South Carolina Dealt Crushing Blow as Starter Jake McCoy Will Miss 2026 Season

South Carolina junior left-handed pitcher Jake McCoy is set to undergo Tommy John surgery and will miss the 2026 season, the program announced on Wednesday. McCoy was slated to lead the Gamecocks’ weekend rotation this spring.

It’s deflating news for second-year head coach Paul Mainieri and the staff in Columbia, as they are now down a key veteran arm with the season set to begin in just 16 days. McCoy left a scrimmage on Jan. 22 and is now out for the year.

McCoy was a bright spot for South Carolina amidst a down year that saw it finish 28-29 overall and just 6-24 in the SEC. Despite his 6.90 ERA, McCoy took the ball 14 times as a sophomore and threw 60 innings, gaining quality experience against elite competition.

Across those 14 starts, McCoy failed to complete four innings just three times. There were ebbs and flows throughout the year, but arguably his best start of the season came against rival Clemson, when he fired six innings of three-hit, two-run ball, striking out 12 while walking just two.

McCoy struck out 38 batters in his first four starts of the year and finished with 77 on the season. He walked 40 and allowed 46 earned runs, 36 of which came in SEC play.

Command has been an issue at times, as he also hit 17 batters in addition to the slew of walks.

He wore some beatings at times as South Carolina struggled severely down the stretch, but McCoy looked primed for a breakout junior season. This summer, he excelled in three starts at the Cape Cod League, striking out 25 and walking just three in 14.2 IP.

Earlier this month, Just Baseball named him the No. 1 LHP and No. 30 overall college prospect heading into the season.

“Obviously, when you start talking about our staff you start with Jake McCoy,” Mainieri said during a Jan. 22 press conference.

“I think Jake has a real chance to take a big step forward this year, but I also think he needs to take a big step forward. He’s got a golden arm. He’s left-handed, throws up to 97, he’s got a pretty good slider. But the two things that will allow him to take a big step forward is if he has better command of his fastball and he’s also developed a changeup.”

“Hopefully he’ll be the leader of our staff,” he added.

Who does South Carolina turn to without McCoy?

While the loss of McCoy stings, it of course opens the door for others to step up and take the reins at the top of the weekend rotation. After all, pitching seems to be the strength of this South Carolina roster on paper, even without the marquee name headlining the staff.

“The biggest reason for my optimism going into the year is because of our pitching staff,” Mainieri said. “We’ve got some really good arms out there.”

After praising McCoy, Mainieri named five arms that were still in the running for spots in the weekend rotation: Amp Phillips, Riley Goodman, Alex Philpott, Bradley Hodges, and Josh Gunther.

Phillips, a junior, comes to Columbia after one dynamic season at USC Upstate. The right-hander racked up 84 innings and a 3.64 ERA for the Spartans, striking out 81 batters.

He began the year in the bullpen but emerged as a starter with a feisty persona on the bump. The fastball hits 95, and he brings energy to a staff that’ll now need an extra shot or two without McCoy.

“I love Amp, I think he’s a real bulldog on the mound. He pitched really well for USC Upstate last year,” Mainieri said.

Goodman is returning from Tommy John surgery and will finally get his first real taste of college action this spring. He was one of the top recruits in the state of Tennessee in the 2024 cycle, and the righty now gets a chance to showcase an arsenal that’s highlighted by a high-90s heater.

“Riley’s rehab was a big part of last year,” Mainieri said. “He finally got to pitch some, a little bit in the summer and this fall he was absolutely dominant in our intrasquad scrimmages.”

Philpott transferred in from Florida and is an intriguing option for the Gamecocks. His 7.30 ERA in 22 appearances and 37 IP last season doesn’t look great, and there have been plenty of hiccups, but he has the stuff and the experience that’s needed to compete in the SEC.

The 6-foot-6 righty struck out 44 batters in 2025 and has 65 career innings under his belt. The change of scenery could bode well for the junior.

Hodges is the biggest wildcard of the bunch. The left-hander spent three seasons at Virginia but made just nine appearances across the last two years.

He too underwent Tommy John surgery, missed the 2024 season, then threw 27.2 innings in 2025, allowing 15 earned. He’s your usual funky lefty and appears ready to fulfill a bigger role in a new uniform.

Then there’s Gunther, a junior righty who spent his first two seasons at Wake Forest. Coming out of the bullpen, he made 54 appearances and tallied 60 1/3 career innings. He took a stride forward as a sophomore, holding batters to a .194 average, striking out 47 and walking just 18 while finishing with a 3.41 ERA in 29 IP. He profiles as a dependable reliever, but clearly starting isn’t out of the question, either.

Crucial season on the horizon for the Gamecocks

McCoy’s absence leaves three open spots in the weekend rotation for those five aforementioned names.

Whoever doesn’t crack the trio will play a vital role in the bullpen alongside junior right-handers Brandon Stone andParker Marlatt, as well as Texas State LHP transfer Alex Valentin and others.

There’s no time for South Carolina to dwell on the gut-punch that is losing McCoy, because the season is essentially here. Northern Kentucky comes to Founders Park for three games to kick off the season, with the season-opener set for 4 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 13.

Last season was nothing short of disastrous for Manieri and the two-time College World Series champs. His second year in charge could quickly become pressure-filled if conference play goes awry again.

“Without really over-exaggerating, it’s probably the season I’ve most anticipated in my 41 years as a college coach,” Mainieri stated.

“The combination of being my second year (at South Carolina) and now I have a much greater idea of what to expect. I feel like we recruited a really outstanding ball club, and then of course, on the heels of a very disappointing season from last year, we want to get back out there on the field and make our South Carolina Gamecock fans proud and get this program back to where it’s supposed to be.”

A weighty campaign awaits the Gamecocks.