Gamecocks energized, excited after Kingston hire
Jonah Bride knew there was renewed vigor in the South Carolina baseball program after one phone call with new head coach Mark Kingston.
It was during the initial conference call with Kingston and the entire team, and after players asked questions, the new head coach asked if the players were ready to work and was met with a chorus of cheers.
The enthusiasm didn’t die down at Kingston’s introductory press conference, as Bride and teammate Madison Stokes listened to Kingston talk about embracing the program’s goals of returning to Omaha, Nebraska for the College World Series.
“Me and Madison were back there kicking each other saying we’re fired up,” Bride said. “We’re going to be ready to go for sure come day one.”
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Kingston, on his first tour of the facility since accepting the job, met up with some of the players working out at the stadium, including Stokes who started rehab for a broken wrist this week.
His message to the players he met in person was simple, Stokes said, and it was to get ready to work. He said Friday he believes in work ethic and that hard work and practice breeds confidence and toughness.
That message resonated with Stokes, who said he’s excited to see what a new voice can bring to the program.
“He’s ready to go, to get rolling,” Stokes said. “He’s going to push us to the limits, even further. We’re ready to see what he’s got for us.”
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Friday wasn’t the first time Kingston met with players. During his interview and tour of campus over a week ago, he met with some of the players in town to discuss the program and his coaching pedigree.
He talked with players, which Bride was included, about his resume. Kingston has been a part of three College World Series teams, including two as an assistant (one at Miami and another at Tulane). He also reached Omaha as a player at North Carolina.
As head coach at South Florida, he completely rebuilt the program, taking the Bulls to a NCAA Tournament two of his three seasons after the program hadn’t been to the postseason since 2002.
Bride is encouraged by what he’s heard from Kingston about the coach’s rebuilds, and thinks that South Carolina is in a better position since the program isn’t in upheaval.
“We talked about that, too. I don’t think it’s a turnaround. I think we got what it takes,” Bride said. “Try to maximize our potential.”
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Kingston will inherit a roster that is essentially still intact after losing just five players to the draft this year. The Gamecocks also bring in a top-10 recruiting class, according to PerfectGame.com.
He’s only been able to look at a few stat sheets, he said, and watch a few games, but said he’ll get more acquainted with the team he’s coaching over the next few weeks. What he will get is a roster likely energized and ready to work.
“I got some with what we have coming back,” Kingston said. “I’ve done some, not nearly as much as I want to and not nearly as much as I will. There’s enough stat sheets, there’s enough people to talk to start getting a handle on what we have moving forward.”