South Carolina Gamecocks Predicted to a Have Down Year by SEC Coaches

The South Carolina Gamecocks were predicted to finish in the bottom half of the conference by SEC coaches.

May 21 2024; Hoover, AL, USA; South Carolina hitter Ethan Petry celebrates his solo homer in the third inning agains Alabama at the Hoover Met on the opening day of the SEC Tournament. The Gamecocks hit three homers in the inning including a grand slam. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK

The South Carolina Gamecocks were predicted to finish in the bottom half of the conference by SEC coaches.

The South Carolina Gamecocks baseball program is entering their first season under veteran head coach Paul Mainieri. He has been coaching in college baseball since 1983 and will be looking to get the baseball program back into contention. However, according to SEC coaches, that will not be this year.

The SEC coaches preseason poll was released on Wednesday and the Gamecocks are projected to finish 14th in the conference. Last season, the Gamecocks went 37-25 and 13-17 in the conference. They made it to the regional round but were eliminated by James Madison. Here is how the SEC preseason coaches poll finished:

2025 SEC Coaches Preseason Poll:

1. Texas A&M (10) – 228
2. Tennessee (1) – 215
3. Arkansas (3) – 214
4. LSU (1) – 204
5. Florida (1) – 183
6. Georgia – 165
7. Vanderbilt – 156
8. Texas – 146
9. Mississippi State – 112
10. Kentucky - 102
11. Oklahoma – 101
12. Auburn – 100
13. Alabama – 98
14. South Carolina - 61
15. Ole Miss – 60
16. Missouri – 31

Coaches also voted on All-SEC team honors as well. Outfielder Ethan Pettry earned first team honors and he was the only South Carolina player to make either list.

It should be noted that this is the first season that Oklahoma and Texas will be in the conference for baseball, so the field got deeper by two teams. Both are also respectable baseball programs.

The Gamecocks will start their season on Feb. 14 against Sacred Heart at home in a three-game series.

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