How to watch South Carolina baseball, softball on SEC Network Plus

The advent of spring means it’s time for the South Carolina baseball and softball seasons to get under way.

While each sport has some televised games (nine for baseball, seven for softball), a lot more contests are viewable outside of traditional TV through SEC Network Plus.

While that sounds like a channel that could be in your lineup at home, it’s not. It’s actually a digital-only piece of ESPN and the SEC Network. That means you can watch the games from a computer or, more likely nowadays, a smart phone or tablet.

When USC home games (or most road games at SEC venues) are not on regular television, those games are broadcast through SEC Network Plus. That includes more than 40 baseball games and more than 30 softball games in the upcoming season.

The Gamecocks are scheduled to play 24 baseball games this season before they appear on TV.

USC also broadcasts home soccer, women’s basketball and volleyball contests through SEC Network Plus when they are not picked up by television.

If you have SEC Network through your provider, you already have access to SEC Network Plus, as most major carriers now offer the service (including Time Warner Cable). Games and shows can be viewed through the WatchESPN app on smart phones and tablets, as well as online at WatchESPN.com and SECNetwork.com.

How to watch

▪  If you don’t have one already, create an online account (a login name and password) with your service provider (Time Warner, DirecTV, Dish, AT&T U-verse, etc.). This is an account you would create anyways to view your bill online or connect in other ways with your carrier. When you first go to access the ESPN or SEC Network content digitally, you will be prompted to sign in with your provider info as proof that you’re a paying customer.

▪  Want to watch on your smart phone or tablet? Download the WatchESPN app from your device’s app store. (WatchESPN actually gives you access to watch anything broadcast through any ESPN network, not just SEC Network Plus.)

▪  Prefer to watch on a laptop or computer? Bookmark WatchESPN.com and SECNetwork.com and view the games from there.

▪  Still prefer to watch the games on your television? You can do that through connected devices such as Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. A streaming player (such as a Roku or Apple TV) allows you to download the WatchESPN app to the device. You can then watch the game right on your TV.

With a streaming stick (such as the Fire TV stick or Chromecast), you download the app to your tablet or smart phone and then transmit the broadcast from there to your TV through the stick. (The “stick” connects through USB and/or HDMI ports on your TV.)

Don’t have one of those devices but want one? The newest Roku model (the Roku 4) costs around $130, while older versions are still available for $50 to $100. An Apple TV box retails for around $70, while an Amazon Fire TV streaming device is closer to $100. A streaming stick such as the Chromecast, Fire TV or Roku version starts around $35 or $40. (A stick performs just fine, especially if you’re only interested in streaming games.)

Keep in mind that streaming sticks and boxes all work off your Internet connection. Some boxes can connect directly to your Internet router through an ethernet cable. If you’re connecting through a wireless router instead, be sure it’s in the vicinity of your device to ensure a good connection and stream.

This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 10:21 AM with the headline "How to watch South Carolina baseball, softball on SEC Network Plus."