Latest news with #Mainieri
American Press
15-05-2025
- Sport
- American Press
Mainieri struggling as LSU visits South Carolina
Paul Mainieri probably wishes he had more time to tidy up his new place before welcoming some old friends over. But the first-year South Carolina coach is still excited to have LSU visiting his Gamecocks for three games this weekend to finish the regular season. Mainieri stepped down at LSU following the 2021 season, suffering from persistent neck pain. The coaching break was the perfect remedy. No games, no pain —and, suddenly, a lot more golf. The pain was replaced by a sudden itch to coach again and he insists he's happy to be back in coaching, back in the unforgiving Southeastern Conference. But, frankly, at the moment his new program is a hot mess. The Gamecocks (27-26, 5-22 SEC) had to rally with five runs in the bottom of the eighth Tuesday for a 6-5 win over Winthrop just to creep above the .500 mark overall. But the SEC's minefield has been, figuratively at least, another pain in the neck. The Gamecocks have lost seven in a row in conference, including last weekend when they gave up 46 runs in three losses at Auburn. They enter the weekend in 15th place in the conference, ahead of only 3-24 Missouri. 'I had just underestimated the strength of the conference, how much better the conference has gotten in the last couple of years,' Mainieri said two weeks ago after a series loss to Kentucky. 'The players are so much bigger and stronger and more experienced. We just have not been able to match up in some cases.' That remark raised the ire of some Columbia pod casts and on talk radio. There was even speculation that Mainieri — whether by his own volition or getting pushed out the door— might be a one-and-done experiment at South Carolina. It was news to Mainieri. 'I'm the coach at South Carolina and no one has told me anything different,' he said recently. 'I'm totally committed to being here and I want to see this thing get on the tracks in the right way. 'I've been through this before. My first year at LSU (2007) was difficult.' He turned the Tigers around with a College World Series trip his second year and the next season won the 2009 national championship. In all, he made five Omaha trips with LSU, also reaching the CWS finals in 2017. There were also four SEC championships and six conference tournament titles. 'I'm very proud of my time at LSU,' said Mainieri, who has very little to prove as he's already in the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. He's taking over another proud program now, one where the athletic director who hired him, Ray Tanner, was the USC head coach for College World Series championships in 2010 and 2011. The Gamecocks' back-to-back national titles straddled the last year the CWS was held in Omaha's old Rosenblatt Stadium and the first year it moved downtown. Tanner, a good friend, surprisingly retired from South Carolina in September, but Mainieri remains optimistic about his move. 'That can happen here,' Mainieri said on Tiger Rag radio of his success at LSU. 'It may not happen at quickly as it did at LSU, but we're working really hard. And I'm staying.' Only a handful of current Tigers were around when Mainieri coached his last season at LSU in 2021. But he was no stranger around the program over the previous three years since his retirement. 'If anybody has earned the right to do what they want to do and continue to coach, it's him,' said LSU coach Jay Johnson. 'It will be good to see him, and we're looking forward to the games.' The No. 1-ranked Tigers (40-12, 17-10) are trying to lock up one of the top eight super seeds for the NCAA tournament. They enter the weekend third in the SEC, a game behind Arkansas and three games behind first-place Texas. ** LSU at South Carolina Records (SEC): LSU 40-12 (17-10); South Carolina 27-26 (5-22). Rankings (RPI): LSU No. 1 (7); USC NR (71). * Projected Pitching Matchups 6 p.m. Thursday / SEC Network LSU TBA. USC LH Ashton Crowder (2-2, 4.13, 42.2 IP, 7 BB, 24 SO, .254 OBA). 6 p.m. Friday / SECN+ LSU LH Kade Anderson (6-1, 3.66, 76.1 IP, 20 BB, 124 SO, .225 OBA). USC: LH Jake McCoy (4-4, 6.71, 55 IP, 35 BB, 76 SO, .267 OBA). 2 p.m. Saturday / SECN+ LSU RH Anthony Eyanson (8-2, 2.91, 74.1 IP, 27 BB, 116 SO, .213 OBA). USC TBA. * Team Batting LSU — BA: .305, HR: 82, SB: 42-58. USC — BA: .269, HR: 55, SB: 44-59. Team Pitching LSU — ERA: 3.81, OBA: .224, IP: 442. BB: 209. SO: 586. USC — ERA: 6.28, OBA: .264, IP: 448.1, BB: 243, SO: 473. Team Fielding LSU — Fld. Pct: .979. DP: 22, OSB: 29-41. USC — Fld. Pct: .975. DP: 40. OSB: 72-91. * SEC STANDINGS SEC All Texas 20-7 40-10 Arkansas 18-9 41-11 LSU 17-10 40-12 Auburn 16-11 37-16 Georgia 16-11 40-13 Vanderbilt 16-11 36-16 Tennessee 15-12 40-13 Alabama 15-12 39-13 Ole Miss 14-13 35-17 Kentucky 13-14 29-20 Oklahoma 13-14 32-17 Florida 13-14 35-18 Miss. State 12-15 31-20 Texas A&M 10-17 27-23 Missouri 3-24 16-35 This week's series All Thursday-Saturday LSU at South Carolina; Texas A&M at Georgia; Alabama at Florida; Kentucky at Vanderbilt; Mississippi State at Missouri; Auburn at Ole Miss; Texas at Oklahoma; Tennessee at Arkansas; Texas A&M at Georgia.
USA Today
15-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former LSU coach Paul Mainieri talks how he's feeling before facing the Tigers
Former LSU coach Paul Mainieri talks how he's feeling before facing the Tigers Ahead of his first matchup against LSU since departing the program, South Carolina head coach Paul Mainieri reminisced on his tenure in Baton Rouge. "I gave everything I had for 15 years at LSU," Mainieri said. "One of the reasons we've been successful at every stop is because I immersed myself into the institution in any way that I can besides just being the baseball coach." Over 15 years with the Tigers, Mainieri led them to five College World Series, the 2009 national championship, and six SEC Tournament championships. He even recruited some current LSU players, including Jared Jones and Kade Anderson, before his departure. "It's going to be a little awkward because I wore purple and gold for 15 years," Mainieri said. "I still have an affection for those kids and feel great about that university." The Division I active leader with 1,505 career wins, Mainieri spent most of his storied coaching career with LSU before retiring after the 2021 season. His love for the institution led him to calling current head coach Jay Johnson when South Carolina called about the job opening. "I actually called Jay Johnson and told him that I was going to accept it and his first response was 'you know we play each other next year,'" Mainieri said. "I didn't even know that and I kind of cringed when he told it to me. Not because of fear of the ability of the opponent but you work at a place for 15 years and it's your life."
USA Today
15-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How former LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri is doing in first season at South Carolina
How former LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri is doing in first season at South Carolina LSU baseball faces its former head coach Paul Mainieri for the first time since his departure. Now the head coach of South Carolina, Mainieri's team hosts the top-ranked Tigers for a three-game series starting Thursday. LSU brings a 17-10 SEC record into the series fresh off taking two of three games from then-No. 3 Arkansas in Baton Rouge. In its fourth season under head coach Jay Johnson, the Tigers aim to make runs at the SEC and NCAA championships. The Gamecocks rank second-to-last in the SEC with a 5-22 record against conference opponents. Their lone series win came against No. 11 Ole Miss in April, but they rode a six-game losing streak into a midweek contest against Winthrop on Tuesday. In Mainieri's inaugural season, South Carolina struggles to keep pace on the mound while battling inconsistency at the plate. In its most recent SEC series, it allowed 46 runs to Auburn after giving up 22 runs to Florida the week before. At the plate, the Gamecocks scored 10 or more runs against conference teams three times but were shut out three times. Relief pitcher Brendan Sweeney ranks inside the SEC's top 10 with six saves and five eligible players bat over .300. Nathan Hall leads with 62 hits, 38 RBI, and 34 runs scored. The active leader in Division I with 1,505 wins, Mainieri guided LSU to five College World Series appearances. The Tigers won the national championship in 2009 and finished second in 2017. His teams won six SEC Tournaments in his 15 seasons in Baton Rouge.
USA Today
15-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How to watch LSU baseball vs South Carolina today: Time, TV channel for Thursday
How to watch LSU baseball vs South Carolina today: Time, TV channel for Thursday LSU baseball has one series left on the schedule before the SEC Tournament next week. The Tigers will get it started on Thursday night against South Carolina. LSU has struggled on the road this year, but LSU is the heavy favorite in this one. South Carolina is 5-22 in SEC play, unranked and out of the postseason picture. It should be smooth sailing for Jay Johnson's squad, but the flip side is LSU's resume takes a hit if the Tigers don't sweep the Gamecocks. While there's not much intrigue on the field, the story of the week is LSU facing former manager Paul Mainieri, who is in Year 1 with South Carolina. Mainieri won a great many games at LSU, including a national championship. He recruited several players on LSU's 2023 national championship team and stuck around the program after stepping down as the coach. Mainieri remains respected in Baton Rouge, but he's in the wrong dugout this weekend. LSU is making a minor adjustment to the rotation. Instead of pitching Game 1 on Thursday, ace Kade Anderson will take the ball on Friday. Anderson left his start vs. Arkansas with an injury scare, but Johnson was quick to ease concerns. LSU's Thursday starter is to be determined. Here's how to watch the LSU-South Carolina baseball game today, including time, TV schedule and streaming information: What channel is LSU baseball vs. South Carolina on today? TV Channel: SEC Network Livestream: Fubo (free trial) or ESPN+ LSU baseball vs. South Carolina will be available nationally on the SEC Network. Streaming options for the game include FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers. Watch LSU baseball vs South Carolina live on Fubo (free trial) LSU baseball vs. South Carolina time today Date: Thursday, May 15 Thursday, May 15 Start time: 6 p.m. CT The LSU baseball vs. South Carolina game starts at 6 p.m. CT from Founders Park in Columbia, South Carolina. LSU baseball vs. South Carolina predictions, picks LSU 9, South Carolina 5: LSU is stitching together a bullpen game, so South Carolina will have some success at the plate, but I like the Tigers' chances. The Gamecocks don't have the pieces to compete against the best teams in the SEC, though Mainieri will have his squad fired up against his former team. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Paul Mainieri fared in first games with South Carolina
Former LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri is off to a perfect start with his new team. Mainieroi led South Carolina to a 3-0 record on opening weekend and a win on Tuesday. The Gamecocks took down Sacred Heart in the three-game series and recorded a win at Winthrop. In its home opener, South Carolina jumped out to a 3-0 lead and scored two runs late after Sacred Heart tied the score in the sixth inning. The Gamecocks put up a one-hit shutout in a 14-0 win on Saturday, then blanked the Pioneers once again with an 8-0 victory on Sunday. On Tuesday at Winthrop, both teams scored two runs, and the game was tied. In the home half of the fourth inning, Winthrop took a one-run lead, but the rest of the game belonged to the Gamecocks. They scored three unanswered runs between the fifth and sixth frames to seal the win. Mainieri's hiring was announced on June 11, 2024. Through his 15 seasons at LSU, he made five College World Series appearances and won six SEC Tournaments and 10 NCAA Regional Championships. He also led the Tigers to the 2009 National Championship and finished as the runner-up in 2017. The team won at least one championship in 11 of Mainieri's seasons. Through stops at St. Thomas, Air Force, Notre Dame, and LSU, Mainieri accumulated enough wins to rank him first among active Division I coaches with 1,505. He is a two-time SEC Coach of the Year and four-time National Coach of the Year honoree. Under Mainieri's watch, LSU players were recognized as First-Team All-Americans 13 times and chosen in the MLB Draft 90 times. This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: How ex-LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri is faring at South Carolina
