With Mizzou baseball’s season officially in the books — for all the wrong reasons — I figured it was the perfect time to look back at the worst conference records in each SEC team’s history. Just a little something to lift everyone’s spirits.
Disclaimer: Due to rule changes over the years and teams shifting conferences, not all have played a full 30-game SEC schedule. These records reflect each team’s worst conference finish in a season with at least 24 games.
South Carolina: 5-22 (2025)
This year’s South Carolina team came close to matching Missouri’s struggles—but didn’t quite hit the same low. After back-to-back Regional appearances, the Gamecocks entered the 2025 season with a major change, hiring veteran coach Paul Mainieri following seven seasons under Mark Kingston. The transition year was rough. South Carolina posted a -61 run differential—the worst in program history—and was blown out by Florida in the SEC Tournament. The Gamecocks were one of just three SEC teams to miss the NCAA Tournament, and now look to rebuild under Mainieri’s leadership in Columbia.
Hitting was a major factor in South Carolina’s disappointing season, as the team finished in the bottom three of the SEC in batting average at .267. While their core lineup was fairly consistent—eight of nine players who appeared in at least 40 games hit above .250—the lack of depth became a glaring issue. Outside of those regulars, only three other players appeared in more than 30 games. One hit just under .250, while the other two batted below .200. Power was also a concern, with the Gamecocks finishing third-to-last in the conference with just 58 home runs. Only one player, Ethan Petry, reached double digits, finishing with 10 home runs and a team-best .321 average. The next closest contributors had eight and seven homers, respectively. Combined with a nearly 2-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, the team ended with the second-worst on-base percentage in the SEC at just .369.
Things didn’t look much better on the mound for South Carolina, as the team finished with the second-worst ERA in the SEC at 6.41, while also allowing the second-most walks (263) and earned runs (344). Sophomore Jake McCoy was the only Gamecock to make more than 10 starts, but he struggled mightily, finishing with a 6.90 ERA. The remaining starts were spread across nine different pitchers, who collectively averaged an ERA above six. Senior Dylan Eskew was arguably their most reliable starter, posting a 5.06 ERA across nine starts.
The bullpen offered little relief. Two pitchers made more than 20 appearances, but their results were wildly inconsistent. One led the team with 25 outings and finished with a respectable 4.18 ERA, while the other appeared 24 times and posted a bloated 8.53 ERA. Most bullpen arms hovered around a 6.50 ERA, with some slightly below and others well above that mark—including one pitcher who recorded a 16.50 ERA in just eight appearances.