Charleston Battery preseason update

Ambitious plans and moves this preseason in the Lowcountry

Expectations will certainly be high as the Charleston Battery enter the 2025 season looking to take the final step into a USL Championship title after two close calls in both 2023 and 2024.

Photo Credit: Wade Wimberly

The return of several key players as well as the signing of some proven reinforcements should find a very strong side patrolling Patriots Point on the shores of the Cooper River this season.

Photo Credit: Charleston Battery official website

The recent signing of forward Cal Jennings shows the real focus and ambitions of the Battery in 2025. Jennings is a proven attacking option netting 70 goals adding 16 assists since his pro debut with Memphis in the 2020 season. The move to Charleston reunites Jennings with Coach Pirmann who was his coach at Memphis. Jennings won MLS Cup in 2022 with LAFC and has been a dynamic scoring threat with both Tampa Bay and Las Vegas on other professional stops in his career.

“Cal is a striker who will impact our front line,“ said Coach Ben Pirmann. “He is quick and decisive with his movements and is always poaching around the opponent’s goal. We have a selfless squad that is ready to make an impact, and Cal is another piece of the puzzle as we continue to build.”

Forward Jackson Conway who played 24 matches for the Battery in 2024 resigned with the club ahead of the season and gave his take on the mindset of the club as they open the new season.

“I do feel there’s some unfinished business,” said Conway. “This team has everything it takes to compete at the top level and we showed that last year. The squad is a playoff and championship contender, it’s where we want and should be. I think 2024 gives us a chip on our shoulder going into the new season, which hopefully can push us to be champions in 2025.”

A pair of roster anchors are also returning for the Battery in second-leading scorer MD Myers and team captain center back Leland Archer.

Photo credit: Wade Wimberly

The 2025 preseason has seen the squad face MLS, USL, and NCAA opposition with the new lineup playing very well in the early days of training camp. Matches in Florida versus Austin FC (0-3 L) and DC United (1-2 L) were followed by a pair of NCAA opponents Georgia Southern (1-0 W) and University of South Carolina (1-0 W) in Columbia.

Photo Credit: Charleston Battery official website

The most recent preseason match was a 2-0 home win over fellow USL Championship side North Carolina FC. Coach Ben Pirmann shared his thoughts after the match and said, “I thought we got better throughout the game” referring to the effort and emerging team identity versus NCFC. “We just kept sticking to who we are,” finished Pirmann.

The lone setback of the preseason has been the training ground injury to goalkeeper Daniel Kuzemka which will keep the projected No. 1 keeper out of action for a large portion of the season. Preseason signing Luis Zamudio brings a ton of experience (Riverhounds, Loudoun, Switchbacks, and DC United) between the posts in the absence of Kuzemka and the Battery recently signed free agent Christian Garner to complete their goalkeeper roster.

Photo Credit: Charleston Battery official website

“Luis is a very good goalkeeper who we identified early on in the recruitment process,” said Coach Pirmann on his signing. “He is an excellent shot-stopper with good range and is solid with his feet in the build-up phases. Luis has shown through his time in both USL and MLS that he can make plays to win matches for his team.”

The Battery have three more preseason matches to go versus the Triumph, Independence, and Clemson University in the build up to the March 8 season opener.

Photo Credit: Wade Wimberly

Louisville City FC visit the Battery to kickoff the 2025 campaign on Saturday, March 8 at 7:30 PM. This is a rematch of the 2023 Eastern Conference Final and where you’ll see two of the best USL teams in the East on the opening weekend of the season.

High expectations and solid preparations are the mood around the Battery for the 2025 campaign.