Holder retained at Vanderbilt

Usually in college athletics, when a school hires a new coach, he comes in and cleans house.

In most instances, the new coach brings in his own staff and the previous staff is sent packing.

So, when Vanderbilt University baseball coach Roy Newbourne was replaced by Clemson assistant Tim Corbin, many figured Corbin would bring in his own guys to help coach the Commodores.

That expected scenario would have left former Evans High School and Georgia Southern baseball star Michael Holder looking for a job.

But after interviewing coaches to fill his staff, Corbin retained two Vanderbilt coaches, including Holder.

Holder, who joined the Vanderbilt staff prior to the 2001-02 season, will instruct the catchers and assist as hitting instructor.

Before going to Vanderbilt, Holder was an assistant coach at Middle Georgia College in Cochran, where he helped lead the Warriors to a No. 9 national ranking.

It's clear that Holder has a fan in Corbin.

"I've known Michael for some time. He is a grinder, and extremely hard worker who understands the game," Corbin said.

At Evans, Holder played under his father, Terry, during the Knights' glory days, which included Class AAAA state championships in 1993 and '94.

After graduating from Evans, Michael played collegiately at Georgia Southern and was a four-year letterman. In Statesboro, Holder was part of back-to-back Southern Conference title teams in 1996 and '98. As a senior with the Eagles, he earned all-conference honors.

Pack player in Peach Jam

Another Nike Peach Jam has wrapped up in North Augusta, and in case you missed it, Greenbrier High School rising senior Eric Marshall was a member of the tournament's only local team, Peach Jam Select.

The Select squad consisted of players from Georgia and South Carolina, and Marshall was the only player from Columbia County - and one of only four Augusta-area players to make the team.

On Sunday Peach Jam Select faced tournament favorite Boo Williams, and lost 68-46, with Marshall leading his team with 12 points. Marshall also scored a team-high 14 during a 66-49 loss to Louisiana Select.

For the tournament, Marshall averaged 13.3 points per game while playing in front of college coaches such as Paul Hewitt (Georgia Tech), Jim Harrick (Georgia), Roy Williams (Kansas) and Tubby Smith (Kentucky).

The bottom line is that Marshall's performance in the Peach Jam will help his chances of landing a Division I scholarship, which is a rarity for Columbia County high school basketball.