CHARLESTON, S.C. – College of Charleston Head Coach Chad Holbrook has promoted Kevin Nichols to Associate Head Coach / Recruiting Coordinator and Will Dorton to Assistant Coach / Pitching.
“I’m excited about promoting two great coaches in our program,” he said. “Kevin Nichols has been a very successful baseball coach for a long time. His knowledge, experience and ability to teach our players in such a positive manner is a critical component to the growth of our program.”
In just their first season at The College, Holbrook and his staff led the Cougars to a 36-19 overall record and 15-8 mark in Colonial Athletic Association play. CofC went 4-0 against SEC opponents including a series sweep of Georgia and a 9-0 shutout of South Carolina. Seven players received all-conference nods headlined by junior Dupree Hart, who was selected as CAA Defensive Player of the Year and to the All-CAA First Team. Three Cougars also signed professional Major League Baseball contracts – junior Evan Sisk with the St. Louis Cardinals, senior Luke Morgan with the Colorado Rockies and senior Carter Love with the Chicago White Sox.
“Will Dorton did a terrific job with our pitchers this past season,” Holbrook said. “Our pitching staff performed at a level consistent with the best pitching staffs in the country. Our team ERA was reflective of Will’s hard work and preparation. Our players have the utmost respect for him, and without question, he will be a successful coach for a long time.”
In 2018, CofC boasted one of the top pitching staffs in the nation and Colonial Athletic Association with a combined ERA of 3.06 (4th) behind right-hander Carter Love (1.38 ERA, 3rd) and southpaw Evan Sisk (10 victories, 10th). In addition, the Cougars finished the season ranked in the Top 15 nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (1st, 3.68), walks allowed per nine innings (1st, 2.32), WHIP (2nd, 1.11), shutouts (9th, 7), fielding percentage (13th, .979) and hits allowed per nine innings (15th, 7.68). The squad also equaled the single-season program record for shutouts, a mark previously set in 1994.
“The College of Charleston is a special place and we are truly honored to be Cougars,” said Holbrook, who signed a contract extension through the 2023 season. “My family and I look forward to calling Charleston home for many years to come. I want to thank former President Glenn McConnell, Athletics Director Matt Roberts and the Board of Trustees for the confidence they have in the direction of our baseball program. I am very lucky to be surrounded by great coaches, a terrific support staff, and a special group of players that love being student-athletes at The College. Our staff has high expectations both on the field and off and we are going to work awfully hard to make our fans, alumni, and especially our former players proud. I can’t wait for our players to get back on campus this fall, so we can begin preparing for a special 2019 season.”
