The Gamecocks will practice Nov. 10 and have open scrimmages on Nov. 9, 11 and 12 before shutting it down for the fall.
Arms
If a team has pitching, it has a chance to be good, and USC’s was phenomenal against CofC.
The Gamecocks allowed one hit through eight innings. Zach Russell ran into trouble in the ninth, giving up two hits and a walk to load the bases with no outs, but escaped with just a run.
Otherwise, Riley Goodman struck out the side as the game’s starter, although he loaded the bases with one out between the Ks. He missed the 2025 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
“I wanted to shut him down after recovery, but he begged me to pitch for an inning,” Mainieri said. “That was the biggest jam he’d been in all fall.”
Amp Phillips, the transfer from USC Upstate, relieved and set Charleston down in order over two innings. He struck out three of his six batters.
“Those are going to be two of our top guys,” Mainieri said.
Meanwhile, the Gamecocks’ bats staked them to a 2-0 lead. Dawson Harman, Beau Hollins, Ethan Lizama, Luke Yuhasz and LeCroy each had multiple hits, and Evans, the next-to-last batter in the order, sent a ball screaming to right-center that hit the wall and bounced past two outfielders.
Once it was retrieved, Evans was halfway to third. The throw in went to an empty bag as assistant coach John Hendry waved Evans home. He scored standing up.
That was also a change. Mainieri said he’d been putting Hendry at third lately so hitting coach Monte Lee could stay in the dugout, thus talking to each batter before they approach the plate.
USC had 14 hits. Weirdly, Evans’ homer was the second time in two fall games that the Gamecocks had an inside-the-parker. Hollins got one last year in a 12-11 loss to the Cougars at Joe Riley Park.
Mainieri also said he wasn’t concerned about a projected crucial bat in the lineup. Logan Sutter, the transfer from Purdue, was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts before he reached base in the ninth. He hasn’t had a good fall practice.