Gamecock LHP McCoy to miss 2026 season

COLUMBIA – Junior lefthanded pitcher Jake McCoy of the University of South Carolina baseball team will miss the 2026 season, it was announced this afternoon (Wednesday, Jan. 28). McCoy has a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) that will require surgery.

McCoy is entering his third season with the Gamecocks. In his two seasons at Carolina, McCoy has made 26 appearances on the mound with 15 starts, 14 of them in his sophomore season. The Fort Mill, S.C., native has 97 strikeouts in 76 innings pitched in his career, including a career-high 12 against Clemson on March 1, 2025. He struck out seven or more batters seven times in his career. He made three appearances in the Cape Cod League this past summer, striking out 25 batters in 12.1 innings pitched. He also was the No. 63 draft prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft by MLB Pipeline.

“I’m disappointed to share that I’ll be out for the 2026 season after suffering a UCL tear that will require Tommy John surgery,” McCoy said. “Even though I can’t pitch, I’m still going to be with the guys every day—supporting them, staying locked in, and doing whatever I can to help the team. Thank you to all the Carolina fans for having my back through this; your support means everything to me.”

“My heart breaks for Jake because I knew that this was going to be a very important year for him,” South Carolina head coach Paul Mainieri said. “He’s worked so hard at becoming the best pitcher he can be and worked so hard on developing a changeup this offseason that we all thought was going to make him a more complete pitcher. He obviously has a great arm and I felt that he was going to blossom this year, so it’s a shame that he’s going to have to go through this. I also am very confident that he’ll recover from this and go on to have a terrific career in baseball. His character and work ethic and all the care he will receive will add up to having a great career.”