USC Aiken Pacers
The USC Aiken Pacers are the athletic teams that represent the University of South Carolina Aiken, located in Aiken, South Carolina, in intercollegiate sports at the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Pacers have primarily competed in the Peach Belt Conference since the 1990–91 academic year. The Pacers' primary rival is conference foe Augusta.
| USC Aiken Pacers | |
|---|---|
| University | University of South Carolina Aiken |
| Conference | Peach Belt |
| NCAA | Division II |
| Athletic director | Todd Wilkinson[1] |
| Location | Aiken, South Carolina |
| First season | 1961 |
| Varsity teams | 11 (5 men's, 5 women's, 1 co-ed) |
| Basketball arena | Convocation Center |
| Baseball stadium | Roberto Hernandez Stadium |
| Softball stadium | J.H. Satcher Field |
| Soccer stadium | Pacer Pit |
| Mascot | Ace the Pacer |
| Nickname | Pacers |
| Colors | Pacer Blue, Ace Red, and Triumph Gray[2] |
| Website | pacersports |
| Team NCAA championships | |
| 3 | |
| Individual and relay NCAA champions | |
| 2[3] | |
USC Aiken competes in ten intercollegiate varsity sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, and soccer; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, and volleyball. Men's and women's tennis were discontinued at the end of the 2018–19 school year. The Pacers also sponsor a co-ed Spirit Squad.
The school's sports teams were initially known as the Rebels. The mascot name was changed to Pacers in 1971.[4]
Conference affiliations edit
NCAA
- Peach Belt Conference (1990–present)[5]
Varsity teams edit
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Cross country |
| Cross country | Soccer |
| Golf | Softball |
| Soccer | Volleyball |
Baseball edit
The Pacer baseball program is led by third-year head coach Michael Holder.[6] Holder succeeded longtime coach Kenny Thomas, who led the Pacers to nine NCAA Southeast Regional appearances across 22 seasons as head coach.[7]
Men's basketball edit
The men's basketball program has been led by Mark Vanderslice since the 2015–16 season.[8]
Women's basketball edit
The women's basketball program has been led by Mark Miller since the 2016–17 season.[9]
Cross country edit
The Pacers' cross country program is led by coach Marshall Leonard.[10]
Golf edit
The Pacers' golf program has been led by coach Michael Carlisle since the 1991–92 season. During his tenure, the program has experienced unprecedented success, including a run of three consecutive national championships (2004, 2005, and 2006).[11]
Men's soccer edit
The men's soccer program is led by first-year head coach Nick Sakiewicz.[12] He takes over for longtime coach Ike Ofoje, who was also the Pacers' inaugural women's soccer head coach.[13]
Women's soccer edit
The women's soccer program is led by first-year head coach Adam Kleman.[14] Kleman succeeds Tina Murphy, who in her two year tenure before departing for Gardner-Webb led the Pacers to their first Peach Belt tournament appearance since the 2017–18 season.[15]
Softball edit
The Pacers' softball program is led by fourth-year head coach Jaclin Poole. Under Poole's leadership, the Pacers made the 2022 Peach Belt Conference tournament, the program's first since 2016.[16]
Volleyball edit
The Pacers' volleyball program is led by head coach Glenn Cox, who has guided the program since 2008.[17]
Conference championships edit
As members of the Peach Belt Conference the Pacers have won 55 conference championships (46 team, nine individual) across five programs.
Men's Sports edit
Baseball
- PBC Regular Season - 3 (1994, 2009, 2013)
- PBC Tournament - 2 (1992, 1993)
Basketball
- PBC Regular Season - 7 (1992-93, 2007-08, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2022-23, 2023-24)
- PBC Tournament - 4 (1993, 2010, 2013, 2014)
Golf
- PBC Championships - 12 (1995, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018)
- PBC Individual Champions - 9 (Brian Kassel '93, Jamie Stanley '95, '97, Brooks Blackburn '96, Scott Brown '02, '06, Dane Burkhart '05, Brandon Robinson-Thompson '14, Johnson Holliday '18)
Women's Sports edit
Basketball
- PBC Regular Season - 3 (1990-91, 2001-02, 2007-08)
- PBC Tournament - 1 (2012)
Volleyball
- PBC Regular Season - 10 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2006, 2007, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019)
- PBC Tournament - 5 (1991, 1992, 1996, 2006, 2007)
Regional championships edit
The Pacers have had consistent success in regional competition, claiming 15 (10 team, five individual) NCAA Division II Region Titles across five sports.
Team edit
| Association | Division | Sport | Year | Opponent/Runner-Up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCAA | Division II | Baseball | 1993 | Francis Marion | 13–2 |
| Men's Golf | 2002 | – | 835– | ||
| 2003 | Francis Marion | 865–878 | |||
| 2004 | Kennesaw State | 578–586 | |||
| 2005 | Armstrong State | 887–891 | |||
| 2006 | Columbus State | 875–912 | |||
| Men's Basketball | 2013 | Barton | 82–75 | ||
| 2014 | Montevallo | 84–73 | |||
| Men's Tennis | 2019 | Wingate | 4–2 | ||
| Volleyball | 2016 | Queens | 3–2 |
Individual edit
| Association | Division | Sport | Year | Individual(s) | Event | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCAA | Division II | Men's Golf | 1997 | Jamie Stanley | Individual Title | 220 (+4) |
| 2003 | Scott Usher | 212 (–4) | ||||
| 2005 | Scott Brown | 216 (0) | ||||
| 2006 | Scott Brown | 211 (–5) | ||||
| 2012 | Matt Atkins | 210 (–6) |
National championships edit
Team edit
| Association | Division | Sport | Year | Opponent/Runner-Up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCAA | Division II | Men's Golf[18] | 2004 | Chico State | 1,191–1,200 |
| 2005 | Armstrong State | 1,158–1,163 | |||
| 2006 | Columbus State | 1,148–1,160 |
Individual edit
| Association | Division | Sport | Year | Individual(s) | Event | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCAA | Division II | Men's Golf | 2005 | Dane Burkhart | Individual Title | 279 (–5) |
| 2008 | Jeff Goff | 278 (–2) |
Notable alumni edit
Baseball edit
- Rich Batchelor, (1986–89)[19]
- Scott Cassidy, (1994–95)[20]
- Paul Fletcher, (1986–87)[21]
- Roberto Hernández, (1986)[22]
- Adam Riggs, (1993–94)[23]
- Bryan Ward, (1993)[24]
- Reggie Williams, (1987–88)[25]
Men's basketball edit
- Chris Commons, (2007–09)[26]
- Josh Dollard, (2008–09)[27]
Men's golf edit
- Matt Atkins, (2010–13)[28]
- Scott Brown, (2001–05)[29]
- Roberto Díaz, (2005–08)[30]
Men's soccer edit
- Ranaldo Bailey, (2018–19)[31]
- John Lesko, (2006–08)[32]
Women's soccer edit
- Akeyla Furbert, (2012–15)[33]
References edit
- ^ "USC Aiken Announces Todd Wilkinson As Director Of Athletics". Retrieved January 5, 2023.
- ^ "Colors". Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ "2022-23 PBC CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE". Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ Pacer Times, Vol. 50 no. 1, p.1 (August 8, 2013).
- ^ "Conference History". Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ "Pacers ready to begin new era under Holder". Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ "Kenny Thomas To Retire After 2021 Season". Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ "College Basketball: Division II head basketball job for Vanderslice". Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ "USC Aiken announces Mark Miller will be new women's basketball head coach". Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ "MARSHALL LEONARD NAMED USCA HEAD CROSS COUNTRY COACH". Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ "Michael Carlisle - Head Men's Golf Coach". Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ "USC Aiken Hires Nick Sakiewicz To Lead Men's Soccer Program". University of South Carolina Aiken Athletics. 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
- ^ "Ike Ofoje - Men's Soccer Coach". Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ "USC Aiken Hires Adam Kleman As Head Women's Soccer Coach". University of South Carolina Aiken Athletics. 2023-07-28. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- ^ "Tina Murphy - Women's Soccer Coach". University of South Carolina Aiken Athletics. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- ^ "USC Aiken Is Sixth Seed For PBC Championship". Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ "Glenn Cox - Volleyball Coach". Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ "NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship Results" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
- ^ "Richard Batchelor - Baseball". Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ^ "Scott Cassidy - Baseball". Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ^ "Paul Fletcher - Baseball". Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ^ "Roberto Hernandez - Baseball". Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ^ "Adam Riggs - Baseball". Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ^ "Bryan Ward - Baseball". Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ^ "Reggie Williams - Baseball". Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ^ "Chris Commons - Men's Basketball". Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ "Josh Dollard - Men's Basketball". Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ "Matt Atkins - Men's Golf". Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ^ "Scott Brown - Men's Golf". Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ^ "Roberto Diaz - Men's Golf". Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ^ "Ranaldo Bailey - Men's Soccer". Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ "John Lesko - Men's Soccer". Retrieved January 29, 2023.
- ^ "Akeyla Furbert - Women's Soccer". Retrieved January 29, 2023.
External links edit
- Official website