Esposito becomes new recruiting coordinator
Chad Holbrook was promoted from associate head coach to head coach in July after former coach Ray Tanner was named athletic director.
Buscher returns to the Gamecocks after managing the Columbia Blowfish in the spring of 2012, leading them to the Coastal Plain League Pettit Cup Championship. He was a volunteer assistant for USC's 2011 national championship team.
As a player for the Gamecocks, Buscher was an All-American in 2003, and he played for Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins for parts of three seasons. In 2008, he hit .294 with 47 RBIs in 70 games.
"When this opportunity became open and Coach Tanner took the athletic director role here, [Buscher] was the first and only name that I thought of," Holbrook said. "It's great for us as far as recruiting is concerned to have a big leaguer on our staff — not only a big leaguer, but someone who played in the garnet and black. We're thrilled about the addition of Brian Buscher to our staff."
Buscher played first and third base for the Twins, and Holbrook expects him to impact USC's defense. Drew Meyer, a student assistant coach for last year's squad, will also return to the team to work with infielders.
"Joey Pankake had a terrific end of his freshman year defensively, and Coach Buscher's going to build on that," Holbrook said. "One of the staples of our team and our program and the tradition of South Carolina since Coach Tanner's been here is the way we play defense, and Coach Buscher's going to certainly help us in that regard."
Buscher said his goal is to make sure USC players understand the importance of attention to details.
"That's one thing I'm going to try to press upon the players — pay attention to why we want to tell you certain things, field ground balls or get into hitter's counts," he said. "I think those kinds of things will help them get better. They can make adjustments quicker in games."
Esposito will take on the responsibilities of recruiting coordinator after spending five seasons with the Gamecocks, working with hitters and catchers and coordinating the Ray Tanner Baseball Camps. Holbrook was the main recruiter under Tanner.
"While it's important to note that our entire staff will work long and hard in the recruiting aspect of this program, Coach Esposito is a very organized guy, very passionate, enthusiastic," Holbrook said. "He has all the traits that you need to be a great recruiting coordinator."
USC will begin official fall practices on Sept. 14, but players will begin workouts this week after a team meeting on Wednesday. Even with the turnover the Gamecock baseball team has experienced, Holbrook was emphatic that expectations are the same.
"We're excited about this season and the team," he said. "We've got some good veterans returning and some, we think, fantastic newcomers. We think we're going to put a product on the field this year that our Gamecock fans will be proud of. Coach Tanner's not here, but nothing's going to change. The expectations aren't going to change. The practice plans are the same. The rules of the team are the same.
"The expectations for what they do on and off the field are the same. Nothing's going to change in that regard. We're going to hit the ground running. Our coaches are excited."