South Carolina baseball coach Paul Mainieri said after the season ending loss to Florida Tuesday at the SEC Tournament that he would be going right to work on rebuilding his roster for 2026. He already has commitments from high school, junior college and Transfer Portal prospects.
But on Friday, he got news that two key cogs from 2025 will return for 2026.
Veteran catcher Talmadge LeCroy and freshman third baseman KJ Scobey announced on social media that they will be back in a Gamecock uniform next season. If, as expected, freshman Beau Hollins also announces his return, Mainieri will be well on his way to fortifying his infield for next season.
LeCroy was a shortstop and third baseman for the Gamecocks through his first three seasons. He moved to the catcher’s role last offseason and won the competition. But he broke his thumb in the season’s first game and later had a hip injury that sidelined him for good. He played in only 17 games and hit .188. He has a career batting average of .255 with 7 home runs and 87 RBIs.
Scobey improved as the season wore on and developed into one of the Gamecocks’ top players. He hit .257 with eight homers and 27 RBIs.
Thus far, only one player from this year’s team, catcher Ryan Bakes, has announced plans to transfer, but more are expected to follow suit.