"Our kids were denied a chance": Charleston HC Chad Holbrook devastated by team's NCAA Tournament snub, cites mediocre teams making the cut

Selection Monday was bound to cause a few heartbreaks, and Charleston was on the receiving end of one of those painful moments earlier today. The NCAA Division I Baseball Committee ignored the 2024 CAA regular season champions, a decision which left Cougars head coach Chad Holbrook shattered.

The 53-year-old was left distraught by the committee's decision, and he made his feelings clear while addressing the media following the announcement.

"We had a phenomenal regular season and it was ignored. I mean, there are teams that got in today that probably sent their players home because they knew they probably didn’t deserve to be in, and our kids were denied a chance to be playing," Holbrook said.

The Cougars' 41-14 overall record and 21-5 conference record gives weight to Holbrook's take on their season. In their last 33 games of the regular season, they went 28-5, which showed the team's strength.

However, it seems their loss in the CAA Tournament game to UNCW played a part in dashing their hopes of not having a postseason.

Charleston HC Chad Holbrook takes a dig at the committee

Besides showing disappointment, Holbrook didn't hold back, using choice words to lament the decision made by the selection committee for the postseason.

"We work, you know, 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and for have someone in a room that hadn’t seen us play to tell us we’re not good enough is asinine to me."

He also took a dig at other teams which made the Regionals despite having a worse record than his team, by using his own experience as an example.

"I was a coach that got fired for going 13-17. I know what a mediocre regular season is, that many teams that got in had."

Despite the bitter end to their season, the Cougars can afford a wry smile through the highlights of their season. Cole Singsank, Cole Mathis and Trotter Harlan have each recorded 50 RBIs, showing the solidity of their batting department. In addition, the pitching trio of Connor Campbell, Jake Brink and Aidan Hunter played their part in claiming crucial wins for the Cougars.

The Charleston Cougars have a lot to look forward to next season.

The omission of the Cougars is certainly a major surprise given what they achieved this year. However, this bitter heartbreak might end up inspiring Holbrook and his boys to have a postseason run next season.