The Gamecock baseball team is preparing for the upcoming season under the guidance of new head coach Paul Mainieri. 

Over the past three weeks, South Carolina participated in 12 intrasquad scrimmages that were free and open to the public. The shortened contests were part of the team’s 27 planned workouts set to take place during the NCAA’s fall participation window. The workouts also include two scrimmages against other teams. 

During the summer, the team worked in small groups focusing on individual pitching and hitting mechanics. Mainieri said the main focus of fall ball is to play in competitive scenarios and get the team to play his way. 

“We want our pitchers to really pound the zone and throw a lot of strikes, mix the pitches,” Mainieri said. “There's an attitude I want our hitters to have, and it's a very aggressive attitude. I want them to be up there swinging the bats with confidence and with authority.” 

The Gamecocks are looking to rebound from a sub .500 conference record and exit in the NCAA regional round that got previous head coach Mark Kingston fired last season.

Mainieri is excited about the potential of his team for this upcoming season, noting their experience as an advantage. 

“They all look good to be honest with you. I think we're going to have an older team, a very experienced team, and they're very quick learners,” Mainieri said. “I see a lot of talent there.” 

South Carolina will host an exhibition game against Air Force on Oct. 26. The team will follow that up with a trip to Charleston on Nov. 7 for an exhibition against the Cougars.