How to watch and stream the South Carolina vs Texas 2022 baseball series
The scuffling South Carolina baseball team has a major opportunity against No. 1 Texas this weekend at Founders Park.
The Gamecocks have lost four straight and are in desperate need of a win. Can they find it against the nation’s best team and one that swept them in Austin, Texas last year?
Here’s a look at the game times, TV and streaming details, and what’s at stake for each team:
The state of the South Carolina Gamecocks
Head coach Mark Kingston’s fifth season in Columbia is off to a rocky start.
South Carolina is the loser of four consecutive contests entering the weekend — including a 15-7 loss to Xavier on Tuesday night.
The Gamecocks’ pitching staff is in a tricky spot given injuries to expected No. 2 starter Julian Bosnic and fellow starter James Hicks. Bosnic continues to rehab from a flexor strain in his arm, but a timetable for his return is TBD. Hicks, meanwhile, is done for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last week.
Sophomore Will Sanders has been among the few constants on the South Carolina pitching staff this season. The Georgia native dazzled in a seven-inning, 14-strikeout outing against Clemson last week, though USC failed to provide enough offense to pick up the win. If the Gamecocks have a chance this weekend, they’ll need another outing of the like from their ace.
With Bosnic on the mend and Hicks now sidelined for the foreseeable future, it’s unclear where South Carolina turns the rest of the weekend. Kingston on Tuesday said that a handful of infielders were getting some opportunities in the bullpen to combat the Gamecocks’ limitations.
Pitching issues aside, South Carolina has been largely steady at the plate to open the 2022 season. Andrew Eyster and Braylen Wimmer have provided a nice spark in the middle of the order as the pair are hitting .408 and .353, respectively.
The Gamecocks have also received plenty from freshman phenom Michael Braswell. Rated the No. 63 player in the 2021 class according to Perfect Game, Braswell has been as advertised through 12 games this spring. He leads the team with a .449 average and is second on the team in extra-base hits.
Beyond his work at the dish, Braswell has pitched 3.1 innings of relief as South Carolina’s closer this year. He’s struck out nine batters and allowed just three hits in that span.
The state of the Texas Longhorns
Texas remains among the nation’s elite, but they, too, have their issues entering their trip to the Palmetto State.
UT dropped a Wednesday night game against Sun Belt foe Texas State. Texas also announced on Thursday morning that Sunday starter Tanner Whitt injured his UCL and will undergo Tommy John surgery, thus ending his season.
That said, the Longhorns are still a College World Series favorite and are as tough an opponent as South Carolina will see all season — Southeastern Conference play included.
Texas has already swept Rice and Alabama this season. It also picked up wins over No. 17 Tennessee and No. 7 LSU in the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic at Minute Maid Park in Houston last week.
Four Longhorns batters are hitting .300 or better in 40 or more plate appearances in 2022. Infielder Ivan Melendez is chief among those contributors. The El Paso, Texas product slugged over .600 last year and is on pace for similar numbers this season, batting .327 with 20 RBIs in 13 starts.
Texas ace Pete Hansen should get the ball on Friday night against Sanders. Hansen has been lights out through his three outings this year. His 0.53 ERA ranks him among the nation’s 30 best pitchers, while his 21 strikeouts are tops on the team.
Hansen’s running mate Tristan Stevens has been just as good out of the Saturday slot. Stevens still boasts a 0.00 ERA through 17 innings pitched and opponents are hitting just .188 against him over that span.
USC vs Texas baseball on the radio
This weekend’s games will be broadcast on the radio on many of South Carolina’s statewide affiliate stations. The games will air in the Columbia area on 107.5 FM.
USC-Texas Game 1, Saturday
Where: Founders Park, Columbia
When: 1 p.m.
Watch: SEC Network Plus
Weather (per National Weather Service): Best chance of rain is before 1 p.m., high near 61 degrees
USC-Texas Games 2 and 3, Sunday
Where: Founders Park, Columbia
When: Doubleheader starts at 1:30 p.m. (7-inning game followed by a 9-inning game)
Watch: Broadcasting and streaming on SEC Network Plus
Weather: Sunny, high near 55 degrees
This story was originally published March 11, 2022 at 5:50 AM.
