South Carolina super fan Bill Golding would have been proud of the Gamecocks’ performance on opening day.
Behind the hot bats of center fielder TJ Hopkins and designated hitter Alex Destino, the Gamecocks defeated UNC Greensboro 7-1 in the first of a three-game series at Founders Park on Friday.
“I know [Golding] is looking down hollering for us, so it was great getting a win opening day,” Destino said. “That was really fun.”
Golding, who was known for wearing a Gamecocks hardhat helmet and chanting the phrase “Oot! Oot!” during games, passed away Feb. 10 at the age of 84. Prior to the start of Friday’s game, the team paid tribute to Golding by holding a moment of silence and having fans chant a collective “Oot! Oot!” Hard hats were also given away on a first-come, first-served basis, while a flag with Golding’s catch phrase “Oot! Oot!” flew from a pole in the outfield.
“I thought it was a really nice touch,” head coach Chad Holbrook said of the tribute to Golding. “Kudos to our marketing staff for putting that together. The helmets were great and I heard 'Oot Oot's all throughout the game. I think that’ll be going on for years and years and years here at this park, it's a tribute to what a great man Bill Golding was.”
The fans weren’t the only ones donning decorated hard hats at Founders Park; the USC players also wore helmets adorned with black “Oot! Oot!” stickers and kept a decorated hard hat in their dugout throughout the entire game. Destino said he doesn’t know if the hard hat will stay in the dugout all season, but thinks it would be “pretty cool” if it did. The junior, who tallied two RBIs against the Spartans, arrived to USC in 2015 and played in front of Golding for two seasons.
“Coming here, I didn’t realize what a true super fan was and he really was that for us, so it was an honor getting to play in front of him," Destino said.
“I tell you what this is going to go down top three baseball experiences for me. Opening day here is pretty unique. I mean, honoring Bill before the game that was pretty cool and hearing everybody say 'Oot Oot.' I mean, today was hard to beat no doubt.”
Several other Gamecocks acknowledged Golding’s passing on social media and in interviews, including Holbrook, who said Golding's legacy left a special mark on the entire USC baseball program.
Gamecock Nation lost a great one today. Mr. "Oot Oot" Bill Golding was such an amazing fan and an even better person! Rest In Peace. #OotOot
— Wil Crowe (@WilCrowe15) February 10, 2017
RIP legend. Prayers go out and you will be missed. #OotOot
— TJ Hopkins (@tj_hopkins) February 10, 2017
Sad day for Gamecocks. Prayers go out #OotOot https://t.co/loWNQcI27m
— Chris Cullen (@C_Cullen33) February 10, 2017
RIP to an amazing fan, but an even better man. Been with @GamecockBasebll through the good and bad seasons. https://t.co/r8sJisDIx7
— Clarke Schmidt (@ClarkeSchmidt) February 10, 2017
“Bill was a special fan, special family and they followed us everywhere we went and they were into every pitch and every game,” Holbrook said. “Our players knew it and he was just a special person and obviously a special fan."