Coastal Carolina winning games without coach Gilmore, who has been at a cancer center
Kevin Schnall is settling into being the acting head baseball coach at Coastal Carolina, and based on their performance, the Chanticleers are settling into Schnall leading the team.
With their 3-2 win over Maryland on Sunday at Springs Brooks Stadium, the Chanticleers have won five consecutive games to improve to 7-3 on the season.
Schnall has been serving as the head coach for the past eight games in the absence of 25-year head coach Gary Gilmore.
“I’m very confident, and a lot of that goes back to coach Gilmore. He’s given us a big voice since Day 1 to put us in a position like this to succeed,” Schnall said. “I’ve got a great surrounding staff. The rest of our staff is unbelievable. The continuity amongst our staff is as good as anywhere in the country. Everybody on our staff has been here for over 10 years so I’ve got a great staff around me to make it a lot easier on me.”
Gilmore has been accepted into a treatment program at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and has been undergoing testing over the past two weeks to determine the nature of his upcoming treatment for liver cancer.
Doctors discovered a growth in Gilmore’s liver in late January, and it’s unclear if he’ll return to coach the team again this season.
Gilmore coached the first two games before learning he had been selected for treatment after being at the top of a waiting list at the acclaimed facility.
He was home between tests this weekend and was at the stadium on Saturday and Sunday, though he was not coaching, and returns to Houston on Tuesday.
“We’re still very uncertain,” Schnall said. “We’re fortunate he was able to get back this weekend and we got a chance to be around him the last two days. . . . They’re still figuring out what the next steps are. There’s still a lot to be determined.”
The team is clearly adjusting to Gilmore’s absence and Schnall’s coaching style.
“Everything that I see is pretty similar,” said redshirt sophomore pitcher Shaddon Peavyhouse, who got the win Sunday. “We’re all family-oriented around here, so we hate that he’s not around but we’re also used to it because we’re all so tight. Coach Schnall is doing a heck of a job right now running everything. We’re just thinking about Gilley and can’t wait for him to come back.”
Coastal swept Maryland in a three-game weekend series, outscoring the Terps by a combined 29-5. Maryland (6-4) had won six of seven games for its best start since 2015.
“We made a point and said good teams win series and great teams sweep,” Schnall said. “There was a huge response today to get that sweep. They threw their No. 1 guy today (Sean Burke) and he was really good. He really was, but our guys hung in there, we battled.”
Freshman third baseman Cooper Weiss knocked in the game-winning run with a two-out single up the middle in the bottom of the eighth inning. It scored Connor Kirkley, who stole second after pinch-running for Leum Fox, who singled with two outs.
Righthander Chase Antle got his first save as a Chant by facing the minimum three batters in the ninth.
The graduate transfer from Bowling Green allowed a walk but got a double play to end the game after hitting 99 mph on the radar gun on multiple pitches.
“It’s not fair,” Peavyhouse said. “That’s a huge piece to the puzzle having him towards the end of the game closing it out. He’s got big-league stuff, he’s electric, and when he comes in and he’s throwing strikes and he’s got that hammer breaking ball, I mean there ain’t no one who’s going to touch him.”
The Chants had just five hits Sunday and were held to two runs on three hits by Burke, who struck out eight. Leum had two of the hits and knocked in a run, and senior shortstop Scott McKeon hit his second home run of the season.
“Just to compete at that level today, I think that in itself is going to help progress us as a team,” Weiss said.
Coastal’s starting lineup included five freshmen filling the final five spots in the batting order.
“We all know we’re young, but that doesn’t mean we’re not capable,” Weiss said. “. . . Even though we’re young doesn’t mean we’re not going to compete, and we’re going to compete at a very high level. It’s well known our class is going to do that. When we’re in there we’re ready to compete.”
The CCU pitching staff allowed an average of five hits and 1.33 earned runs per game in the three-game series behind starters Zach McCambley, Scott Kobos and Nick Parker and a bullpen that allowed just two runs in 13 1/3 innings. In three innings Sunday, Peavyhouse allowed one hit and struck out four. Chants pitchers struck out 12 Sunday.
Though the Chants made an error and misplayed another ground ball, they also made several above average plays in the field and turned three double plays.
“The defense is playing well right now so obviously [the coaches] are doing something right,” Peavyhouse said. “We feel very confident with our defense out there. We’re starting a lot of freshmen but they’re getting the job done so we’re very comfortable with them behind us.”
The Chants have a pair of midweek games scheduled against Charlotte on Tuesday at Springs Brooks Stadium and at N.C. State, which is ranked No. 17 by Baseball America, on Wednesday before hosting Middle Tennessee State for three games next weekend.
This story was originally published March 1, 2020 at 6:55 PM.
