Paul Mainieri’s Comments After South Carolina’s 6-3 Victory on Saturday

After South Carolina’s 6-3 victory over Milwaukee on Saturday, head coach Paul Mainieri addressed the media. Here’s a recap of his comments:

“Don’t get bored with winning,” Mainieri said, emphasizing the difficulty of securing victories. He reminded the players that after coaching over 2,300 games, winning is never easy, but today they executed what was needed to secure the win.

Reflecting on Matthew Becker’s performance, Mainieri noted, “He might have pitched better today than last week.” Becker was in full control, and the coach mentioned the only reason he took him out was due to his pitch count.

Mainieri also praised Jordan Carrion, calling him a “great teammate” and a “team player.” Carrion played a key role with his RBI single in the second inning and continued to contribute in the field. “What can you say about him?” Mainieri added with pride.

There was a slight mishap in the game when Dalton Mashore, an excellent right fielder, lost a routine fly ball in the sun, which became Milwaukee’s first hit. “It was unfortunate,” Mainieri said, acknowledging that the sun played a role. Despite that, Becker continued to pitch well.

Mainieri explained that “mostly, we wanted to give Carrion an opportunity” today, and while he’s unsure of future lineup decisions, he was pleased with Carrion’s full game experience.

Big contributions came from KJ Scobey and Carrion, who both had clutch hits in the second inning. Mainieri felt the team was close to blowing the game wide open during that rally but noted, “When the game is on the line, you want to go with the guys who give you the most confidence.”

Addressing Henry Kaczmar’s defensive progress, Mainieri shared how the coaching staff changed his approach, making him more aggressive. “Now he’s charging at the ball, and everything is sticking in the pocket of his glove. That’s the shortstop we recruited,” he said with satisfaction.

On the offensive side, Mainieri acknowledged that hitting is never perfect. “You’re never going to feel 100 percent satisfied.” He pointed out the team’s impressive hard-hit outs, especially by Talmadge LeCroy, who had the most hard-hit outs. Even with some cold air affecting their power, Mainieri expressed confidence in their approach to at-bats.

He also offered reassurance about LeCroy’s performance: “He’s a good hitter. The hits will fall for him. He’s a veteran guy.” Mainieri is not concerned about LeCroy and expects him to continue getting quality at-bats.

On the injury front, Mainieri shared that Eskew’s mild rhomboid strain wasn’t serious. “He played a little catch today, and it loosened up a bit. We’ll monitor it as the week goes on,” he said.

Wrapping up, Mainieri reflected on the team’s confidence, stating, “The guys are playing the game loose and having fun.” The atmosphere in the dugout has been positive, and the team is clearly enjoying their success.