Revamped baseball roster looks to bolster Gamecocks in year two of Mainieri era
It’s safe to say South Carolina baseball would like to move on from 2025.
In their first year led by unretired LSU coach Paul Mainieri, the Gamecocks went 28-29 and 6-24 in the SEC, missing the postseason — far from a triumphant return for the former College World Series champion coach, and probably not the leap former USC athletic director Ray Tanner had hoped for when he made one of his final major decisions to fire Mark Kingston after an NCAA regional appearance in 2024.
“What happened last year is not acceptable here at the University of South Carolina. I know what the standards are. I know what the fans expect,” Mainieri said. “And if I was a fan of the South Carolina baseball program, I would expect an awful lot as well, and it’s our job now to win them back and to make them believe that we can have a championship-caliber team.”
The first step of moving on is wiping the slate clean, and Mainieri’s staff took on that task with force. USC’s 37-man roster will feature 27 newcomers this season, including 24 transfers and junior college signees. The transfer class was ranked No. 4 in the country by 64Analytics.
With his new-look roster, Mainieri expects a full turnaround in year two.
“It’s probably the season I’ve most anticipated in my 41 years as a college coach,” he said.
Mainieri said the main reason for his optimism this season is USC’s pitching staff. The Gamecocks brought in 13 new arms this offseason, and four transfers — Amp Phillips, Alex Philpott, Bradley Hodges and Josh Gunther — are in the running for a spot in the weekend starting rotation. Returning starter Jake McCoy is expected to lead the pitching staff, and redshirt freshman Riley Goodman is also in the running after missing his first year rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
“I think it’s something that you want. I think everybody wants to be that guy that’s looked at and is desired to be good,” McCoy said. “I think that’s why I came here. I want to pitch against the best and be with the best.”
With only three starting spots available, Mainieri said he feels good about those who don’t make the cut joining the bullpen alongside portal relievers Alex Valentin (Texas State) and Josh Gregoire (Louisiana-Monroe).
The Gamecocks pulled in seven players from the junior college ranks for their 2026 campaign. Infielders Dawson Harmon and Patrick Evans were NJCAA first-team All-Americans at College of Central Florida and Florence-Darlington Tech. Mainieri said Harmon should start the season at third base.
Mainieri also said he feels good about Wofford transfer Tyler Bak’s chances to start at center field for USC.
“I just think Tyler Bak is one of those players. He’s going to kind of be the glue to our team. He’s very, very good defensively, and he’s a table setter,” Mainieri said. You just can’t have nine home run hitters in your lineup, and then you live and die by the home run. You’ve got to have somebody who can set the table.”
USC’s freshman class totals three players, with two coming from in-state: T.L. Hanna infielder Will Craddock and Lexington product Brandon Cromer. The lone out-of-state freshman, left-handed pitcher Patrick Dudley, hails from Virginia Beach. Cromer will miss the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery before arriving on campus.
While there’s plenty of new for the Gamecocks, there are a few faces among USC’s 10 returners who are expected to be key contributors this season. Catcher Talmadge LeCroy has been a consistent starter his entire USC career and is back for a fifth season. The Gamecocks also retained KJ Scobey, who started all 56 games at third base as a freshman last year. He’ll move over to shortstop this season.
“Retaining them was very key, because there were schools out there that were trying to get them. Do we call that tampering when they’re not in the portal?” Mainieri said. “It’s not a fun part about coaching at this point, when you’re having to try to convince your own kids to stay when they’re not even in the portal … but I think it says a lot about the character of the kids that we have.”
Mainieri made it clear that no position has a starter fully “locked in” just yet. The Gamecocks will play 14 intersquad scrimmages between now and opening day to finalize the 2026 opening-day lineup.
“I’ve always looked at putting a team together as kind of like an artist getting a big pile of clay, and you have to mold it, and you make it into something beautiful. And that doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “Sometimes you say there’s not enough time to get ready, and then at other times, you’re just so anxious to get started. So there’s always something to do.”
This story was originally published January 22, 2026 at 3:06 PM.