South Carolina baseball schedule provides spring full of opportunity
The vibes around the South Carolina baseball program are high. Since Paul Mainieri took the job last summer, the veteran head coach has fought to instill some life, belief, and discipline into a program that has lacked those things at times in recent years. Based on how the coach and his players have talked this offseason, early returns are positive.
At the time of this writing, the Gamecocks are 23 days from first pitch. A Valentine’s Day (February 14th) matchup against Sacred Heart is the first game of a three-game set that will begin the 2025 season and the Mainieri era in Columbia.
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Before the year’s shortest month ends, though, the schedule will ramp up tremendously. The annual rivalry against Clemson is the first of several high-profile out-of-conference matchups. Then the SEC slate begins two weeks later. As usual, the Gamecocks’ schedule is among the toughest in the nation.
However, this year, South Carolina’s difficult road presents a unique opportunity. Based on the national RPI rankings from the 2024 season, South Carolina will play 31 games against RPI top-36 squads and 35 games against RPI top-51 teams. They also will see action 28 times against a team that made last year’s NCAA Tournament field. Including the SEC Tournament, those numbers likely will increase.
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Obviously, that type of schedule gives South Carolina one of the toughest strength of schedules in the country. With that, though, the Gamecocks just have to do their fair share of winning to earn a favorable postseason seed. In recent years, a winning record in league play has been a near-automatic host bid. That is significant because since 1999, 74% of teams to reach the College World Series have been 1-seeds. That means, of the 16 teams who host each year, six of them typically find themselves as one of the eight teams who make it to Omaha.
If South Carolina can handle its business against its “lesser” non-conference opponents (the Gamecocks will be heavy favorites in 21 of their 26 contests outside of SEC play) while pushing above a .500 record against Clemson, North Carolina, College of Charleston, and the SEC, Paul Mainieri’s team should challenge for a host seed.
The road will be difficult, but the Gamecocks will have plenty of opportunity along the way.
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Before the regular season begins, Mainieri and his team will play a few more tune-ups at Founders Park. South Carolina will begin its preseason scrimmages this weekend with three free-to-the-public intrasquad scrimmages. The Gamecocks will take part in three of these intrasquad exhibitions; one will be on Friday at 4:15 p.m., one will be on Saturday at 4:00 p.m., and one will be on Sunday at 4:00 p.m.
