South Carolina fires baseball coach Mark Kingston after 7 seasons

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina has fired baseball coach Mark Kingston after seven seasons and just two trips to the NCAA Tournament’s Super Regionals.

Gamecocks athletic director Ray Tanner announced the move Monday, a day after the team season ended with a 2-0 loss to James Madison in the Raleigh Regional.

South Carolina finished 37-25 and 13-17 in the Southeastern Conference this season. Kingston was 217-155 overall and went 83-96 in the SEC. Associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Monte Lee was named interim head coach.

Kingston’s teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times, twice reaching the round of 16.

Kingston received a two-year contract extension through 2027 last August. He’s due a buyout of $400,000.

The Gamecocks haven’t reached the College World Series since 2012, the last of three consecutive trips when Tanner was the baseball coach. South Carolina won the national title in 2010 and 2011.