CHARLESTON, S.C. – With 55 Major League Baseball draft picks since 1997, College of Charleston baseball has been a pipeline to professional baseball.
 
"This program has been and will be all about the players," said head baseball coach Chad Holbrook. "As coaches, we give them the tools and resources they need to be successful but at the end of the day, it's about the players. We recruit good players and they put themselves in positions to be drafted and continue their careers."
 
CofC has seen 25 of its draft picks selected within the first 15 rounds, including Cole Mathis. Mathis became the program's highest selection in 2024, going 54th overall in the second round to the Chicago Cubs.
 
"If they get that opportunity, we're going to wish them well because that's what we want them to achieve," said Holbrook. "We want to be able to sell that you can come to Charleston and be a draft pick like Cole [Mathis] and so many others. There's a lot of pride for our baseball program and it starts with the players. This school attracts good players."
 
Eight Cougars have played in The Show with Evan Sisk being the most recent to make his MLB Debut. The southpaw made his first career appearance on April 25 of this season with the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium. Oliver Marmol, a 2007 sixth round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals, is currently in his fourth campaign managing the Cards and is the youngest manager of an MLB team at 39. Other Cougars who played in the majors include World Series Champions Brett Gardner and Heath Hembree, Brian Schlitter, Michael Kohn and Graham Godfrey.
 
Along with Marmol, two Charleston alums are currently on a big-league roster. Bailey Ober is with the Minnesota Twins and Taylor Clarke is in the Royals bullpen.
 
"We all get into coaching to see young people achieve their dreams and goals. You want to see your kids have a chance to go to the next level. We as coaches help them and assist them, but it's about the good kids and the good players that we try to recruit. They cash in on their hard work and take advantage of opportunities this school provides and it's gratifying to see them make it to the next level."
 
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