A new era of South Carolina baseball kicked off Saturday afternoon at the newly-named Ray Tanner Field at Founders Park, where the Gamecocks picked up an 18-3 win over the Air Force Falcons in a 14-inning fall scrimmage.
During the scrimmage, head baseball coach Paul Mainieri provided fans who flocked to Founders Park during South Carolina football's bye week a first look at the Gamecocks' 2025 roster.
South Carolina's offense came alive in the first inning of the scrimmage with singles from junior outfielder Nathan Hall and junior infielder Henry Kaczmar.
Senior catcher Talmadge LeCroy brought in the first run of the game, and senior oufielder Kennedy Jones brought in two more on a RBI single with the bases loaded.
“The guys were real enthused about playing somebody with a different color uniform," Mainieri said. "We have so much respect for the Air Force Academy.”
Offense comes alive in fifth inning
South Carolina would score one more run in the fourth inning, but it was the fifth frame where its bats would come back to life again. The Gamecocks scored eight runs in the inning, helping it build a 12-2 lead heading into the sixth inning.
Junior infielders Ethan Petry and Will Tippett, along with Jones, had singles to reach base. Senior outfielder Dalton Mashore, a transfer from Saint Mary's, then hit one of the Gamecocks' two home runs of the evening, bringing both home to score.
Senior outfielder Blake Jackson Cayden Gaskin, sophomore infielder Nolan Nawrocki and redshirt senior infielder Jordan Carrion also scored during the eight-run inning.
Familiar faces in new positions
Some veterans on South Carolina's roster saw themselves playing new positions at some point in the scrimmage.
“The fall is a time to experiment a lot,” Mainieri said.
Petry, who played mostly at right field and first base last season, started at third base during the scrimmage. Tippett moved across the infield from shortstop to first base, while LeCroy started at catcher, a position he has played previously for the Gamecocks after spending most of the 2024 season at third base.
Pitchers provide mixed bag
The Gamecocks saw 14 total pitchers come to the mound during the scrimmage, with each one showcasing an array of highlights.
Despite struggling with control, South Carolina's pitching staff also had positive moments throughout the scrimmage, Mainieri said.
“Our pitchers walked way too many batters and gave up too many free passes, which is something we are going to work on," Mainieri said. "But on the other side of it, they pitched in the clutch a lot. They got some big outs. We made some good plays with a big double play early in the game.”
Redshirt sophomore pitcher Eli Jerzembeck started on the mound for the Gamecocks, making his long-awaited return to the mound after missing the entire 2024 season due to injury. Jerzembeck pitched two innings, highlighted by one strikeout in each.
“I think it was great for him to get his first time out there pitching against another team since March of his freshman year," Mainieri said. "You expect him to be a little bit rusty, maybe have a little bit of nerves.”
Five more pitchers who were on South Carolina's roster last season — seniors Dylan Eskew and Matthew Becker, junior Roman Kimball and sophomores Jake McCoy and Tyler Pitzer — also participated in the scrimmage, pitching one inning each.
New players make an impact
South Carolina's first scrimmage of the fall against another opponent also saw many players who joined the team this past offseason, including Hall, Kaczmar and Gaskin, take the field for the first time in a Gamecock uniform.
More new faces also made their first appearances on the mound for the Gamecocks including, junior Georgia transfer Jarvis Evans Jr., junior Tennessee transfer Wyatt Evans and sophomore Florence-Darlington Tech transfer Aydin Palmer.
Junior catcher Max Kaufer, a transfer from Texas A&M, caught five innings for the Gamecocks, the longest outing for any player behind the plate. Kaufer contributed on both offense and defense by earning a walk in the sixth inning and throwing out a runner attempting to steal second base in the top of the ninth.
Freshmen infielders Beau Hollins and KJ Scobey entered the game later in the scrimmage, with Hollins taking over at first base for Tippett in the eighth and Scobey replacing Petry at third base in the seventh.
Mainieri said he was impressed with what he saw from Scobey against Air Force.
“I’m really high on KJ Scobey," Maineri said. "He made a couple of really terrific plays tonight and he’s going to be a really good ball player for the Gamecocks.”
What’s next
South Carolina will have its second inter-squad scrimmage of the preseason on Nov. 7, when the Gamecocks will take on the College of Charleston at Riley Park, the home of minor league baseball team Charleston RiverDogs. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.