Beau has enjoyed a pretty solid start to his college career, too.
Keep up with all things Gamecocks for just $1 for 7 days—lock in this special offer today!
In addition to the similarities in bat path, both father and son also are switch-hitters. The two Hollins men each earned regular playing time on the Gamecocks’ corner infield as freshmen, too. Dave played third base, while Beau plays first base. If the rest of Beau’s career can mirror his father’s statistical success, the Gamecocks will have a strong middle-of-the-order bat for years to come.
During his South Carolina baseball career, Dave Hollins was an All-Metro Conference performer. He played three seasons in Columbia and posted an on-base percentage over .400 each year, smacked 61 extra-base hits (including 30 in one season), and walked more than he struck out. His efforts earned him a sixth-round MLB Draft selection by the San Diego Padres.
Top 10
- 1Breaking
Xavier hires Pitino
Richard Pitino joins dad in Big East
- 2Hot
Gunner Stockton
Sly parting shot at Carson Beck
- 3Trending
Bedlam in Spring?
Mike Gundy pitches rivalry as spring game
- 4
Troy Taylor
Stanford, Andrew Luck fire head coach
- 5
Paul Finebaum
Calipari success a disaster for Kentucky
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
The elder Hollins went on to become a Major League All-Star with the Philadelphia Phillies. He also delivered a game-deciding home run against Atlanta Braves pitcher Greg Maddux in game six of the 1993 NLCS. Putting the Phillies up 4-1 with the blast, Hollins gave his team all the runs they needed to advance to the World Series. His 112 career home runs were the record for South Carolina baseball alums at the Major League level before Justin Smoak came along with 196.
Dave’s older brother Paul also played for South Carolina.
For Beau, the decision to become a Gamecock was an easy one. During an appearance on 107.5 The Game’s Gamecock Club hour, he told GamecockCentral that USC was his dream school. He added that it was a privilege to “carry on that [Gamecock] legacy and wear the same uniform that my dad and uncle did.”
The River Bluff product earned the starting first base gig for the Gamecocks a couple of weeks into the season. He’s been the primary starter at the position since that point, only shifting out of the lineup when Ethan Petry has needed to play the position.
So far this season, Beau Hollins has started 11 games and has reached base in 10 of them. In addition to his home run, Hollins reached base three times on Sunday and scored twice.
