A new era of South Carolina baseball is beginning in Columbia with the debut of first-year head coach Paul Mainieri to the program. The Gamecocks look to improve off of its 2024 campaign where South Carolina finished with a 37-25 record and was knocked out in the NCAA Regionals by James Madison University.
Mainieri comes to South Carolina with a decorated resume, consisting of the 2009 College World Series championship, six SEC Tournament championships and the most wins (1,505) by a Division I head coach.
Mainieri, a former head coach of the LSU Tigers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Air Force Falcons, returns to coaching for the first time since 2021 with aspirations to lead the Gamecocks to successful seasons for years to come.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to coach at a prestigious and tradition-rich college baseball program,” Mainieri said in his opening press conference. “We have a super coaching staff in place, I feel great and energized, I can’t wait to get started working with the players, and let’s get this University of South Carolina baseball program back to where it belongs — in Omaha and in the College World Series.”
The Gamecocks were back-to-back national champions during the 2010 and 2011 seasons under former head coach and athletic director Ray Turner, cementing itself as one of six programs to ever win consecutive NCAA baseball titles. South Carolina's 22-game postseason and 12-game CWS win streaks remain the longest in NCAA history. Mainieri looks to get the Gamecocks back into the prestigious event, something the program has not achieved since making the finals during the 2012 season.
The Gamecocks were active in the transfer portal this offseason, acquiring 11 players through the system. The list includes junior outfielder Nathan Hall, junior infielder Henry Kaczmar and sophomore infielder Nolan Nawrocki. Mainieri said each of these players could be influential hitters for the Gamecocks, and Hall can hit the ball as hard and as far as anyone on the roster.
“If he can put it all together, it’s a tremendous blend of power and speed,” Mainieri said. “I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he contributes a significant amount.”
The Gamecocks will also return five of its top ten leaders in plate appearances from last season: junior outfielder/infielder Ethan Petry, redshirt senior outfielder Blake Jackson, senior outfielder Kennedy Jones, senior catcher Talmadge LeCroy and junior infielder Will Tippett.
Petry returns to the Gamecocks for his third year after hitting 21 home runs and 53 RBIs with a .306 batting average in 2024. He is ranked as the No. 10 college baseball prospect for the 2025 MLB draft, according to D1Baseball.
Petry said the coaching change this past offseason didn’t require a significant adjustment. The players are on board with the excellence and discipline that the historic coach expects of the program.
The veteran first baseman said the Gamecocks are approaching this season with a “day-by-day, pitch-by-pitch” mentality.
Mainieri said he is excited about the development and impact that the freshman class will have on the Gamecocks this season. He said freshman infielder KJ Scobey will be the starting third baseman for this upcoming season and will be the lone freshman starter to begin the season.
“Scobey is a really good defensive player and I think he’s going to develop as a hitter,” Mainieri said. “I think eventually he’s going to be a superstar in the SEC.”
Mainieri also credited the talents of freshman infielder Beau Hollins and freshman catcher Gavin Braland, who have the abilities to develop into future impact roles during their careers at South Carolina.
Mainieri said the Gamecocks have various, strong options that are available on the pitching staff this season, highlighted by redshirt sophomore pitcher Eli Jerzembeck, senior pitcher Dylan Eskew and sophomore pitcher Jake McCoy.
Eskew started 15 of the 62 games last season, going 3-5 with a 4.60 ERA, while McCoy recorded 16.0 innings last year by being utilized from the bullpen in all but one of his 12 appearances.
Jerzembeck missed the entire 2024 season due to Tommy John Surgery and is looking forward to getting back out to compete this year. Manieri credited Jerzembeck for his self-confidence and competitive edge.
"(I) never took it as a bad that I got injured, just a part of my journey." Jurzembeck said. "I'm happy to finally be back."
Coming off five consecutive NCAA titles by teams within the conference, the SEC remains the most competitive conference in college baseball. According to the preseason rankings of D1Baseball, the SEC accounts for nine of the top 25 teams, six of whom are ranked in the top 10.
The Gamecocks went 13-17 in conference play last year, finishing tied for fourth place out of the seven teams in the SEC East Division. Mainieri said the team can’t be intimidated by the 30 SEC games on the schedule and has to focus on one matchup at a time.
What's Next?
South Carolina baseball begins its 2025 campaign against Sacred Heart University on Feb. 14. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at Founders Park and will stream live on SEC Network+.