KSR's 2025 SEC Baseball Preview: South Carolina

With the 2025 College Baseball season just around the corner, KSR will be previewing all 15 SEC teams that will be competing with Kentucky for an SEC crown this season. Up next; the South Carolina Gamecocks.

It is a new era in Columbia, led by one of the greatest College Baseball coaches of all time.

Former LSU head coach and 2009 College World Series Champion Paul Mainieri was hired as South Carolina’s new head coach after Mark Kingston was fired in the offseason. Mainieri’s 1,505 coaching wins is the 11th most in NCAA history. Under Kingston (2018-2024), the Gamecocks made four NCAA Tournament appearances but never reached the College World Series.

After making the Men’s College World Series in three consecutive seasons from 2010-2012, the Gamecocks have made seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances without an Omaha appearance. A change was wanted and a change was made. Not only is the coaching staff brand new, but most of last season’s team is gone as well. Notable Kentucky killers Cole Messina and Gavin Casas have departed, leading the way for younger pieces to shine this season along with 10 incoming transfer additions.

Returning Players:

• Sr. C Talmadge LeCroy (2024: 62 G, .242 AVG, 8 2B, 3 HR, 28 RBI, .332 SLG%, .389 OBP%)
• Jr. INF/OF Ethan Petry (2024: 61 G, .306 AVG, 8 2B, 21 HR, 53 RBI, .639 SLG%, .471 OBP%)
• Sr. OF Kennedy Jones (2024: 58 G, .289 AVG, 10 2B, 9 HR, 48 RBI, .483 SLG%, .398 OBP%)
• R-Sr. OF Blake Jackson (2024: 51 G, .293 AVG, 9 2B, 5 HR, 27 RBI, .483 SLG%, .465 OBP%)
• Jr. INF Will Tippett (2024: 48 G, .180 AVG, 3 2B, 7 HR, 24 RBI, .361 SLG%, .335 OBP%)
• Sr. OF Evan Stone (2024: 15 G, .375 AVG, 1 2B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .500 SLG%, .583 OBP%)
• So. C Ryan Bakes (2024: 12 G, .211 AVG, 2 2B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .316 SLG%, .375 OBP%)

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• Sr. RHP Dylan Eskew (2024: 19 APP, 15 GS, 3-5, 4.60 ERA, 62 2/3 IP, 40 K, 26 BB, .240 B/AVG)
• So. RHP Tyler Pitzer (2024: 19 APP, 6 GS, 4-1, 4.74 ERA, 43 2/3 IP, 57 K, 21 BB, .249 B/AVG)
• Sr. LHP Matthew Becker (2024: 21 APP, 4 GS, 5-3, 6.59 ERA, 43 2/3 IP, 60 K, 18 BB, .276 B/AVG)
• R-Jr. RHP Roman Kimball (2024: 15 APP, 8 GS, 2-2, 6.32 ERA, 31 1/3 IP, 42 K, 32 BB, .211 B/AVG)
• So. RHP Parker Marlatt (2024: 21 APP, 0 GS, 3-0, 4.38 ERA, 24 2/3 IP, 27 K, 13 BB, .188 B/AVG)
• So. RHP Eddie Copper III (2024: 8 APP, 7 GS, 1-1, 4.56 ERA, 23 2/3 IP, 27 K, 11 BB, .242 B/AVG)
• So. LHP Jake McCoy (2024: 12 APP, 1 GS, 1-0, 7.88 ERA, 16 IP, 20 K, 15 BB, .237 B/AVG)

Departing Players:

• 5th Yr. INF Parker Noland (2024: 61 G, .252 AVG, 12 2B, 3 HR, 33 RBI, .342 SLG%, .383 OBP%)
• Jr. C Cole Messina (2024: 59 G, .326 AVG, 19 2B, 21 HR, 71 RBI, .701 SLG%, .465 OBP% – 3rd Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Sr. INF Gavin Casas (2024: 56 G, .260 AVG, 8 2B, 10 HR, 35 RBI, .491 SLG%, .385 OBP%)
• 5th Yr. OF Dylan Brewer (2024: 44 G, .287 AVG, 4 2B, 6 HR, 24 RBI, .463 SLG%, .395 OBP%)
• Sr. C Dalton Reeves (2024: 35 G, .294 AVG, 3 2B, 11 HR, 34 RBI, .597 SLG%, .370 OBP%)
• 5th Yr. OF Austin Brinling (2024: 33 G, .303 AVG, 3 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, .364 SLG%, .413 OBP%)
• Sr. INF Tyler Causey (2024: 31 G, .250 AVG, 4 2B, 4 HR, 21 RBI, .464 SLG%, .402 OBP%)
• Fr. INF Lee Ellis (2024: 17 G, .273 AVG, 2 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .364 SLG%, .467 OBP% – Transferred to Ohio State)
• Jr. INF Cason Hornung (2024: 7 G, .125 AVG, 1 2B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .250 SLG%, .300 OBP% – Transferred to Jacksonville State)
• Fr. INF Tyler Zedalis (2024: 3 G, .000 AVG, 0 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .000 SLG%, .000 OBP% – Transferred to Old Dominion)

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• Jr. RHP Eli Jones (2024: 17 G, 15 GS, 3-4, 5.24 ERA, 68 2/3 IP, 56 K, 20 BB, .311 B/AVG – 7th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• 5th Yr. RHP Ty Good (2024: 21 APP, 3 GS, 5-2, 4.39 ERA, 55 1/3 IP, 70 K, 28 BB, .215 B/AVG)
• Sr. LHP Garrett Gainey (2024: 24 APP, 3 GS, 1-4, 4.00 ERA, 54 IP, 68 K, 11 BB, .251 B/AVG – 9th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Jr. RHP Chris Veach (2024: 26 APP, 0 GS, 5-2, 3.63 ERA, 44 2/3 IP, 54 K, 24 BB, .209 B/AVG)
• So. RHP Connor McCreery (2024: 19 APP, 0 GS, 3-1, 4.37 ERA, 22 2/3 IP, 25 K, 15 BB, .190 B/AVG – Transferred to Texas)
• Jr. RHP Tyler Dean (2024: 13 APP, 0 GS, 1-0, 4.72 ERA, 13 1/3 IP, 10 K, 8 BB, .236 B/AVG)
• 5th Yr. RHP Drake Quinn (2024: 9 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 6.30 ERA, 10 IP, 11 K, 6 BB, .216 B/AVG – Transfer Portal)
• Fr. RHP Joe Wittig (2024: 5 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 6 2/3 IP, 6 K, 3 BB, .250 B/AVG)
• 5th Yr. RHP Michael Polk (2024: 8 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 7.94 ERA, 5 2/3 IP, 9 K, 3 BB, .346 B/AVG)
• R-So. RHP Sam Simpson (2024: 3 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 12.27 ERA, 3 2/3 IP, 4 K, 4 BB, .267 B/AVG)
• So. RHP Austin Williamson (2024: 3 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 11.57 ERA, 2 1/3 IP, 2 K, 1 BB, .462 B/AVG – Transferred to Jacksonville State)

Incoming Transfers:

• Jr. INF Henry Kaczmar (2024: 58 G, .325 AVG, 10 2B, 7 HR, 45 RBI, .471 SLG%, .422 OBP% – Transferred from Ohio State)
• Sr. OF Dalton Mashore (2024: 56 G, .338 AVG, 17 2B, 13 HR, 41 RBI, .634 SLG%, .429 OBP% – Transferred from Saint Mary’s)
• So. INF Nolan Nawrocki (2024: 36 G, .264 AVG, 5 2B, 4 HR, 24 RBI, .400 SLG%, .352 OBP% – Transferred from Clemson)
• Jr. C Max Kaufer (2024: 14 G, .250 AVG, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .500 SLG%, .516 OBP% – Transferred from Texas A&M)
• Jr. OF Nathan Hall (2024: 12 G, .227 AVG, 1 2B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .273 SLG%, .346 OBP% – Transferred from Clemson)
• Sr. INF Jordan Carrion (2024: 3 G, .583 AVG, 3 2B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 1.000 SLG%, .533 OBP% – Transferred from Florida State)

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• Sr. RHP Caleb Jones (2024: 21 APP, 2 GS, 1-1, 5.82 ERA, 43 1/3 IP, 43 K, 18 BB, .299 B/AVG – Transferred from Winthrop)
• Jr. LHP Jarvis Evans Jr. (2024: 16 APP, 8 GS, 3-2, 5.49 ERA, 39 1/3 IP, 47 K, 27 BB, .255 B/AVG – Transferred from Georgia)
• R-So. LHP Ashton Crowther (2024: 15 APP, 7 GS, 1-4, 7.36 ERA, 36 2/3 IP, 28 K, 29 BB – Transferred from Miami)
• Jr. LHP Wyatt Evans (2022: 19 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 2.25 ERA, 16 IP, 22 K, 3 BB, .211 B/AVG – Transferred from Tennessee)

After a disappointing season in which South Carolina was bounced in the Raleigh Regional, the Gamecocks return just one player who hit for a .300 average (Ethan Petry) and just four pitchers which saw at least 25 innings of action (RHP Dylan Eskew, RHP Tyler Pitzer, LHP Matthew Becker, RHP Roman Kimball). Along with a fairly new team is its new head coach, Paul Mainieri.

Petry returning however is major for Mainieri’s team, as he is sixth ranked prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft from the SEC. He hit for a .306 average with eight doubles and 21 home runs last season.

Mainieri and his new staff hit the Transfer Portal running, bringing in pieces that could be immediate factors in the Gamecock everyday lineup. Portal pieces such as 2024 WCC Second Team selection Dalton Mashore (Saint Mary’s), former Georgia LHP Jarvis Evans Jr., and 2024 Second Team All-Big Ten selection Henry Kaczmar (Ohio State) were pivotal pickups for the Gamecocks.

Carolina is scheduled to face five of the top six SEC teams present in D1Baseball’s Preseason Top 25 Rankings this season (at No. 1 Texas A&M, No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Tennessee, at No. 5 Arkansas, No. 10 Florida, at No. 18 Mississippi State) along with No. 18 Mississippi State. The Gamecocks are projected to finish 15th in the SEC by D1Baseball.

Kentucky will host the Gamecocks at Kentucky Proud Park the weekend of April 25-27. Kentucky’s road series at Carolina last season was just one of two conference series out of ten that Nick Mingione’s team did not win. South Carolina leads the all-time series against Kentucky 61-46.