Stellar pitching leads South Carolina baseball to shutout win over Navy
A night after playing its worst game of the year on Friday, South Carolina put together it’s most impressive performance of the young baseball season.
The Gamecocks (5-2) shut out Navy on Saturday, grabbing an 8-0 victory in the second game of their Salute to Service weekend.
“What a great way to bounce back,” USC head coach Paul Mainieri said. “That was about as complete of a game as we’ve played.”
Amped-up
Junior Amp Phillips shut down Navy on Saturday.
A 6-foot-1, 180-pound right-hander who transferred in from USC Upstate this offseason, Phillips delivered a quality start for South Carolina. He allowed zero runs on one hit in six innings of action. He also struck out three Midshipmen while walking two.
Phillips was the first Gamecock to get through six innings this season, which is typical as pitchers work up to higher pitch counts early in the year. But Phillips got through six frames on just 79 pitches (49 strikes), efficacy that was the byproduct of pitching to contact. Eleven of the 21 batters Phillips faced grounded out.
“We recruited him here to pitch like he pitched today,” Mainieri said of Phillips. “He looked so confident out there, and looked so in charge.”
As much as a February outing can be, Saturday was important for Phillips. His role as the Saturday starter came, in large part, because of preseason injuries to starters Jake McCoy and Alex Philpott, and it didn’t help that Phillips was shaky in his debut. Against Northern Kentucky last week, he was pulled in the fourth inning after allowing two earned runs and walking three.
“(It was) just better execution (Saturday),” Phillips said. “Throwing more strikes.”
The result was the best pitching performance South Carolina has gotten all year.
Craddock leads the way
South Carolina has not been accustomed to leading early. Heck, in its opening weekend series, the Gamecocks did not score a single run before the fifth inning.
On Saturday, though, South Carolina had a first-inning lead for the first time all season.
Making his debut as the Gamecocks’ leadoff hitter, true freshman Will Craddock turned on an 89 mph pitch. His first collegiate home run hit the left-field bleachers, 354 feet away.
“I just enjoyed the moment rounding the bases,” he said. “It was cool.”
He would add to the day later, roping a two-RBI double down the left-field line in the third and hitting a sac fly in the sixth. Craddock finished with a team-high four RBIs.
“He rose to the occasion today,” Mainieri said.
As did the rest of South Carolina’s offense. Talmadge LeCroy had two hits and a pair of RBIs. Ethan Lizama reached base three times. And the Gamecocks — who couldn’t buy a clutch knock last week — hit nearly .360 (5-14) with runners in scoring position against Navy.
South Carolina baseball weekend series schedule
- Friday, Feb. 20: Army 9, USC 5
- Saturday, Feb. 21: USC 8, Navy 0
- Sunday, Feb. 22: vs. Air Force, 4 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
This story was originally published February 21, 2026 at 6:07 PM.
