USC baseball notebook: Holbrook eager to watch newcomers in first games

South Carolina is hosting an Albany team this weekend that finished 14-28 a season ago, but USC coach Chad Holbrook believes he can learn plenty about his team over the next three days, especially his newcomers.

The Gamecocks will rely heavily on new faces to make a difference in 2016.

“I’ve been around these guys since August, and I feel like I’ve learned a lot, but when a new team walks in and the games are being played and the lights get turned on you learn something else,” Holbrook said. “We’re going to learn who handles the pressure a little bit better, who performs better in a competitive-type situation.What I hope to learn is these players are as good as I think they are.”

USC could have as many as seven newcomers in the Opening Day lineup, and with the leading returning hitter being Gene Cone, who batted .257 a year ago, they will be counted on to contribute as USC looks to return to the NCAA tournament.

“I haven’t seen some of these kids play in a game. I’ve seen them practice. I’ve seen them play against each other,” Holbrook said. “I’m anxious to see some of these freshmen, how they react to 7,000 people in the stands. Being a little bit unfamiliar with how your guys will respond kind of creates some excitement.”

Two-sport freshman outfielder Brandon McIlwain, who joined the team in January, is battling with several others for playing time and may or may not start a game this weekend, Holbrook said.

“He’s behind the repetitions and the knowledge and the comfort level that our other guys are because he hasn’t been here but a couple weeks,” Holbrook said. “I hope to give him some opportunities. He’s done some great things in the scrimmages and he’s very athletic.”

STILL THE HUNTED

Despite missing the NCAA tournament in 2015 for the first time in more than 15 years, Holbrook believes teams will still be fired up to play the Gamecocks.

“I think South Carolina will always be a team where people are champing at the bit to beat us,” Holbrook said. “All you have to do is look at the last 10, 12, 15 years. We’re one of the elite programs in the country. I feel like we’re always going to be hunted.”

South Carolina’s highest preseason ranking is No. 17 by D1Baseball.com. USC is ranked No. 24 in the NCBWA poll and No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

“I think this program is very, very respected across the country. Our opposition knows we have good players here,” Holbrook said. “I have a feeling people are going to be playing their best baseball against us, and likewise there’s a sense of urgency that our players have that we need to go out and play our best baseball and get back to doing what we do.”

CLOSER BY COMMITTEE

Holbrook is undecided on a closer.

Sophomore Brandon Murray, junior Reed Scott and junior Josh Reagan are three of the leading candidates to get the ball in save situations.

“If we needed a strikeout, maybe we’d go to Brandon Murray because his breaking balls have been very good and he struck a lot of our guys out in scrimmages,” Holbrook said. “If we needed a ground ball I might go to Scott or Reagan, but who knows.”

DESTINO HONORED

South Carolina did not have anyone named to the preseason All-SEC coaches teams, but D1Baseball.com writer Aaron Fitt believes at least one Gamecock will have an outstanding year.

Sophomore Alex Destino was selected by Fitt to be the breakout star in the country for the 2016 season.

“I don’t think I played baseball to my full potential last year. That’s something I took on myself very hard this summer and this offseason. From the improvement to my body to the improvement of my play this fall and spring I think that award is something I feel I deserve,” Destino said. “I’ve been working hard for something like that. I’m extremely excited to get out on the field and show Aaron and the rest of the country that I’ve been working hard and I’m ready to go along with this team and try to take us all the way to Omaha.”

This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 12:04 AM with the headline "USC baseball notebook: Holbrook eager to watch newcomers in first games."