Kip Bouknight ‘very humbled’ to join elite staff in Hall of Fame

Kip Bouknight’s memories came rushing back with the announcement Tuesday that he would be inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015.

The former USC right-hander can clearly remember the last time he walked off the mound at Sarge Frye Field. After pitching a complete-game shutout against The Citadel in the opening game of the 2001 NCAA regional, Bouknight returned to the mound in the final game against Central Florida to toss 32/3 innings of relief to clinch the championship.

He also remembers a picture of him giving his cap to the crowd after that win.

“It was just a moment of completion,” Bouknight said. “I knew that was it for me at Sarge Frye, so it was bittersweet, but it’s a memory I’ll never forget. We had won the game and still had a chance to get to Omaha.”

The Gamecocks lost in the Super Regional at Stanford, which meant Bouknight never got to pitch in the College World Series in his storied career from 1998 to 2001. But all the things he accomplished in his four seasons as a Gamecock earned him a spot in the S.C. Athletic Hall of Fame – eight years after he was inducted into the USC Hall of Fame.

Bouknight, a native of Columbia and a graduate of Brookland-Cayce High, was a four-year starting pitcher at USC, where he set records in wins with a 45-12 record.

In 2000, he posted the most wins of any collegiate pitcher with a 17-1 record and was a consensus All-American, SEC Pitcher of the Year and the winner of the Golden Spikes Award as the nation’s top amateur player. USC athletics director Ray Tanner, the Gamecocks baseball coach from 1997 to 2012, remembers a recruit who came in as a position player and a pitcher before becoming the Friday night starter in his freshman season.

“The competitive nature he possessed was his defining characteristic, I don’t think there’s any question about that,” Tanner said. “It was off the charts. When he didn’t pitch on days he was off, he was just as competitive. I can remember numerous times he would be in my way in the dugout as he inspired his teammates and lived vicariously through them. He wanted to win every single game.”

Selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 13th round of the 2001 MLB draft, he spent nine seasons pitching professionally, peaking in Triple-A.

Bouknight, 36, who now works for global insurance broker Hub International, will be inducted May 11 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center with six other honorees from across the Palmetto State.

“I’m very humbled by the honor and joining the long list of amazing names and icons in South Carolina sports history,” Bouknight said. “The first thing that came to my mind was all of the great coaches and teammates that I had throughout the years. It would not be possible without them.”

Tanner remembers the Bouknight years as special ones.

“He had such a positive influence on our program,” Tanner said. “He deserves a lot of credit for being a part of the foundation.”

Bouknight, who did color commentary on SEC Network Plus broadcasts last weekend, retains a strong connection to the USC program.

“I’m able to share a lot of those memories with my former teammates, who are still great friends today,” he said. “That’s the one thing about the South Carolina baseball program, it’s always been a close-knit family.”

This story was originally published February 24, 2015 at 9:08 PM.