How new South Carolina baseball assistant Joey Holcomb plans to make a mark in Columbia
Joey Holcomb remembers stepping into Founders Park for the Columbia Regional last month and watching his wide-eyed Campbell players take videos and pictures of the atmosphere with their phones.
Even Holcomb, then an assistant coach for the Camels, found himself enamored with the electricity in the stands and the rich college baseball history oozing from every inch of the place.
“As a visiting team, you haven’t even taken pre-game BP yet and you’re already intimidated,” Holcomb said, laughing. “You walk in, and you’re just in shock.”
The two-year Campbell hitting coach came away impressed with the physicality and discipline of the Gamecocks, who mashed their way to a 16-7 win over the Camels in the regional title game. What Holcomb didn’t realize during that weekend in Columbia was that the coaches in the opposing dugout were impressed with his offense, too.
A couple of weeks after the season ended, USC head coach Mark Kingston reached out to Holcomb about potentially joining the Gamecocks coaching staff. The NCAA approved legislation earlier this year to allow baseball teams to hire a third full-time, on-field assistant. The more conversations Kingston and Holcomb had, the more sense it made for Holcomb to become that third assistant.
Holcomb accepted the job, and the Gamecocks announced his hiring July 1. He’ll fill a variety of roles for the Gamecocks, including assistant recruiting coordinator, but his main task will be helping top assistant Monte Lee with the offense. Though Holcomb is barely a week into the job, the transition already sounds like it’ll be a smooth one.
“When South Carolina had to start preparing scouting reports and digging a little bit deeper into our team (at Campbell), I think they saw that the way that we run our offense is very similar to the way that they run their offense,” Holcomb said Friday, in his introductory press conference.
“And so I think they like the idea of being able to bring in someone that’s on the same page as them.”
After seven years at UNC Greensboro and two years at N.C. State, Holcomb joined the Campbell staff in 2022 and made an immediate impact. In his first season in Buies Creek, the Camels hit 118 home runs, smashing a program record that was set in 1985. Last season, the Camels broke that record again, hitting 123 home runs, which ranked seventh in the country.
Much like the Gamecocks offense, the Camels boasted both power and plate discipline in 2023. Campbell led the country in on-base percentage (.439), ranked second in slugging percentage (.561) and ninth in batting average (.318). The 2023 Gamecocks, in comparison, slashed .273/.408/.499 as a team with 117 home runs while facing harder-throwing pitchers in the SEC.
More than statistical similarities, the Holcomb’s and Lee’s offenses share similar points of philosophy. Both coaches have tweaked their approach in recent years, with the rise of velocity. With pitchers missing more bats than ever, there’s more of a premium on power and getting on base.
“You’re going to have to rely on being able to hit the ball out of the park and have that three-run home run that’s the difference in the game,” Holcomb said. “Or even be able to do short-game type stuff to be able to pressure guys, get guys off the mound, make them field their position. And when you get on base, make them feel your presence.”
Holcomb said he is excited to work in tandem with Lee both with hitters and on the recruiting trail. Holcomb is already scouting and recruiting for the Gamecocks at Lee’s direction, calling into Friday’s press conference from a recruiting trip in Hoover, Alabama.
Originally from Locust Fork, Alabama, Holcomb is the second new addition to the USC coaching staff this offseason. Former Liberty pitching coach Matt Williams joined USC after two-year pitching coach Justin Parker left for Mississippi State.
Having a third full-time assistant coach will be an adjustment for baseball coaching staffs all over the country, and USC is no exception. But it helps that Holcomb and USC are already aligned in terms of their vision for the offense.
“To be extremely well-rounded is important to me, to have physical, athletic guys that we can train to help in all phases of the game so that when one thing is not working, we have we have Plan B, we have Plan C,” Holcomb said. “That’s something that I think South Carolina has, and I’m excited to jump on board with that.”
