South Carolina Baseball Kicks Off 2026 Season Against Northern Kentucky

Redshirt freshman Riley Goodman, junior Amp Phillips, and junior Brandon Stone will take the mound for the Gamecocks in the opening series.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The 2026 South Carolina baseball season has arrived, with the Gamecocks set to face off in a double header on Friday against Northern Kentucky. Redshirt freshman Riley Goodman, junior Amp Phillips, and junior Brandon Stone will get the start on the mound in the weekend series. South Carolina has won the last six opening day games and are 92-41 all-time in season openers dating back to 1892.

Why it matters

This is the first opening day doubleheader the Gamecocks will play in since 2014, as they look to rebound from a down year in 2025 under second-year head coach Paul Mainieri. The Gamecocks are hoping to be back in contention for the NCAA tournament at the end of the year.

The details

Goodman will be making his first start at this level after redshirting last season due to an injury. Phillips is a transfer from USC Upstate who appeared in 20 games last season. Stone is set to close out the series as he begins his second season with the team, after flashing potential in a complete game performance against Ole Miss last year.

  • The Gamecocks will face Northern Kentucky in a double header on Friday, February 13, 2026.
  • South Carolina has won the last six opening day games, dating back to 1892.

The players

Riley Goodman

A redshirt freshman right-handed pitcher from Memphis, Tennessee, who was the No. 15 overall player and No. 5 right-handed pitcher in the state coming out of high school.

Amp Phillips

A junior transfer from USC Upstate, who appeared in 20 games, making 12 starts, and pitched 84 innings with a 7-2 record, 3.64 ERA, and 81 strikeouts last season.

Brandon Stone

A junior who appeared in 15 games, making 8 starts, for the Gamecocks last season, including a complete game performance against Ole Miss.

Paul Mainieri

The second-year head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks, looking to rebound from a down year in 2025 and get the team back into NCAA tournament contention.

South Carolina Gamecocks

The baseball team of the University of South Carolina, who are 92-41 all-time in season openers dating back to 1892.

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