{"id":84474,"date":"2025-02-28T11:15:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T17:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/paul-mainieris-first-south-carolina-clemson-series-is-far-from-his-first-ever-marquee-matchup\/"},"modified":"2025-02-28T11:15:00","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T17:15:00","slug":"paul-mainieris-first-south-carolina-clemson-series-is-far-from-his-first-ever-marquee-matchup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/paul-mainieris-first-south-carolina-clemson-series-is-far-from-his-first-ever-marquee-matchup\/","title":{"rendered":"Paul Mainieri\u2019s first South Carolina-Clemson series is far from his first-ever marquee matchup"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paul Mainieri<\/strong> is approaching a half-century of time in college baseball as both a player and a coach. Mainieri quickly learned the gravity that some high-profile matchups had early in his career.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I transferred for my sophomore year to play for my father, he was at Miami-Dade North Community College. Our biggest rival was Miami-Dade South Community College. We didn\u2019t like each other too much,\u201d Mainieri said. \u201cSo, I\u2019m kind of used to that kind of a rivalry, where it seems more than a game.\u201d<\/p>\n

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48 years later, Mainieri will be leading South Carolina in a rivalry that is among college sports\u2019 best. The Gamecocks are set to play in-state rival Clemson in a three-game series this weekend.<\/p>\n

Mainieri only recently took South Carolina\u2019s head coaching job, making Friday\u2019s game his first in-state rivalry matchup in the role. Despite this, he has plenty of previous big-game experience to lean on.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve coached a lot of games in my life, and a lot of big games in and out of the SEC, Omaha, and Super Regional, championship games, and everything. I\u2019m as excited as I\u2019ve ever been about baseball games as I am this weekend,\u201d Mainieri said. \u201cI\u2019m not afraid of it, and our players aren\u2019t afraid of it. They\u2019re embracing it. They\u2019re looking forward to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

There will be something about South Carolina\u2019s rivalry series that is completely novel to Mainieri, though \u2013 the concept of playing the same opponent in three different locations over three days.<\/p>\n

The series will be bookended by games at each team\u2019s respective home stadium. Friday\u2019s contest will be at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, while Sunday\u2019s will be at Founders Park. <\/p>\n

The middle game of the series takes place in a minor league ballpark and rotates between Columbia and Greenville each year. This season, it will be held at Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive, the High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing to play at Clemson is going to be the most hostile environment that we\u2019ll be in until, maybe, somebody in the SEC. Then, playing in a minor league ballpark, where, from my understanding, they might have 9,000 people or so at the game\u2026 And then, of course, coming back here on Sunday after the women\u2019s basketball game and playing a five o\u2019clock game. (I\u2019m) pretty certain that we\u2019re going to have a good crowd for that game,\u201d Mainieri said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just think it\u2019s wonderful for college baseball. I think it\u2019s wonderful for the state. It\u2019s going to be great competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Win tickets to Senior Day, South Carolina-Kentucky women\u2019s basketball game<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Mainieri understands, though, that the competitive flair the Gamecocks\u2019 and Tigers\u2019 players show each game isn\u2019t the only thing that makes the rivalry unique. The vibrant atmosphere both teams\u2019 fans create adds to the allure.<\/p>\n

Mainieri spent the early parts of his career at St. Thomas University, the Air Force Academy, and Notre Dame, trying to get people to care about baseball. Since then, that job has gotten easier, and the South Carolina-Clemson rivalry is a prime example of that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen South Carolina and Clemson get on the field, you don\u2019t have to convince people it\u2019s important. And I love that. I just love that people are so passionate about it,\u201d Mainieri said. \u201cWhat makes me get out of bed every day and come to work is this kind of competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot on the line each year when the Gamecocks and Tigers face off. Bragging rights are a big deal in the state of South Carolina \u2013 as are points in the South Carolina Education Lottery\u2019s Palmetto Series, which the Gamecocks lead 5-2.<\/p>\n

No matter the outcome, Mainieri wants to practice what Dawn Staley<\/a><\/strong> preaches to South Carolina\u2019s women\u2019s basketball team \u2013 to not get too high with the highs or too low with the lows. The Gamecocks will still have 44 games on their schedule once the series is over.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we\u2019re fortunate enough to win three games, I (don\u2019t want) want our players to think, \u2018Oh, well, we\u2019ve arrived. That\u2019s it. We\u2019re at the top of the mountain. The rest of the season doesn\u2019t matter.\u2019 If we lose all three games, I don\u2019t want our players walking around saying, \u2018Oh, our season\u2019s lost,\u2019 because it\u2019s not,\u201d Mainieri said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf something in between that happens, somebody\u2019s going to win the series, somebody\u2019s going to lose the series. But for the team that lost the series, for the team that won the series, there\u2019s still going to be a lot of baseball yet to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Discuss South Carolina baseball on The Insiders Forum!<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n\n

The post Paul Mainieri\u2019s first South Carolina-Clemson series is far from his first-ever marquee matchup<\/a> appeared first on On3<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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