5/15/24
On Apr. 20, 2022, the University of South Carolina Aiken was pleased to announce
Michael Holder has been hired as the head baseball coach.
During the 2024 season, Holder coached all-conference performer Josh Sharp. Additionally, he worked with three student-athletes that earned Athlete of the Week honors from the PBC.
Holder's first year as the head coach at USC Aiken was sensational. He led the program to a 32-22 ledger, which is an 11-win improvement from 2022. His team reached the PBC Tournament Semifinals after earning the No. 3 seed during the regular season. The Pacers went 20-10 in PBC play, helping the squad record four all-conference selections in Jacob Fletcher, Jackson Hannon, Joseph Mozingo and Dylan Wilhelm. The Pacers upended No. 4 Columbus State two out of the three games they played during the season.
Holder has over 20 years of coaching experience at the Division I and Division II levels. Coming off his fourth year at USC Aiken, Holder has been a key cog on the coaching staff throughout his two stints with the program.
Holder was named the interim head baseball coach at the conclusion of the 2021 season, replacing Kenny Thomas, who led the program from 2000-2021.
After helping guide the University of North Georgia to a World Series berth in 2017, Holder returned to USC Aiken and promptly helped the team to the PBC Championship game and a 35-19 record. During the 2018 season, he helped the squad bat 44 points higher than the opposition while landing three student-athletes on the all-conference team. In 2019, he coached All-American
Conner Durden.
Prior to his time at North Georgia, Holder spent eight seasons as an assistant coach for the USC Aiken baseball program, serving the last two as pitching coach for the Pacers. Under his direction, the pitching staff posted a 3.57 earned run average in 2012 and led the Pacers to a 38-win season while earning a top-20 ranking in the final Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II national poll.
As a hitting instructor in his early seasons at USC Aiken, Holder helped the Pacers to a school-record 47 wins in 2008 and the PBC regular season championship in 2009. The Pacers broke numerous school hitting records in 2009 with Southeast Region Player of the Year and All-American Travis Howard leading the nation in RBI with 103, which also tied a Division II national record.
Prior to his stint at USC Aiken, Holder spent three seasons as a volunteer assistant at Vanderbilt University. During his tenure in Nashville, Tennessee, Holder mentored the Commodore catchers and oversaw field preparations at Hawkins Field.
In 2001, Holder was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Middle Georgia Junior College. That year, he helped the team reach the Junior College World Series and finish third nationally.
The Evans, Ga., native is a 2001 graduate of Augusta State University with a Bachelor of Science in Education. As a player, he was a four-year letterwinner as a catcher at Georgia Southern University from 1995-1999.
Holder and his wife Stephanie have one daughter, Lily.
1st Win At USC Aiken:
2/6/22 at UNC Pembroke 5-3 Win
50th Win At USC Aiken
4/25/23 vs. Erskine 6-5 Win
| Year |
Overall Record |
Overall Pct. |
PBC |
PBC Pct. |
| 2022 |
21-29 |
.420 |
12-15 |
.444 |
| 2023 |
32-22 |
.593 |
20-10 |
.667 |
| 2024 |
14-38 |
.269 |
10-17 |
.370 |
| Totals |
67-89 |
.429 |
42-42 |
.500 |
