No one has to tell Monte Lee how important the South Carolina Rivalry is.

“This rivalry is second to none in college baseball,” he said following his introductory press conference with the media on Monday as Clemson’s new baseball coach.

The Tigers’ third baseball coach in the last 58 years was born in South Carolina, raised in South Carolina and has lived his entire life in South Carolina. Plus he has already coached in the rivalry as an assistant coach at the University of South Carolina.

Lee served as Ray Tanner’s assistant for six years from 2003-’09. During his time as a Gamecocks’ coach, USC went 13-11 against Clemson, including wins in seven of his last eight games at USC in 2007 and 2008.

He is hoping his experience in the state’s biggest series will go a long way against the Gamecocks.

“I think it helps me tremendously in the job because I have been a part of this rivalry,” Lee said. “I’m from South Carolina and I also coached there so I know what it is like in the dugout with this rivalry. So absolutely I think it will help me tremendously.

“But I also understand we have to play fifty-five other games too, but that one is a big one and it is one that we are going to embrace and be excited about.”

Clemson leads the overall series against the Gamecocks, 172-135-2, but up until this past year USC has had the upper hand in the last eight years, dating back to Lee’s days as an assistant coach in Columbia. Before the Tigers won two of three games this past year, South Carolina had won 23 of the 31 previous meetings.

Lee says he has a tremendous amount of respect and admiration of Tanner, now USC’s athletic director, and head coach Chad Holbrook. Plus one of the coaches on Holbrook’s staff is one of his former players and the other coached with him at USC.

“It is going to be (a relationship) of respect. We respect each other and we have a relationship with each other. When it comes to recruiting and coaching against each other, we are going to get after each other extremely hard,” he said.

To help go after the Gamecocks, Lee retained Clemson recruiting coordinator and hitting coach Bradley LeCroy to his staff. LeCroy has coached the last eight years at Clemson and played for the Tigers from 1997-2000.

“He is a Clemson man, and I think that is very important to keep somebody on staff that is a Clemson man,” Lee said. “My transition, I wanted it to be with somebody who knew the players and had those relationships. More importantly, I want people around me that have great working relationships with me, who are loyal and have my back. I know that Bradley is that kind of guy.

“It was a no brainer for me to keep him on staff. He is great person. He is a Clemson man. He is a great recruiter and he has been a part of this program for quite some time so I felt that was important.”

As he does the South Carolina Rivalry.