South Carolina Pitching Coach Terry Rooney on Rebuilding the Gamecocks, Transfer Portal Strategy & SEC Pitching

In this episode of the College Baseball Show Coaches Corner, we sit down with Terry Rooney, pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at South Carolina Gamecocks, to break down the blueprint for getting South Carolina baseball back to the top of the SEC. Rooney dives into year two of the rebuild, roster construction in the transfer portal era, balancing high school recruiting with veteran talent, and what stood out during a strong fall for the Gamecocks. He also shares insight into SEC pitching philosophy, building a winning culture, working alongside legendary head coach Paul Mainieri, and recruiting stories from his career — including landing Justin Verlander at Old Dominion. A must-watch conversation for college baseball fans, coaches, and anyone tracking the 2026 season.TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Intro & welcoming Terry Rooney 01:30 – Year two at South Carolina & program goals 03:45 – Building a roster in the transfer portal era 06:10 – Evaluating South Carolina’s transfer class impact 08:45 – Power arms, power bats & SEC roster needs 11:00 – Leadership, culture & setting expectations 13:40 – Fall structure & pitcher development philosophy 15:25 – Salute to Troops weekend vs Army, Navy & Air Force 16:55 – Pitching identity, analytics & SEC success 19:10 – Recruiting Justin Verlander: the full story 23:35 – Working with Paul Mainieri & rebuilding elite programs 26:20 – Dream teams, football influences & coaching inspirations 29:20 – Life away from baseball & family 32:05 – Closing thoughts on South Carolina baseball’s futureJust Baseball Discord: https://dubclub.win/af/afl-rndz4/Just Baseball Newsletter: https://just-baseball.beehiiv.com/subscribeOn The Clock Merch: https://justbaseball.shop/search?q=on+the+clock&options%5Bprefix%5D=lastFOLLOW USX: https://x.com/OnTheClock_1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ontheclock1/Tyler: https://x.com/TylerJennings24Jared: https://x.com/JaredCP1Jason: https://x.com/64AnalyticsMark: https://x.com/margar0010Will: https://x.com/WmoneyMossaSubscribe to the On The Clock Podcast!Apple: https://bit.ly/4i2yduiSpotify: https://bit.ly/4gVgDaoFollow Just Baseball!IG: IG: https://www.instagram.com/justbaseballmedia/Just Baseball X: https://x.com/JustBB_MediaYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JustBaseballMediaWebsite: www.justbaseball.com👍 Be sure to Like and Subscribe with Notifications to support the channelSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.