Resume Check: Looking ahead to South Carolina baseball's next opponent, the College of Charleston Cougars

South Carolina baseball dropped its first SEC series of the 2025 season this weekend, losing a heartbreaker on Sunday afternoon. Paul Mainieri’s team now owns a 16-5 overall record and a 1-2 mark in conference play. Their next conference matchup is even tougher as USC will travel to Arkansas next weekend.

Before the Gamecocks have a chance to play their second SEC series, they will see action in the mid-week. On Tuesday night, USC will take on the College of Charleston Cougars (and former Carolina head coach Chad Holbrook) at neutral-site Segra Park.

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Resume Check: College of Charleston Cougars

Record: 12-5
AP Ranking: N/A
Last Week: 2-0 series sweep over Dartmouth (game three canceled); 9-8 mid-week win over Wofford
Previous Meeting: College of Charleston defeated South Carolina during 2018 season

College of Charleston, as usual, is one of the most well-respected mid-major teams in the country. Chad Holbrook’s bunch smacked a ranked Coastal Carolina squad earlier this season and enters Tuesday’s in-state showdown on a four-game winning streak.

In a close vote among the league’s coaches this preseason, Charleston was picked as the second-best team in the Colonial Athletic Association. They also earned three of 12 first-place votes. CofC put outfielder Avery Neaves, starting pitcher Jake Brink, and reliever Davis Aiken on the preseason all-CAA team. Catcher Dylan Johnson, starting pitcher Aidan Hunter, and reliever Alex Lyon have earned some preseason love, too.

As expected, Neaves has been the Cougars’ top overall offensive threat. However, senior outfielder Dariyan Pendergrass and freshman Landon Penfield have had good starts this spring. Neaves has 10 extra-base hits this year (including five homers), and Pendergrass has swiped 16 bags without being caught.

As a team, College of Charleston doesn’t hit for much power. Other than Neaves’ five long balls, the Cougars have hit just nine baseballs over the fence. However, they take a lot of walks, limit strikeouts, and are aggressive on the bases.

On the mound, Brink and Hunter have been the top arms for Holbrook. Hunter has given up some hard contact at times but owns a stellar 19-1 K-BB ratio. Falling in line with preseason expectations, Lyon and Aiken have seen the most action out of the bullpen. The duo has been great, but the rest of the relievers have been average or worse most of the year.

South Carolina baseball’s matchup with the College of Charleston Cougars will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Columbia’s Segra Park will host the showdown. It will not be on traditional television but will stream on SEC Network+.

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