re: Jump in if you’re rooting for Coastal

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I was born, raised and currently live in Conway. Not a Coastal fan at all, but what Gary Gilmore did for their baseball program is one of the most impressive things in college athletics in my lifetime. Coastal was a USC satellite school until 1993 and they won a CWS less than 25 years later and now have a chance for a second title.

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Gary Gilmore

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learned and played under one of the best to ever coach baseball in SC - Larry "Hit Man" Carr -

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CONWAY, S.C. – The Coastal Carolina University Department of Athletics and the Coastal baseball program will honor former head coach Lawrence "Larry" Carr this upcoming season. Carr, who coached CCU alum and current head coach Gary Gilmore, passed away peacefully in September of 2018 at the age of 77.

Affectionately known as the "Hit Man" for his unorthodox but effective hitting techniques, Carr led the Coastal baseball program to five NAIA World Series appearances and an overall record of 253-84-1 from 1978-84.

Hired at Coastal Carolina by athletic director Walt Hambrick, Carr's Chanticleer teams were potent hitters, so much so that the 1983 team was nicknamed "Dr. Longball" after posting a .353 batting average and smashing 103 home runs.

He guided the 1983 team to a then-school record 46 wins and produced a then-school record six Major League Baseball (MLB) draft picks that season.

Carr's teams were such ferocious hitters that Collegiate Baseball Magazine ran a posed picture of him dressed in a trench coat, hat, and gloves in front of Alcatraz and labeled him "The Hit Man".

Carr coached Coastal's first NAIA All-American in Steve Billingsley in 1978 and led the team to its first NAIA World Series appearance in his first season. He guided Coastal back to the NAIA World Series in 1980, 1982, 1983, and 1984, winning six NAIA District 6 championships and four NAIA Area 7 championships.

Overall, he mentored four NAIA All-Americans, had 12 players chosen in the MLB Draft, and coached current head coach Gary Gilmore from 1979-80.

Carr was involved in athletics his entire life. He competed in four sports in high school and was involved in five at Ithaca College. He also spoke at baseball conventions and wrote instructional books since 1978 when he penned "The Home Run Hitter's Handbook". Over time, Carr wrote about every aspect of baseball ranging from bunting and hitting to throwing and pitching to mental and physical conditioning.

Carr's first college baseball coaching job was at the University of South Carolina, where he led the school's freshman team to an undefeated season and the ACC Championship in 1968.

Carr, who lived in Conway for years, later coached baseball at Loris High School,

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it was unfortunate what former "Pete Maravich roommate" and one time hoops coach at USC-Coastal Carolina College Russ Bergman did in his coup to try and seize power within the Ath Dept mid-80s - that led to the abrupt departure of Carr mid-season and Bergman taking over as baseball coach too -

Coach Richardson came over from his home in Sumter to coach baseball for a couple years in 1986 to stabilize things at the same time Conway's Buddy Sasser was installed as AD to restore some order - it's fitting Gilmore made sure CCU rightfully honored Carr after his passing -

Nothing against LSU but Cosstal winning would be special. Generally we all pull for big underdogs. That’s American.

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Just the 2 month melt with a LSU loss is worth it.

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InsecureRebel would know about melts.

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TBH, why wouldn't I

They beat AU, they're very good, and LSU is a semi-rival. Also, there would be at least some melting on here, which would be by far the most entertaining result.

I'm not putting much energy into it - but why would I pull for LSU?

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I want coastal to win because Clemson fans would melt hard knowing the two other state schools both have 2 nattys

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that's the only vested interest I have in this year's CWS -

Carolina and our one-time satellite campus both have played in 5 combined championhip series since the same year of Jacklegg U's last visit - one in which USC sent his miserable arse packing from Omaha with two straight L's

TBH, I wouldn’t be pulling for another SEC program

They are on a real heater. Would be pretty cool if they pulled it off

Go Coastal.