Season-Ending Injury Won’t Sideline College Pitcher from Helping Veterans

While Jake McCoy won’t get to take the mound for the University of South Carolina’s baseball team this season, he’s still keeping his promise to help veterans. 

McCoy, one of the Gamecocks’ top pitchers, was sidelined about two weeks ago with a Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) tear in his elbow, ending a promising season before it began. He will need Tommy John surgery, which could keep the junior pitcher on the shelf beyond the 2026 season. 

It’s a crucial blow for the young hurler who recently celebrated his 21st birthday. McCoy had planned to donate $23 (matching his jersey number) for every strikeout he recorded this season to his “Strikeouts for Veterans” campaign, with the funds going to Purple Heart Homes, a North Carolina-based nonprofit helping aging and disabled veterans find homes, according to On3.

While McCoy won’t be able to contribute to the cause on the mound this spring, he’s found another way to give back to veterans. He still plans to fundraise, but this time, he’ll be cheering on his teammates from the dugout as they rack up Ks.  

“With my injury taking me out of the rotation, I’m pivoting, not pulling back,” McCoy said Thursday on his X account. “I’m now committing $2.30 for every strikeout our entire South Carolina pitching staff records this season.”

Donors Step Up to Help Cause  

McCoy was penciled in as a potential ace on the South Carolina pitching staff this season. The junior hurler led the staff with 77 strikeouts last season, generating $1,771 for his campaign. But through his advocacy, donations from other sources poured in, raising $17,738 to support Purple Heart Homes. 

“Partnering with PHH and raising more than $17k was a truly amazing and meaningful experience,” McCoy said in a statement. “The relationships built during this initiative have far exceeded my expectations and will continue to strengthen in the future. I can’t wait to continue into 2026 and beyond and see the impact we can make with the Strikeout for Veterans program.” 

South Carolina’s pitching staff is projected to hit 652 strikeouts this season, potentially collecting almost $1,500 to help veterans. However, with community support, McCoy hopes the total amount exceeds the mark set in 2025. 

“Whether it’s 23 cents, a dollar, or a flat donation, every pledge turns a 'K' into real help for our veterans this season,” McCoy said. “The mission doesn’t stop because I’m off the mound—if anything, it’s a chance for all of us to step up.”

Why It's Important for Pitcher 

The idea to form Purple Heart Homes came from Dale Beatty and John Gallina, Iraq War veterans, who founded the organization in 2008. Beatty and Gallina realized a need for veterans to have safe, accessible housing, a cause that McCoy could get behind. He told GamecockCentral last season that every veteran deserves to have safe, reliable housing. 

“One of the things they do is help acclimate people from being in service to coming home,” he said. “A lot of people have PTSD, and some obviously, they’re wounded. So, it’s hard for them to transfer back. They either get put in apartment buildings or government homes and stuff like that. That’s not what is right for them."

“They deserve to have their own space, their own home. … That’s such a huge thing for me. I think everybody deserves to have that, and it’s awesome for them to have that chance.”

While baseball remains at the forefront of McCoy’s life, he admits there are things “bigger than the game.” 

“Even though I can’t be on the mound this season, my commitment to Veterans hasn’t changed,” he said on the Purple Heart Homes website. “I’m proud to continue supporting Purple Heart Homes and the work they do to provide safe, accessible housing for Veterans and their families. Every strikeout still means something, and together, we can make a real impact.”