‘We should play every year:’ After hiatus, USC and CoC play entertaining exhibition

South Carolina played a baseball game against the College of Charleston on Thursday. And really, it shouldn’t be a big deal. But time transforms small things into big things.

It’s why a few months ago, Charleston coach Chad Holbrook sat in his office and looked like a man who had just been told a great-great uncle he never met left him a hefty inheritance. In shock, he told everyone that new South Carolina coach Paul Mainieri had not just agreed to play his squad, but USC would come to Charleston for an exhibition.

“I think there was a hesitation because I think Chad fell off his chair and he had to pick himself up. He said, ‘Are you serious?’ ” Mainieri said. “I just noticed on the schedule that the College of Charleston hadn’t been on for a couple years and I didn’t really understand why.”

The answer made even less sense after Thursday. After 3,412 folks bought tickets for a fall scrimmage at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park, home of the Charleston RiverDogs. After CoC beat its Division I counterparts to the northwest, 12-11.

It was the first time South Carolina baseball played the College of Charleston since 2018 — a 9-0 CofC win in Holbrook’s first year as Cougars coach. The last time the Gamecocks played the Cougars in the Lowcountry was in 2013, Holbrook’s first season as the head coach at South Carolina. (USC won that game 3-1.)

Before taking over the Gamecocks program, Holbrook served on coach Ray Tanner’s staff for four seasons — including the 2010 and 2011 national championship campaigns. In that time, Holbrook said, Tanner shared a philosophy.

“Hey, you’re the head coach at South Carolina,” Holbrook said Tanner told him. “You should play all the teams in the state of South Carolina.”

“He thought it was his responsibility as the flagship university in the state,” Holbrook said. “I hope we’re back on that. I think Paul agrees with Coach Tanner in that regard: ‘We’ll play South Carolina any time we can.’ ”

Mainieri seemed to enjoy the experience, just not the final outcome. He is one for using his platform as an SEC head coach to lift up smaller programs. A few weeks ago, Air Force — where Mainieri coached from 1989-94 — came to Founders Park for a unique fall exhibition.

Though South Carolina had released its full non-conference schedule, it was announced Thursday that the Gamecocks and Cougars will meet again on Tuesday, March 18 at Segra Park in Columbia.

And just like Thursday, it won’t be a guaranteed victory for the Gamecocks. Last season, College of Charleston went 41-14 but was left out of the NCAA Tournament.

“I wanted to play as good a team as we could find,” Mainieri said. “And I thought College of Charleston was a great team. I know how much Chad appreciated that we came over here.”

Holbrook joked that he came into the scrimmage with this plan for all the pitchers he wanted to use and a real solid idea about how to use the exhibition to help his squad.

Then he got into the sixth inning. The Cougars hit two home runs, scored seven runs and led 10-5. Holbrook’s plan flew to the Charleston wind.

“Oh, the hell with that. You’re trying to win,” Holbrook said with a grin.

South Carolina provided drama in the ninth inning, with a two-run Evan Stone home run that put the Gamecocks down one with one out to spare. They couldn’t pull out the miracle.

Will Tippett grounded out. CoC second baseman Ethan Plyler snatched the ball and spiked it into the dirt, letting out a primal scream. A few Cougars sprinted out of the dugout like this was a win in May.

Don’t tell them Thursday was just an exhibition, perhaps answering a question that should have never been asked.

“Yes,” Holbrook said, “we should play every year.”