SerpApi.Org
South Carolina baseball coach Kevin Schnall has added to his coaching staff. On Monday, USC announced that a familiar face was returning to the Gamecock dugout.
According to the release, former assistant Stuart Lake would be back with the program, serving as the Director of Program Development/Camp Coordinator.
Lake has spent more than 10 years in or around the South Carolina baseball program.
Following high school coaching stints at Midlands-area programs Brookland-Cayce and Mid-Carolina, the Palmetto State native first coached on Ray Tanner’s staff from 1999 to 2002. After stops at College of Charleston, Ole Miss, and The Citadel, he became the head coach at Charleston Southern (his alma mater) for eight seasons.
Lake returned to Columbia in 2017 as part of Chad Holbrook’s staff, and he stayed on under Mark Kingston as an assistant for five additional years.
He then worked with the Gamecock Club and as an analyst for the Gamecock Sports Network for parts of three seasons. After South Carolina parted ways with head coach Paul Mainieri, Lake returned as the Director of Program Development under interim head coach Monte Lee.
Now, Lake has his old title back, plus the responsibility of serving as the program’s Camp Coordinator.
During Lake’s first run as an assistant at USC, the Gamecocks won the SEC East three times in four years. They also earned the SEC crown twice. South Carolina made three Super Regionals and two College World Series in that stretch. The Gamecocks were national runners-up in 2002.
When he returned under Holbrook and Kingston, Carolina didn’t see as much on-field success. Even so, South Carolina won the 2018 Greenville, North Carolina Regional.
Jumping into the fray during the middle of the 2026 season, Lake helped right the ship from a morale standpoint. He will continue to parlay his familiarity with Gamecock baseball and in-state relationships to improve the program.
Lake has coached outfielders, catchers, and hitters during his South Carolina coaching career. He has also handled first base coach duties and worked with program/player development.
