The South Carolina baseball team’s resilience shone again Friday as **pitcher Tyler Pitzer** and **designated hitter Jase Woita** emerged as unlikely heroes in a gritty 5-2 win over Milwaukee. Pitzer steadied the Gamecocks with four scoreless innings for his first win of the year, while Woita blasted a sixth-inning grand slam—his first homer at South Carolina—to seal the victory.
Head coach **Paul Mainieri** praised the team’s toughness against a Milwaukee squad that recently upset Mercer: “Tyler [Pitzer] saved us after Dylan [Eskew] struggled. One swing changed everything.”
**Eskew’s early exit** raised concerns, however. The starter labored through 2+ innings, walking four, hitting two batters, and allowing a run before leaving with a back strain mid-third inning. Mainieri revealed Eskew’s delivery was visibly compromised pregame, and his potential absence looms large for a pitching staff already depleted by injuries.
The Gamecocks’ depth took another hit this week with news that **Eli Jerzembeck** (stress fracture in elbow) will miss the entire season—his second straight year sidelined after 2023 Tommy John surgery. **Eddie Copper**, another expected bullpen contributor, has yet to throw off the mound this spring.
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