Sports

South Carolina Baseball In Disarray As Player’s Mom Subtly Calls For $5M Coach’s Job With Cryptic Post

#South Carolina Gamecocks
by Last Updated
South Carolina baseball player Matthew Becker throws a pitch.

© Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images


The 2025 college baseball season has not gone according to plan for the South Carolina Gamecocks. The team is in danger of missing its fifth NCAA Tournament in a decade as it struggles in Year 1 of the Paul Mainieri era.

It was always going to be a season of transition with the new coaching staff coming in. With that being said, the Gamecocks were expected to be competitive in SEC action. That hasn’t been the case.

South Carolina is 5-19 in league play and 26-23 overall. Losses on the schedule include a 17-0 blowout at Texas A&M, and more recently, a 22-3 shellacking at the hands of the Florida Gators.

That latest blowout could be tipping point in ending the Mainieri experiment.

Paul Mainieri rumors swirl after sweep.

The Gamecocks were swept in embarrassing fashion by SEC rival Florida, being outscored a combined 39-8 across the three-game set. They’ve now lost six conference matchups in their last seven tries.

Mainieri’s job status is a talking point. While South Carolina insists it won’t make any midseason moves, uncertainty about the coach’s future in Columbia is growing.

Mainieri was a legend at LSU before being hired by the Gamecocks, leading the Tigers to a national title in 2009. He became the highest-paid coach in South Carolina program history last offseason.

The 67-year-old signed a five-year deal with an annual salary of $1.3 million. If fired, he’ll be owed the remaining $5.2 million on his contract.

Atop the whispers of a potential firing are rumors that Mainieri’s completely lost the locker room. An interesting postgame quote from the weekend added to that speculation on Sunday.

Mainieri referenced the notable absence of first baseman Beau Collins against Florida. He expected the infielder to play before being told Collins wouldn’t suit up ahead of first pitch.

“I knew the back of his knee was a little bit sore. I didn’t think it was that extensive. I showed up to the park this morning, and evidently, Beau told the trainer he couldn’t play. So, that’s it for that.”

-Paul Mainieri

Collins couldn’t (or wouldn’t) play for Paul Mainieri this weekend. He could be one of a number of players having doubts about leadership.

South Carolina baseball player’s mom adds fuel to the fire.

Senior pitcher Matthew Becker is wrapping up his fourth season in Columbia. He’s posted a 2-3 record on the bump with a 6.44 ERA across 15 appearances.

His mom took to social media over the weekend making some interesting comments about a former South Carolina assistant that’s taken over a new role at an SEC rival.

Justin Parker acted as the Gamecocks’ pitching coach in 2022 and 2023. He then moved onto Mississippi State where he’s recently been named interim head coach following the midseason firing of Chris Lemonis.

The Bulldogs landed their first SEC sweep this past weekend with Parker at the helm.

Parker coached Matthew Becker during his first two seasons with South Carolina. Becker’s mom might want to see him back in the dugout.

Laurie Becker posted a cryptic message in reply to that Justin Parker praise. In doing so, she suggested that there is a divide between the Gamecocks and their current head coach.

Amazing what a team can do when they respect their coach and are playing for their survival. Congrats to Coach Parker – incredible coach that did great things at SC!

-Laurie Becker

Reading between the lines, it seemed a subtle call for Paul Mainieri’s replacement. There’s also the insinuation that players don’t respect the current staff.

The coaching comparison and reference back to South Carolina provided undertones of unhappiness in Columbia. Laurie Becker did not directly call for Mainieri’s job. She might’ve hinted at it, though, and it seems she’s already got a candidate for the next search.