South Carolina baseball's humble placement in program rankings
As fall practice has gotten underway, the South Carolina baseball program also has begun the Paul Mainieri era. The legendary coach is the 11th-winningest coach in the history of college baseball, and Gamecock fans hope that those winning ways will continue in Columbia. Frankly, it’s been too long since winning was the norm for the proud program.
Mainieri’s hire follows a disappointing seven-year stretch from former head coach Mark Kingston. Kingston finished his Gamecock tenure with a losing record in SEC play (83-96) and the SEC Tournament (5-9), a 9-8 record in the NCAA Tournament, just one 40-win season, and no appearances in the College World Series.
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With the lack of success in recent years, South Carolina baseball fans know the program’s perception has dipped. However, based on a recent D1Baseball program ranking, the Gamecocks are now the 34th-best program in the country. The national college baseball outlet releases these rankings once every two years.
One can argue whether or not the ranking is too harsh, but the reality of Carolina’s place in college baseball’s hierarchy is that the Gamecocks have not met the standards that are in place in Columbia.
When former head coach Ray Tanner moved to the athletics director position at the University of South Carolina back in 2012, most in the college baseball world viewed South Carolina as a top-5 program in the sport. The Gamecocks won back-to-back College World Series titles in 2010 and 2011. Then, they played for a third title in 2012. Carolina also had one of the best facilities in the nation. That seems like a long time ago now.
However, even with such a low ranking from D1Baseball, there is reason for optimism about a South Carolina baseball resurgence.
[Win two tickets to the South Carolina-Texas A&M football game]
Mainieri brings discipline, toughness, and winning expectations with him to Columbia. He also brings an elite staff of assistant coaches.
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Monte Lee signed a contract making him the highest-paid assistant in the country, retaining an important piece of the Gamecock puzzle (and, according to Mainieri, perhaps the program’s head coach in waiting). He will serve as the associate head coach and hitting coach.
Terry Rooney will man pitching coach and recruiting coordinator duties. He is regarded as one of the top recruiters in the game and has worked with Mainieri for years. Coming from the University of Virginia, John Hendry will assist Rooney with both pitchers and recruiting. Chris Gordon also arrives from Texas and will be the program’s director of operations and player development.
If things go according to plan, it will take no time at all for Mainieri and his staff to move the Gamecocks back into a much more prominent place nationally. The roster appears to be better. The coaching staff has a better track record. Recruiting (both from the high school ranks and the transfer portal) has improved. And, perhaps most important of all in the long-term, the fanbase has been re-energized. In the era of NIL and the transfer portal, elite fan support has never been more important.
Mainieri’s team has plenty of work to do between now and the season to get off to a good start (including getting the roster to the 40-man limit), but feelings around the Gamecocks are positive.
South Carolina will face off against an opponent for the first time on October 26th when the Gamecocks welcome the Air Force Falcons to Founders Park for a scrimmage.
