USC baseball dominates Charlotte in fall scrimmage. Three things we learned
South Carolina baseball opened its doors to fans Sunday for the first intersquad scrimmage of the fall against Charlotte. The Gamecocks in 2026 are hoping to bounce back from a 28-29 record last season under first-year coach Paul Mainieri.
If the result of the scrimmage is any indicator, USC seems to be in good shape.
USC defeated Charlotte 18-6 at Founders Park with a dominant showing on offense and some solid pitching in the 12-inning scrimmage. The Gamecocks had 17 RBIs in 51 at-bats and tossed 13 strikeouts collectively.
“We’ve got some players that really look like they want to play, and they love to play and enjoy being at the ballpark,” Mainieri said. “And when you have enthusiasm and energy like that, and you have some talent to back it up, you got a chance. I’m excited about our team.”
Here are three things we learned from the scrimmage win:
Offensive firepower
Even in a 12-inning game, scoring 18 runs is quite the feat. Ten different Gamecocks recorded hits, and seven knocked in at least one RBI. Four USC players hit home runs in the first five innings.
The biggest offensive contributor of the game was sophomore Erik Parker. He went 4-for-5 with 6 RBIs and a home run during his first fall scrimmage in a Gamecock uniform.
Parker, a transfer from Georgia, made just six plate appearances with the Bulldogs last season, but had a solid summer ball season. He posted a .333 average and 10 RBIs across 51 at-bats in the Northwoods League. Mainieri said Parker likely won’t play much of his natural position at shortstop due to KJ Scobey owning the spot, but he’ll find other ways to get in the lineup.
“He was drafted out of high school, and then his first year in college last year he didn’t get much of an opportunity to play, but we always felt that he had a lot of talent,” Mainieri said. “He’s played well all fall. ... I think he’s got a bright future. He’s a good athlete. He swung the bat great today.”
Early shutout, late downpour
USC’s pitching staff also had a solid day against Charlotte. The Gamecocks started off the day with six straight shutout innings and only allowed one multi-run frame. Alex Philpott got the start, picking up two strikeouts in as many innings, and showed off an effective 94 mph fastball and low 90s slider.
“I thought Alex Philpott was outstanding to start off the game,” Mainieri said. “I think you could see that Philpott’s got an electric arm.”
The only pitcher who ran into real trouble was Alex Valentin. The junior Texas State transfer allowed six runners on base in the 12th inning and gave up a three-run home run.
“He was just missing with some pitches. He threw some really good changeups for a while, then he got away from the changeup and went to his slider and fastball,” Mainieri said. “I just hated to leave him out there as long as we did, but he was the last pitcher we had available today. ... But Alex is a good pitcher.”
Missing players, open positions
Five players missed action in the scrimmage and will be unavailable for the rest of the fall. Junior catcher Reese Moore, sophomore catcher Gavin Braland and freshman infielder Jack Reynolds are out with injuries, Mainieri said. Caleb Hoover and Aaron Jamison are both out due to NCAA transfer restrictions.
Mainieri said all five players should be good to go for the regular season.
South Carolina plays one more fall intersquad scrimmage Thursday at Charleston. Mainieri said there are still position battles he’d like to wrap up, and he plans to throw two potential starting pitchers — Riley Goodman and Amp Phillips — against the Cougars.
“We’re going to do a little experimenting this week in practice, and, you know, try some things on Thursday that may be a little bit different than today,” Mainieri said. “I think the third base position, for example, is way up for grabs. So would left field and right field be up for grabs. The DH position is up for grabs, and like I mentioned, the starting rotation is still yet to be decided.”
This story was originally published November 2, 2025 at 7:29 PM.
