Texas baseball gets early start in opener vs. South Carolina

After having the originally scheduled first game of this three-game weekend series for No. 1 ranked Texas baseball and head coach David Pierce pushed back one day, this team looks ready to go in Columbia against the South Carolina Gamecocks out of the SEC East. Texas was supposed to face South Carolina in this series opener on March 11.

But inclement weather would push back the start of this weekend series to the afternoon of March 12. Texas will now start off this series against the Gamecocks with sophomore left-hander Pete Hansen getting the call on the mound in a high stakes game on this day.

Texas has the first pitch against South Carolina on March 12 set for 12 p.m. CT. That first pitch time is slid up a few hours to give some extra time before the doubleheader against South Carolina on March 13. To get all three games of this weekend series played, Texas will face South Carolina at Noon on March 12 and then in a doubleheader on the afternoon of March 13.

Hansen and the 12-2 Longhorns will be taking on a South Carolina team that is looking to bounce back from a lengthy losing streak they’re sitting on coming into this weekend series. South Carolina comes into this one sitting on a four-game losing streak, dating back earlier in the week to a series sweep at the hands of the in-state rival Clemson Tigers.

South Carolina’s last game resulted in a convincing 15-7 loss at the hands of the Xavier Musketeers back on March 8.

David Pierce has standout LHP Pete Hansen on the mound as Texas baseball takes on South Carolina

Meanwhile, Texas comes into this game looking to avoid stretching a losing streak to two games for what would be the first time this season. Texas’ last game resulted in a home loss in a two-game midweek series against the Texas State Bobcats. Texas split the home-and-home midweek series with Texas State.

A win over South Carolina on March 12 would go a long way to getting the Longhorns back on track. This will be up to Hansen and the Longhorns’ pitching staff to get back on the right track too after some tough outings against a rapidly-improving Texas State team earlier in the week.

Texas is about to start a pretty lengthy road trip through that state that runs through March 16.

Texas will also face The Citadel and College of Charleston through this five-game road stretch in South Carolina.

If Pierce and the Longhorns knock off South Carolina on March 12, this team will also continue their undefeated run against SEC opposition in six tries. Texas has also knocked off the likes of the Tennessee Volunteers, LSU Tigers, and swept the Alabama Crimson Tide so far this season.