Preview: Princeton Tigers at South Carolina Gamecocks

COLUMBIA, S.C. (March 7, 2026) (Interstat) — The South Carolina Gamecocks (9-5) will host the Princeton Tigers (2-5) in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday at Carolina Stadium, with wet conditions expected. First pitch is forecast for 71 degrees with rain.

The Gamecocks enter with a winning record, having won four of their last five, including a 4-1 midweek victory over Charleston Southern on Wednesday. Princeton snapped a five-game skid with an 8-7 win at Duke on March 1 but has struggled offensively in several losses.

A key matchup will feature pitchers coming off strong recent outings. Princeton’s Will Sword, a player to watch, earned the win against Duke with three perfect innings of relief, striking out four. In his prior appearance on Feb. 21, however, he allowed four earned runs in two innings at North Carolina State.

South Carolina will counter with Connor Chicoli, who delivered 4 1/3 scoreless innings of relief against Charleston Southern. His previous outing on Feb. 25 was rougher, yielding three runs on five hits in two innings against Queens (N.C.).

The Tigers’ offense will look to build on its eight-run performance at Duke, where Jake Koonin went 3-for-4 with an RBI. South Carolina’s pitching staff has been a strength, posting a 1.67 ERA over its last three games, led by relievers Alex Valentin and Brandon Stone.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the projected final score is South Carolina 5, Princeton 3.

Following Saturday’s twin bill, the teams are scheduled to conclude the series Sunday. South Carolina then faces a tough stretch, beginning a Southeastern Conference series at Florida next Friday. Princeton continues its southern road trip with midweek games at Winthrop before a weekend series at Wofford.