© Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The South Carolina baseball team took on Florida in the opening weekend of SEC play. Things have not gone well for the Gamecocks.
The Gators pitched shutouts in each of the first two games. They then provided an offensive explosion in the series finale.
It’s been a season of struggles thus far for South Carolina. The Gamecocks are 12-8 having dropped games to the likes of Queens, Northern Kentucky, Army, and The Citadel.
They’ve also fallen in a rivalry series to Clemson. SEC play has started out the same way.
Florida beat South Carolina in Game 1, 1-0. The Gamecocks had a no-hitter broken up with two outs in the ninth inning. The shutout was then squashed in 10th frame.
The Gators took Game 2 in Gainesville, 3-0. They looked for a sweep on Sunday.
Florida erupted on offense.
The Gators plated three runs in the first and second innings. They added five more in their fourth at-bat. Florida’s lead would be extended to 13-3 resulting in an eventual run rule decision.
Three of those runs came off the bat of Brendan Lawson. He blasted a moonshot home run in the second frame over the right field wall. It was a no-doubter.
B-LAW BLAST No. 10 🚀
🎥 SECN+ pic.twitter.com/QrIxVCjBhn
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) March 15, 2026
Lawson took his time rounding the bases. Twenty-five seconds passed before he reached home plate. He also flipped his bat in the direction of South Carolina pitcher Alex Valentin.
Head coach Paul Mainieri was not happy.
South Carolina baseball coach reams umps.
Tensions flare up as Brendan Lawson bat-flips in fair territory after hitting a 3-run home run in the second inning.
Unsportsmanlike warnings to both teams pic.twitter.com/NAZtjwySWl
— Cam Parker (@camparker25) March 15, 2026
The manager confronted umpires as unsportsmanlike conduct warnings were awarded to each dugout. His tirade did little to motivate the team.
Warnings have been issued to both teams after Brendan Lawson’s home run.
Lawson was not tossed.
Paul Mainieri is not pleased. pic.twitter.com/GfYzHSv1dN
— Nick Marcinko (@marcinko_nick) March 15, 2026
Paul Mainieri is 68 years old. He is the oldest coach in the SEC, having already retired from college baseball once. His patience has not grown with age. The lack of success from his team is having a direct impact.
Boos rained down from the home crowd as Mainieri voiced his displeasure. The three-run bomb put the Gators up 6-3. The deficit would only grow as the game continued.
Florida won the game by 10 runs. The contest was called after seven innings.