COLUMBIA — Who cares more about South Carolina baseball than Monte Lee? Catcher Dalton Reeves believes he knows.

"(Monte Lee) has my vote for next Head Coach of Gamecock Baseball. Few people care more about this program and its success than him," Reeves wrote Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Starting outfielder Kennedy Jones replied: "couldn’t have said it any better."

Earlier in the day, South Carolina fired coach Mark Kingston after seven seasons, and athletic director Ray Tanner announced that Lee would serve as interim coach. Lee was assistant coach for Tanner from 2003 to 2008.

REQUIRED READING: Mark Kingston fired by South Carolina baseball after seven seasons

The two active players are not the first to express support of Lee and encourage the athletic department to make him the permanent coach. Incoming transfer Brady Jones and incoming recruit PJ Morlando both tweeted in support of Lee.

"Give us @CoachMonteLee. South Carolina man through and through. Lets get South Carolina baseball back to the top," Jones wrote on X on Monday afternoon.

A few hours after the news, Morlando thanked Kingston and wrote on X "@CoachMonteLee was a huge factor in my decision in signing with South Carolina. I can think of no one better to be the next head coach of the Gamecocks!!"

Incoming shortstop Tyler June wrote "we want @CoachMonteLee" and incoming pitcher Cole Greer said "give us Monte!"

Monte Lee at Clemson and South Carolina baseball

Lee has deep-rooted history with the Gamecocks, both with the team and as a rival.

He was the coach at Clemson from 2016 to 2022. With the Tigers, Lee finished 242-136 overall and led them to four NCAA tournament berths. They also won the 2016 ACC Tournament. He was fired in May 2022.

Lee was named the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for South Carolina baseball on Aug. 18, 2022, his second time coaching at South Carolina.

During his first, the Gamecocks went to the NCAA regional all six years, including College World Series appearances in 2003 and 2004, and super regional appearances in four of his first five seasons. They won the national championships in 2010 and 2011.

South Carolina baseball's offense in 2024

Lee is the Gamecocks' hitting coach and in the SEC this season, here is where they finished.

Stats per SEC, as of June 3

• Batting average: 10th of 14, .274

• Slugging percentage: 9th of 14, .479

• Hits: 8th of 14, 559 hits

• Runs scored: 5th of 14, 461 runs

• On-base percentage: 4th of 14, .411

• Home runs: 6th of 14, 101 home runs

On Sunday, the Gamecocks' season ended in a 2-0 loss to James Madison, during which they left nine runners on base.

WHO TO LOOK FOR: South Carolina baseball coaching candidates: 8 options to replace Mark Kingston

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina baseball players want Monte Lee to replace Mark Kingston