Tom Rice: “I am so excited to rise today to congratulate a small university of 10,000 students in Horry County, South Carolina…”

“I am so excited to rise today to congratulate a small university of 10,000 students in Horry County, South Carolina: Coastal Carolina University. Coastal Carolina may be small in size, but it is huge in achievement. CCU has had a couple of remarkable achievements in the last several weeks. You see, Coastal Carolina is the alma mater of 2016 U.S. Open champion, Dustin Johnson, and the home of the 2016 NCAA World Series champion, Coastal Carolina University Chanticleer baseball team. After falling behind in game one, the Chants came back to win the final two games in a nail-biting best-of-three series. The Arizona Wildcats were an admirable opponent and came to play, but the perseverance, dedication, and true love of the game carried the Chants to victory. Year after year, the Chants field remarkable athletes in every sport, and their achievements are often oversized. But this year's Chanticleer baseball team ran the table, and when the last pitch was thrown in Omaha, they brought the national title home. Not only is this the first NCAA title for CCU baseball, it is the school's first national title in any sport. I want to recognize a few players who hail from the Seventh District of South Carolina: infielder and pitcher, Jordan Gore; first baseman, Kevin Woodhall, Jr.; and the all-star designated hitter, G.K. Young. Of course, this team's success wouldn't be possible without the leadership of head coach Gary Gilmore and his remarkable coaching staff.…”