Garrett Gainey seeing expanded role, possibility of starting for South Carolina late in season
It’s no secret but South Carolina has experimented with its starting rotation for much of the 2024 season.
Some weeks, especially early in the campaign, Mark Kingston named starters for all three games of an upcoming three-game series. But that has changed as of late. The Gamecocks’ Sunday starter has been listed as “TBA” each of the past four weeks.
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Not naming a third starter each weekend has allowed Kingston to evaluate different pitching options. Through 48 games, eight different South Carolina pitchers have started at least one game.
Kingston said on Wednesday that yet another scenario — the possibility of Garrett Gainey starting on the mound — is in the cards for the Gamecocks. After all, he does have experience as a college starter.
“As you’ve seen, I’m not afraid to try different things to try to get us a little bit closer to where we could be 100 percent capacity,” Kingston said. “That’s been jostled around a little bit in our coaching staff. Do we need to find a different role, a better role for him?”
Gainey has become South Carolina’s go-to reliever out of the bullpen as the season has progressed. He has appeared in 19 games, amassing a 3.00 earned run average and 49 strikeouts over 33 innings. He has also earned six saves in those contests.
Gainey’s efforts have started to gain national attention as well. He was recently named to a midseason watch list for the National College Baseball Writers Association Midseason Stopper of the Year award, which is given annually to the best relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball.
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Kingston said Gainey has improved in multiple ways this season to get to this point.
“I think both physically in terms of his mechanics are as good as they’ve ever been, which has led to better velocity and more control. He’s learned over the course of the year early in the season, he was just overpowering people. And then he got into the league and realized he couldn’t do that. So he’s had to make an adjustment to that,” Kingston said.
“I think from a maturity standpoint, he’s kind of like a wild bull at times where you’ve got to teach him to harness it properly. But you also don’t want to take away his emotion and passion… I think, as a coach, you can really teach him how to harness it and use it to his advantage.”
Those improvements have led to Kingston letting Gainey have a longer leash during games. He made two appearances in the Gamecocks’ most recent series against Missouri, going 2.1 innings on Friday and 3.2 innings on Sunday. He totaled 10 strikeouts and allowed just two hits and zero runs in those games.
“I think what you’ve seen with him, especially starting last week, is his outing was longer. Much like a Ty Good coming out of the bullpen, almost as a secondary starter, if you will,” Kingston said. “I think Gainey may eventually grow into that.”
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Although most of his contributions this season have come out of the bullpen, Gainey is capable of starting. He started nine games last season for Liberty. In his first three college seasons, he started 11 more games for Winthrop.
But for Gainey, he is comfortable in either role for South Carolina.
“I feel like I can come in late and get the job done or start off and get the job done as well,” Gainey said. “Just having the trust in those eight guys behind me is the biggest thing. Being able to come in and throw strikes and just trust them. Any role that the team needs is really what I’ll do.”
Doing what’s best for the team is ultimately what will guide Kingston in his decision to have Gainey start or stay in the bullpen.
“I don’t think you can ever be scared of trying something that your gut tells you might really help the team,” Kingston said. “Everything’s always on the table.”
