Former Gamecocks coach Skylar Meade has Troy in first CWS. The latest on USC’s search
Former South Carolina assistant Skylar Meade has guided Troy to the program’s first College World Series appearance, putting him in the spotlight as the Gamecocks search for a new head baseball coach.
Meade, Scott Forbes (UNC), Steve Sabins (West Virginia) and Kevin Schnall (Coastal Carolina) are believed to be the top candidates being considered for the South Carolina job.
Here are key takeaways:
- Skylar Meade, a former South Carolina assistant from 2018-21, led Troy to an upset of Florida in the Gainesville Regional and then swept Little Rock in the super regional round, sending the Trojans to their first CWS appearance in Omaha in program history.
- In five seasons leading Troy, Meade has won over 60% of his games and guided the Trojans to the NCAA Tournament twice, in 2023 and 2026.
- Three reported candidates for the Gamecocks job — Forbes, Meade and Sabins — all advanced to the College World Series after winning their Super Regionals.
- USC Athletic Director Jeremiah Donati appears to be waiting on one of the College World Series coaches to finish his season before making a hire, with some indicators pointing to Forbes as the Gamecocks’ top target.
- Coastal Carolina’s Kevin Schnall is still believed to be a top candidate and was reported to have met in person with South Carolina leadership on Thursday, though Chanticleers AD Chance Miller projected confidence that Schnall would remain at Coastal.
- South Carolina has lost 20 players through the transfer portal since June 1 and has not added any new players without a new head coach in place.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
Jordan Kaye
The State