What Paul Mainieri said previewing South Carolina fall baseball practice

South Carolina head coach Paul Mainieri spoke to the media on Monday as the Gamecocks begin their first week of full team practice in the fall baseball season. Here’s what Mainieri had to say.

— It’s an exciting day for him and hopefully an exciting day for the players and staff. First day of full squad practice. It’ll be the first of 27 workouts, including two games against outside opponents. Believes they’re doing it within a 44-day window.

— Terry Rooney has been working hard with the pitchers. There have been several bullpen sessions so far. There was one live session against hitters.

— All the hitters look good right now. They’re going to have an older, more experienced team. They’re very quick learners. Sees a lot of talent there.

— The small group workouts have been great so far. They’re ready to start playing in some competitive environments.

— The first goal for fall is to teach the players the way to play the game. Wants the pitchers to pound the zone and mix pitches. He wants the hitters to have an aggressive attitude and swing with authority. The second goal is to create competition. They’ll scrimmage “virtually everyday.”

— Pitchers will throw one inning each this week. Hopes next week everyone will be ready to throw two innings.

— Riley Goodman is an incoming freshman and will be out for the season. Parker Marlatt and Eddie Copper will not pitch in the fall. There’s a chance they could pitch at the end of the fall but they don’t want to chance it. They’ll have 21 pitchers available right now. Ryan Bakes won’t participate today in the scrimmage. He’s got a wrist issue.

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— Have to be down to 40 players on the roster by Opening Day. They have to be down to 45 by the Air Force scrimmage.

— Eli Jerzembeck is in great shape. His bullpens have been outstanding. He should be ready to go. Thinks he pitches Wednesday this week. He’s a “priority” for the team.

— Thinks they did a tremendous job in the transfer portal this summer. They addressed what they felt what they needed to do. Made a couple trips to look at players. The first concern was catcher after losing Messina and Reeves. Wanted to get depth there and landed Max Kaufer from A&M. Did fairly well up in Cape Cod this summer. Fits the profile of what they needed. Told Talmadge LeCroy he will convert back to catcher. He’s in the hunt to be the No. 1 catcher in 2025.

— Ethan Petry, who faced Ashton Crowther in high school, told Mainieri he was really tough to face. Thinks he can really pitch. He’s going to be a nice addition for the pitching staff. Said they wanted to bring in more LHP. When Jarvis Evans is on, he’s really good.

— Jackson Soucie is having some nagging arm issues. Doesn’t know what availability he’ll have for the fall.

— Says everything went so fast when he was hired in June. Felt like he never left. Felt so comfortable and confident getting back into coaching. Was uncomfortable for maybe 10 seconds and that was it. Having the time of his life. Never realized how much he missed being busy. It was so much fun to be busy again.

— Was pretty shocked when Ray Tanner was stepping down as AD. Did not anticipate he would retire four months into his tenure.

— Can’t wait for Feb. 14 to get here to open up the season, essentially confirming Opening Day will be that day.

— There’s nothing that’s really changed with the returning hitters offensively. Doesn’t micromanage Monte Lee with the way he coaches the hitters. Can see Lee’s influence on them and how he’s helped them. Wants him to feel comfortable with what he’s telling them.

— First inclination is that they have a lot of guys that can hit the ball out of the ballpark. Knows there’s days they’ll need to manufacture runs by going to the opposite field, bunting, etc. Wants the players to have self confidence and what they think they can do in the first few weeks before he implements a strategy of what works.

— Been impressed by the players’ honesty and what the needs for the team were. Really appreciated that. The players are a nice group of kids, well-mannered. Very polite to people. They really are a well brought up group of kids. It’s been a real joy getting to know them. It’s been a really good mesh between the coaches and players. Looking forward to these next six weeks.

— Had a great visit with Lamont Paris when he started out here. Then went over to see Dawn Staley and she had just left for Paris two hours earlier. Hasn’t been able to meet her in person yet. His wife tells him to invite her over for dinner.

— The most nervous he gets is Opening Day because you don’t know what you really have yet. But he’s looking forward to having these two scrimmages against Air Force and Charleston. The Air Force scrimmage is late enough to where they can put a real team out there. Says it should be a 14-inning scrimmage to get everyone in there. Noticed Charleston hadn’t been on the schedule for years. So he talked to Chad Holbrook to play a scrimmage in Charleston. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

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— No work on the weekends. Have to give the kids one day off a week. Have to give off 14 additional flex days mandated by the NCAA. So he builds the 14 into the fall semester so they don’t have to worry about it in the spring. Never practiced on a Saturday in his coaching career. Believes in the students having a college student experience during football season. This dates back to Notre Dame, LSU, Air Force.

— The three non-conference weekends are set but he can’t talk about them yet.

— Jordan Carrion is a full-fledged player that will be competing on the roster at second base. Him and Cayden Gaskin are competing at second base right now. Carrion didn’t play at all in 2024 as a two-time transfer. He’s going to have to make the team.

— Thinks his style of coaching can work. He challenges players when he thinks they can do better. The players have been responding to it well.

— Always had a non-facial hair rule. Has nothing against beards since he has two sons with beards. But always told the players at previous stops you have to make some sacrifices to be a part of the team. Always demanded they be clean cut. There will be no facial hair rule this year, though.

— Hasn’t been a big believer in one person being a leader. Needs to have a team of leaders. Wants everyone to be a captain and leader in their own way. Wants the players to speak up to him. Dylan Eskew, Blake Jackson, Ethan Petry have stepped up as leaders. Will Tippett might be the greatest teammate he’s ever seen. It’s early to say who steps up. True respect must be earned. Hopes the players hold each other accountable. 

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