Just now: Gamecocks Aiming to Secure Victory in Decisive Third Season Under Paul Mainieri.

There’s an air of excitement surrounding the South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team this season, amplified by the arrival of new head coach Paul Mainieri. After seven years of mediocrity under Mark Kingston, the Gamecocks are hoping to return to their winning ways with Mainieri at the helm.

Mainieri’s credentials have sparked optimism among fans, and the buzz around Founders Park is palpable. His track record speaks for itself, and the progress he’s already made with the team has generated plenty of anticipation.

However, as the season kicks off on Friday with a three-game series against Sacred Heart, the focus shifts from promises and expectations to how the Gamecocks perform on the field. The program’s glory days are long past, and fans, eager for a return to success, are hoping for a quick revival.

There’s renewed hope and excitement for the team, especially as fans long for the days of Ray Tanner, who led South Carolina to national championships and will have the playing surface at Founders Park named in his honor this weekend. The big question remains: will the Gamecocks be able to live up to those lofty expectations?

The answer remains uncertain. Despite national and SEC predictions, along with insights from six weeks of fall practice and three weeks of preseason play, it seems that a return to elite success will take time.

“There’s not a lot of respect for our team in the preseason polls,” Mainieri noted, referring to the Gamecocks not being ranked in the Top 25 by any major outlet. “That’s OK. We have to earn that respect.”

Mainieri’s assessment of a baseball season—where a third of games are won, a third are lost, and the remaining third determines a team’s success—seems fitting for the Gamecocks’ current roster. There are plenty of positives and many areas where they feel comfortable, but it’s the unknown aspects of the team that leave room for caution before predicting an immediate return to prominence.

The pitching staff, for instance, is in a state of flux. Redshirt sophomore Eli Jerzembeck, expected to be the staff ace, struggled during preseason play and didn’t make the opening weekend rotation. After missing all of last season due to Tommy John surgery, Jerzembeck’s poor performance led Mainieri to start Dylan Eskew, Matthew Becker, and Jake McCoy as his top three pitchers.

Becker, a versatile arm, has shown promise, as have Eskew and McCoy, but the rest of the pitching staff will likely face growing pains until roles in middle relief and midweek games are solidified.

Offensively, the Gamecocks are centered around star slugger Ethan Petry, who has hit 44 home runs in his first two seasons and is expected to be a first-round MLB draft pick. With returning players like Kennedy Jones and Blake Jackson and promising hitters like Nathan Hall, Henry Kaczmar, and Nolan Nawrocki, South Carolina boasts a strong lineup.

However, there are still key questions to address, such as who will lead off and how to balance hitting and defense. Mainieri has placed significant emphasis on improving defense, which will be a focal point of scrutiny throughout the season.

Talmadge LeCroy, who struggled at third base last year, has now moved behind the plate as the starting catcher, with Petry shifting to first base. Freshman KJ Scobey takes over at third base, and Ohio State transfer Kaczmar will play shortstop, but the outfield roles are still up for debate. One lingering concern is the catcher position, as LeCroy and his backups—Ryan Bakes and Max Kaufer—have struggled with throwing out runners during the preseason. If that continues, opposing teams could exploit this weakness on the bases.

Despite these uncertainties, the Gamecocks are healthy and aiming for at least an NCAA regional berth, which would be seen as a positive step forward, even if they fall short of surviving the weekend, as they did last year. The team will be without two pitchers for Opening Day—Riley Goodman, who is out for the season with Tommy John surgery, and Eddie Copper, who is returning from multiple injuries and may be ready by SEC play.

As always, the SEC schedule is daunting, and Mainieri, who has navigated it for years during his time at LSU, knows what to expect. “We’re going to play 30 conference games. We’ll win at least 10, and we’ll probably lose at least 10,” he said. “What we do in the other 10 will define our season.”