South Carolina defeats Princeton in final home game before SEC play. What we saw

The last time South Carolina baseball entered a weekend series finale with the chance at a sweep was Opening Weekend against Northern Kentucky.

USC fell 3-2 to the Norse, and head coach Paul Mainieri received some criticism for saying after the loss his players were tired from the first two games of the weekend.

“They just seemed lethargic today,” Mainieri said after the loss on Feb. 14. “I thought we’d come out and really explode today. I knew the guys were tired (because) yesterday was a long day, 18 innings. We had a lot of guys whose legs were cramping.”

There would be no such excuses made for the Gamecocks against Princeton as they entered Sunday’s series finale with a chance at the sweep, even after playing a doubleheader the day before and losing an hour of sleep to Daylight Savings Time. USC got the lost hour back and more thanks to a weather delay which pushed first pitch from 1:30 to 7:15 p.m.

The Gamecocks came out ready to play this time, taking down Princeton 13-1 in a run-rule victory and securing their first weekend series sweep of the year. USC will look to replicate the 3-0 result next weekend in its SEC opener against No. 9 Florida in Gainesville.

“More importantly than even the record, I just feel like our team is growing, getting better,” Mainieri said.

Here are three key takeaways from Sunday’s win:

Patience pays off

USC (12-5) hasn’t been the most patient team at the plate so far this season. Entering the series finale, the Gamecocks were 59th in the nation with a 2.65 strikeout-to-walk ratio. USC was tied for 186th in the nation with only 14 walks.

The plate approach looked a bit different on Sunday, and it paid dividends.

USC drew four walks in the first three innings and were hit by two pitches. Four of those six free baserunners scored to help the Gamecocks pull ahead 7-1 through the opening third. The Gamecocks’ newfound plate discipline helped work Princeton (2-8) starting pitcher Brady Kaufman up to 64 pitches after two innings, and forced the Tigers to move to their bullpen early.

“I thought we just had some terrific at-bats against them, made them work,” Mainieri said. “And when we got good pitches to hit, we did a lot of damage.”

The Gamecocks loaded the bases in the fifth inning with help from another walk and hit-by-pitch. Fifth-year catcher Talmadge LeCroy hit his fourth home run of the year - and USC’s first grand slam - to clear the bases and go up 12-1, putting the Gamecocks in run-rule territory.

Logan Sutter’s breakout weekend

Purdue transfer Logan Sutter was one of the most accomplished hitters in USC’s 24-man transfer class. He hit .367 in 2025 and became the fifth player in Purdue history with at least 15 home runs and 60 RBI in a season. But that resume didn’t translate when Sutter arrived in Columbia.

According to Mainieri, Sutter recorded just four hits in the fall and spring preseason scrimmages and no extra-base hits. He’d been shifted in and out of the lineup as he started 2-for-10 at the plate in 2026. Sutter played just one game in the pivotal Clemson series, going 1-for-4 on the day.

Sutter’s fortunes seemed to turn around against Princeton, and just in time for the start of SEC play.

The fifth-year senior played in the second game on Saturday and the series finale on Sunday. He hit three home runs over the course of the weekend and finished 5-for-7 at the plate with six RBI.

“I’m just taking it day by day and doing what I can to help us win,” Sutter said.

Amp Phillips stays steady through hiccups

Amp Phillips, a junior transfer with prior stops at Spartanburg Methodist and USC Upstate, made the opening day rotation as the most experienced of the Gamecocks’ rotation. He’s still the veteran of the group as Mainieri swaps starters and shifts around the rotation, starting the year with a 1-1 record and a 4.15 ERA. Phillips made his first Sunday start of the year against Princeton after making his first three starts of the year on Saturdays.

Phillips wasn’t perfect in his first run as the series finale starter, but his experience came through and allowed him to stay steady through early hiccups.

The right-hander gave up a hit in each of the first four innings, including a solo home run in the second for Princeton’s only run of the game. He also walked two batters. However, Phillips struck out seven batters, never gave up an extra-base hit in the start and never let a runner reach third base aside from the home run.

“I’m trying to work my way up, and I love meeting all the new people and trying to solidify a role in this team,” Phillips said. “I just love being out there, pitching for my coach and my teammates.”

Phillips tossed his first 1-2-3 inning in the fifth and was pulled the following inning for junior lefty Hudson Lee.

Sophomore right-hander Zach Russell finished the game on the mound for the Gamecocks, which was only seven innings due to the run-rule victory.

South Carolina baseball upcoming schedule

• Tuesday: at The Citadel, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)
• Friday, March 13: at Florida, 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
• Saturday, March 14: at Florida, 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
• Sunday, March 15: at Florida, 1 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)

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