Following the sweep by Clemson over South Carolina, head coach Paul Mainieri expressed his disappointment, acknowledging how significant the rivalry is to fans and the team.
“Well, those were three really tough, hard-fought games. All three games were like one-run games going into the eighth or ninth inning. So they were very competitive, hard-fought games, and we came up short in all three of them. I know how much it means to South Carolina people, South Carolina fans. I feel bad that we didn’t come through for them. But there’s nothing we can do about it at this point, except for keep improving and working on the things we need to work on," Mainieri said to the media. “I can sit up here and tell you how badly I feel for South Carolina people that care so much about what happens against Clemson. I feel awful,” he said. “It matters to me, believe me, as much as it matters to anybody else.”
🚨 Paul Mainieri opening statement after three straight losses to #Clemson over the weekend. @TheFanUpstate #Gamecocks pic.twitter.com/t6316dz808
— Cole Bryson (@TheColeBryson) March 3, 2025
Mainieri also addressed Talmadge LeCroy's thumb injury. He praised him for playing through it, but also acknowledged the possibility that it affected his performance.
While it's disappointing to Gamecock fans lose to their instate rivalry, there is still a lot of ball to play in the upcoming months, 48 games to be exact. Conference play begins in under two weeks, which will be competitive.
Looking ahead, Mainieri urged fans to maintain faith in him and the team, expressing a commitment to improvement.
“We’re not going to give up,” Mainieri said. “I can just assure everybody we’re not going to give up. We’re going to keep working.”
You can watch Mainieri's full post-game press conference below: