South Carolina left-handed pitcher Jake McCoy will miss the 2026 college baseball season with a ligament tear in his elbow.
In 2025, McCoy had 77 strikeouts in 60 innings of work for the Gamecocks. He also picked up four wins for South Carolina.
McCoy also had a standout summer in the Cape Cod League with the Harwich Mariners. In 12 1/3 innings of work, he had a 1.46 ERA and 25 strikeouts.
Impact of McCoy and His Injury on the South Carolina Starting Rotation
South Carolina will feel McCoy’s absence for the 2026 college baseball season.
He was projected to be the Gamecocks’ Friday night starter, leaving a major hole in head coach Paul Mainieri’s pitching staff.
Some likely candidates for the Friday night starting role with McCoy now out are incoming transfers Amp Phillips and Alex Philpott.
Phillips had a 3.64 ERA in 84 innings of work with USC Upstate in 2025. He was the 2025 Big South Conference Newcomer of the Year.
Philpott had 44 strikeouts in 37 innings of work with the Florida Gators in 2025. He was a major reliever out of the bullpen for the Gators, as he also recorded two saves.
Beyond Phillips and Philpott, redshirt-freshman right-hander pitcher Riley Goodman seems to be trending toward gaining a role in the starting rotation. Goodman was a 2023 Tennessee All-State pitcher from Memphis while playing in high school.
Up Next for South Carolina
The South Carolina Gamecocks will begin the 2026 college baseball season on February 13 against the Northern Kentucky Norse.
The game is at South Carolina’s home ballpark, Founders Park, and the first pitch is at 4 p.m. EST.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Courtesy of Jon McCoy
