The South Carolina baseball program is starting a brand new era as it prepares for the 2027 season. Just last month, Gamecocks athletic director Jeremiah Donati hired former Coastal Carolina head coach Kevin Schnall to lead a program that finished with a historic 35 losses.
The Gamecocks also haven't made it to the College World Series since 2012, and last won a regional in 2023. Although it feels like Coach Schnall has to rebuild the South Carolina baseball program from the ground up, Schnall is careful not to call it that. In a recent interview with 107.5 The Game on Wednesday, he's using a different term to describe turning things around.
“We’re calling it a recharge, re-energize,” Schnall said via Gamecock Central. “The bones of this place are special. I reflect back when I started coaching in 2000, and as you guys know, I mean that was the heyday — 2000 to 2012. The legendary Hall of Fame coach Ray Tanner. What the program was during that time, it was the standard. It was the biggest, the baddest, best program in all of college baseball. Nine Super Regionals, six trips to Omaha, two national championships.”
Schnall knows what it takes to build an elite program. For two seasons at Coastal Carolina, he finished 93-36 as a head coach, doing so with far less resources than he now has in Columbia. He also led the Chanticleers to a CWS Final last season against LSU. Before being named head coach, Schnall was a longtime assistant under Coastal head coach Gary Gilmore. In fact, he helped lead the Chanticleers to their first-ever CWS title in 2016, when he was an associate head coach.
One of the biggest priorities for Schnall has been his commitment to building an elite roster. From the transfer portal, he has landed several big names, including Conner Shouse from Texas Tech, Auburn transfer Bristol Carter, and Wake Forest's JD Stein and Andrew and Luke Costello. Also coming to South Carolina with Schnall were three big pitchers from Coastal Carolina in Hayden Johnson, Colby Richardson and Daniel Parker. Schnall also brought along his former pitching coach at Coastal in Matt Williams with him.
Schnall also said in his recent interview how important developing players has been early in his South Carolina tenure.
“The development is the staple of our program. That’s why we were so successful at Coastal for all those years,” Schnall said. “Player development, and we’re going to do everything possible to ensure that we have everything in line for our players to become the best baseball players they can be.”
As far as facilities go, Coach Schnall added that the program is building a new weight room that will be complete by November.
It sure is an exciting time in Columbia if you are a Gamecock baseball fan. South Carolina is a program that has won two CWS titles in 2011 and 2012, including another 11 CWS appearances and three regular-season SEC titles. It's nice to hear that Coach Schnall wants to honor that rich history by bringing it right back there, where it belongs.
The Gamecocks are expected to begin their 2027 season in just over seven months in February.
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