Gamecocks Cook Terriers in Spartanburg

College baseball season is back in Spartanburg, and this time it started off with a bang at Fifth Third Park as the South Carolina Gamecocks made their first visit to town since 2011 – a night in which Carolina prevailed 9-3 down at Russell C King Field.

For the Terriers, who won the very first game played in the ballpark over USC Upstate back in April of last year 5-2, this game was an opportunity to get their first win in the series since March 21, 2012 – which was a 5-4 victory for the Terriers down in Columbia. On the flipside, the Gamecocks were looking for their 6th straight win in the series and 78th overall.

These two teams came into the night in similar places. South Carolina (2-1) opened their 2026 season against Northern Kentucky while the Terriers (3-0) swept Mercyhurst in a three game set at Russell C King Field. South Carolina features a lot of new faces on their roster as does Wofford. As a matter of fact, one of those new faces for the Gamecocks came from the northside of Spartanburg – Center Fielder Tyler Bak, who bat .325 with 10 doubles, 2 homers, 20 runs batted in, and 15 stolen bases as a Terrier a year ago. Bak also made his presence known on opening day for Carolina, tying the second game of the twin bill against Northern Kentucky with an RBI double in consecutive plate appearances, paving the road for KJ Scobey’s walk off home run to clinch the series.

It is also noteworthy that the Gamecocks had another newcomer come to Columbia this season via USC Upstate in Amp Phillips, who notched his first high major start in game 2 of South Carolina’s double header with NKU to the tune of 3 and two thirds innings with 7 strikeouts, 3 walks, 2 hits, and 2 earned runs.

In this contest, Wofford starter Champ Davis sat the Gamecocks in order on 14 pitches to start the game. It did not take long for his offense to stake him to an early lead when third baseman Cade Collins cranked the 2nd pitch from South Carolina starter Connor Chicoli into the bullpen in right field to make for a 1-0 Terrier lead. Wofford held that advantage until the top of the third, where the Gamecocks got on the board thanks to some 2 out magic after 2nd baseman Jack Reynolds reached on a fielding error by Terrier shortstop Harrison Campi to start the inning. He advanced on a ground ball to 2nd and scored on an RBI single from designated hitter Reese Moore, knotting things at 1 heading to the 4th.

Chicoli bounced back nicely from the leadoff homer – the lone run he gave up in 5 innings of work. He struck out 4, gave up 4 hits, and walked none, giving way to Elijah Foster in the 6th, who came in with a 3-1 lead thanks to a big fourth frame for the Gamecock offense.

Right Fielder Aaron Jamison and shortstop KJ Scobey started the rally with back to back base hits. After left fielder Ethan Lizama lined to 2nd and first baseman Beau Hollins struck out swinging, Reynolds came through with the first of consecutive run scoring knocks, the second of which came from Bak. Carolina would end up leaving men on the corners when third baseman Dawson Harman grounded out to 2nd to retire the side, but the Gamecocks held serve.

Foster sat the Terriers in order unconventionally in his lone inning of work after issuing a walk to center fielder Niko Brini. Second baseman Keeton Burroughs grounded into a 6-4-3 double play and later on, left fielder Ben Timblin flew out to left to end the inning, setting the stage for another big inning for the South Carolina bats.

With one away in the top of the 7th, Harman was hit by a pitch to start the push. Reese Moore and Talamadge LeCroy singled back to back to load the bases for Aaron Jamison, who launched one about as deep as you can towards the scoreboard in right field, but it stayed in the yard, allowing Harman to score on the sacrifice fly. KJ Scobey added on with the third hit of the frame – this on an RBI knock that scored Moore to give the Gamecocks a 5-1 lead heading to the 7th inning stretch.

Cooper Parks continued the strong pitching effort in the bottom half, working around a 1 out single with a pickoff and erasing a hit batsman with a ground ball to 2nd to retire the side.

Wofford finally got a run back in the bottom of the eighth when South Carolina’s Logan Prisco walked first baseman James Layman and then followed it by beaning Collins. With 1 out, they executed a double steal that set up an RBI grounder to 1st from 2nd baseman Keeton Burroughs. Prisco settled back in with a strikeout of Timblin, and once again the South Carolina offense struck with a big inning to ice the game away in the top of the 9th.

With one out, LeCroy launched a 1-2 pitch off Wofford’s Cade Bouknight high and deep into the night, landing on the berm in left for a solo shot. After Jamison drew a walk, Scobey repeated LeCroy’s feat – this time with a 2 run smash to the berm to make for the final 8-2 tally in favor of the Gamecocks. Logan Prisco went on to retire the Terriers in order to secure the 3rd win of the season for South Carolina.

The Gamecocks were led by Scobey, who finished the night 4 for 5 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. Bak, LeCroy, Jamison, and Reynolds each drove one in while Chicoli earned his first win of the season. Wofford was led by Collins, who went 1 for 3 at the dish with an RBI and a run scored – all on his first inning home run. Branton Little took the loss, having given up 2 earned runs on 4 hits in an inning and a third of work.

With this one in the books, the Gamecocks will return home to Founders Park tomorrow to take on the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs with first pitch set for 4:00 PM followed by a special multi-team event this weekend in which Carolina will host Army, Navy, and Air Force. Those games will start at 2:00, 1:00, and 4:00 respectively.

Wofford will also host an MTE this weekend, taking on Valparaiso in their next game Friday at 5:30, New Jersey Institute of Technology Saturday at 2, and Northern Illinois Sunday at 1.