South Carolina Gamecocks Starter Out for the Season

South Carolina Gamecocks starting pitcher Jake McCoy has suffered a season ending injury.

South Carolina sophomore Jake McCoy (23) pitches to Clemson during the top of the first inning of the Reedy River Rivalry at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. Saturday, March 1, 2025. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

South Carolina Gamecocks starting pitcher Jake McCoy has suffered a season ending injury.

College baseball season is on the precipice of starting up and things are already off to not so good start for the South Carolina Gamecocks. It has been announced that starting pitcher Jake McCoy will miss the season after suffering a torn UCL during the scrimmage on January 22.

McCoy left the second inning of play after expressing concerns to the coaching staff. At first, the injury was not expected to be significant, but an MRI later revealed McCoy would not be playing in 2026.

"I'm disappointed to that I will be out for the 2026 season after suffering a UCL tear that will require Tommy John surgery," McCoy wrote. "Even though I can't pitch, I'm still going to be with the guys every day-supporting them, staying locked in, and doing whatever I can to help the team. Thank you to all of the Carolina fans for having my back through this; your support means everything to me.

South Carolina Baseball Loses Starter for the Season

South Carolina sophomore Jake McCoy (23) reacts after striking out Clemson sophomore Collin Priest (99) during the top of the fourth inning of the Reedy River Rivalry at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. Saturday, March 1, 2025. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

pic.twitter.com/ROVXVpTzJa

— South Carolina Baseball (@GamecockBSB) January 28, 2026

McCoy has been a mainstay in the rotation for the Gamecocks over the last two seasons. He has made 26 appearances with 15 starts, 14 of them in his sophomore season. He has racked up 97 strikeouts in 76 innings pitched in his career. He struck out seven or more batters seven times in his career. He made three appearances in the Cape Cod League this past summer, striking out 25 batters in 12.1 innings pitched. He also was the No. 63 draft prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft by MLB Pipeline.

“My heart breaks for Jake because I knew that this was going to be a very important year for him,” South Carolina head coach Paul Mainieri said. “He’s worked so hard at becoming the best pitcher he can be and worked so hard on developing a changeup this offseason that we all thought was going to make him a more complete pitcher. He obviously has a great arm and I felt that he was going to blossom this year, so it’s a shame that he’s going to have to go through this. I also am very confident that he’ll recover from this and go on to have a terrific career in baseball. His character and work ethic and all the care he will receive will add up to having a great career.”