Chad Holbrook returns, Charleston knocks off Gamecocks at Founders Park

South Carolina’s midweek matchup against Charleston was part non-conference showdown, part reunion and part disappointment for the Gamecocks.

USC fell 6-4 to Charleston at Founders Park on Tuesday. Former Gamecock head coach and current Charleston skipper Chad Holbrook led the Cougars to victory against former Charleston head coach and current USC interim coach Monte Lee.

Holbrook’s return was another reminder of how far USC has strayed from its history of success since he was on staff for the Gamecocks’ back-to-back national championships.

“When I walked in that tunnel today, it was different, and only because so many special moments happened here, and I got to see things I never thought as a coach I’d get to see here,” Holbrook said. “You just urge the people around the program that make tough decisions to have some patience, because in that league, you have to have patience.”

“It’s not easy for me to coach against College of Charleston, and quite honestly, it never has been, just because it’s my alma mater and this place that I was a head coach for seven years, so it’s certainly different,” Lee said.

Here are three key takeaways from the loss:

Prisco’s ailment leads to pitching mishap, early deficit

Left-handed pitcher Logan Prisco made his second start of the season for USC (15-19, 2-10 SEC) Tuesday night, but it didn’t last long.

Prisco gave up two singles to start the game before walking the bases loaded. USC sent a trainer to the mound to seemingly check an issue on Prisco’s hand. After the sophomore gave up the opening run on a fielder’s choice, Lee decided Prisco wouldn’t pitch through the ailment any longer.

Lee called upon Parker Marlatt to replace Prisco, and he did well enough to pitch two scoreless innings. Then, after allowing two runners on base in the third, Marlatt let up a 3-RBI homer that gave Charleston (13-19, 5-7 CAA) a 4-0 lead.

“They scored early. They took advantage of some free 90s and some opportunities, hitting a big three run homer, and went ahead,” Lee said. “It put plenty of pressure on us.”

Clutch offense not quite enough

USC put up a single run in the fifth and sixth innings, but that was about all the offensive production it could muster headed into the seventh inning. But with the top of the Gamecock order due up, there was no time like the present to get things rolling.

Patrick Evans started with a leadoff double, and Tyler Bak followed with a 2-run homer to tie the game at 4-4. Then, USC loaded up the bases for Will Craddock with two outs. The freshman flew out to left field, but the game was still tied and the Gamecocks had a brand-new ballgame on their hands.

Alex Philpott was given the ball to finish out the game on the mound for USC and started strong with 1.1 shutout innings and two strikeouts. His outing came undone quickly in the ninth, giving up three consecutive hits and two runs with two outs .

“I felt terrible for Philpott. He got two outs, and then base hit, base hit, double,” Lee said. “I heard this many, many years ago: When you give up a big inning, you have got to find a way to go back into the dugout and score. You’ve got to find a way to get some momentum back in your dugout, somehow, some way. And we just didn’t do it.”

Charleston led 6-4 with three outs left for USC to make a comeback.

The Gamecocks reached base with two singles in the ninth but left both runners stranded and fell short of a comeback.

Homecoming

Holbrook was with the Gamecocks’ staff from 2009-2017. He started as an assistant under former coach Ray Tanner before inheriting Tanner’s job in 2013. Holbrook went 200-106 (.654) with the Gamecocks, good for the fourth-best winning percentage for a USC head coach and only 17 fewer wins than his successor, Mark Kingston, recorded in six seasons at the helm.

USC is 257-196 overall since Holbrook resigned from his duties in Columbia.

“My piece of advice would be ... I do have two national championship rings, but my words carry nothing. Monte Lee should be the head coach here, and give him some time to get it right,” Holbrook said. “That would be great. And if you give him time, he’ll get it right. That’s what I believe.”

Lee coached at Charleston from 2009-2015 after five years as a Gamecock assistant. He took the job at Clemson in 2016 and, eventually, rejoined the USC staff in 2023.

He went 274-163 as the Cougars’ head coach. Lee is 3-8 as USC’s interim head coach since taking over for Paul Mainieri on March 21.

“I greatly appreciate (Holbrook’s comment),” Lee said. “I don’t know what the future holds. Do I? You know? I don’t, and the only thing that I can do right now is do my very best for the players that are in this program and represent this program to the best of my ability, and be the leader that these kids need.”

It wasn’t just a homecoming for Holbrook. A handful of Charleston’s roster hails from the Midlands. Five Charleston players who appeared in Tuesday’s game played high school baseball in Richland or Lexington County: Alex Lyon (White Knoll), Dylan Johnson (White Knoll), Ethan Plyler (River Bluff), Landon Penfield (Blythewood) and Holbrook’s son, Reece Holbrook (Hammond).

Plyler knocked in the game-winning runs for Charleston in the ninth inning.

USC also welcomed back former Gamecock Will Tippett, who transferred to Charleston this past offseason.

The group went back to campus in high spirits after picking up a win close to home.

South Carolina baseball upcoming schedule

• Thursday: at Missouri, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
• Friday, April 10: at Missouri, 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
• Saturday, April 11: at Missouri, 3 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)