South Carolina baseball is continuing to shape its roster as it heads into the offseason, and two more pitchers are officially back in the mix. Right-hander Jake McCoy and left-hander Aydin Palmer both announced their plans to return to Columbia for their third seasons in garnet and black. The return of both McCoy and Palmer adds valuable experience to a pitching staff that is desperately looking to rebuild and gain consistency.
McCoy enters his third season as a Gamecock after making 12 appearances as a true freshman with one start, posting a 1-0 record, with 20 strikeouts and 16 innings. Heading into his sophomore season, McCoy started emerging as one of the Gamecocks' most reliable starters, with 14 games and finishing with a 4-5 record. His best game came in with a dominant performance against Sacred Heart, where he threw five hitless innings and struck out nine batters.
Aydin Palmer, the southpaw, saw his first collegiate action in 2025 and made the most of his limited relief role for South Carolina. He appeared in 12 games, struck out 11 hitters over 8.2 innings, flashing some serious potential against Milwaukee specifically.
McCoy and Palmer join a growing list of Gamecocks who are returning to Columbia next season, including left-handed pitcher Jackson Soucie, veteran catcher Talmadge LeCroy, and infielders KJ Scobey and Beau Hollins, all of whom are expected to play pivotal roles in 2026.
With this core group returning and new players coming in, the Gamecocks are laying a foundation for a bounce-back season at Founders Park.