Feb. 14, 2013
Head Coach Chad Holbrook
Opening Statement…
It is an exciting time for college baseball coaches and college baseball players from around the country. Our team is excited about starting the season tomorrow against a really, really talented Liberty team tomorrow. Coach Tanner didn’t do me any favors with scheduling. Liberty is a tough opponent. They have our team’s full attention with that being said it is opening day. It is going to be an exciting day for Carolina baseball for a lot of reasons. Not only is it opening day we are going to do something special for Ray Tanner that all of Gamecock Nation will be thrilled and happy to see. In many ways it will probably be an emotional day. It is certainly going to be emotional for me for a lot of reasons but one of the main reasons is because of what we have in store for Coach Tanner. He has meant so much to this university and baseball program and it is time we start the process of giving back and it is time we start that tomorrow. With that being said we need one more good practice to get ready and I think our team is prepared they have worked hard and they are ready to get started on a 56 game 2013 campaign.
On why he gave Jordan Montgomery the Friday start…
I look at Colby and Jordan the way I look at Grayson (Griener) and Dante (Rosenberg). We have two staring catchers just like we have two Friday night guys. Nothing really separated Jordan (Montgomery) and Colby (Holmes) they have both pitched extremely well since august and they both could go Friday. Who knows maybe Colby (Holmes) might go next Friday. We are going to start this way, but we have complete confidence in both of them, but it was nothing on the field that separated one from another.
On the emotion of opening day…
Well at the end of the day it is a baseball game our kids as much as they love and respect Coach Tanner they aren’t going to forget that we have a game to play tomorrow. I need to make sure that they don’t get too caught up with what happened before the game. It is going to be a special time for this baseball program and some of the players that played for coach and all of the coaches that coached with coach. I think it is even fitting that we are having this on a day when Jim Toman is bringing his Liberty team in here. Coach Toman played for Coach Tanner and worked side by side with coach for a long time and that makes it even more special as well. It is going to be an emotional game, but that’s one game thing about college baseball it is emotional and where it is game one or game 35. The kids are excited and anxious about getting started. I’m worried about them being too excited and not ready to go because I can tell you that Liberty is a good team and they have our team’s full attention.
