Chad Holbrook: USC players know they aren’t getting much respect

The South Carolina baseball program has rarely been able to claim an underdog role since winning 56 games in 2000. But after missing the NCAA tournament last year for the first time since 1999, not much is expected from the Gamecocks this season, at least not nationally.

USC is unranked in the Baseball America preseason Top 25 for the first time since 2009. The Gamecocks had been picked in the top 13 of the preseason poll each of the past six years.

The only preseason polls that have USC in the top 25 are D1Baseball, which has the Gamecocks No. 17, and the USA Today Coaches Poll, which ranks USC No. 23.

South Carolina coach Chad Holbrook is well aware that most people don’t expect a whole lot from his club this season, and he is making sure his players are aware of that.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t say anything to them. I do. ‘Not too many people think a lot of you guys, and I hope you’re anxious to show them that we have a dang good team here,’ ” Holbrook told The State. “I think that’s what you’ll see.”

While national expectations are low for USC, Holbrook said winning and winning big is always expected at South Carolina. He believes the Gamecocks will bounce back in 2016 and compete at a high level.

“Our players believe we have a good team,” he said. “They’re anxious to show folks, not only in the city and in the state, but they’re anxious to show folks across the country that South Carolina baseball is back and what happened last year is not the norm around here. I love where their mindset is.”

While expectations for South Carolina are unusually low, it is easy to understand why. The Gamecocks’ 32 wins in 2015 were the fewest since 1996.

Looking back, USC finished the 2009 regular season with 37 wins and lost in the NCAA Regionals. Carolina rebounded to win its first national title in program history the following year.

“Whether you’re ranked or not ranked when you’re at South Carolina you’re expected to win,” Holbrook said. “The 2010 team, not many people thought highly of us as we went into that season. We played well to get in that conversation and got hot at the right time and won a national championship.”

USC’s schedule will provide plenty of opportunities for the Gamecocks to show what kind of team they have.

According to Baseball America’s rankings, USC has series this season against No. 1 Florida, No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 7 Vanderbilt, No. 24 Ole Miss and No. 25 Kentucky. The Gamecocks also will host No. 23 Coastal Carolina for a game.

“The one great thing about our sport is we play enough games in which we’re going to be able to show whether we’re worth (something) or whether we’re not,” Holbrook said. “It’s not one of those situations where we play 11 games and you better be ranked high when you start or you’re not going to be able to make up enough ground to get up there. We’re going to be able to create our own identity with what type of season we’re going to have. If we play well, I think we have the talent and ability to be a special team.”