How to Watch Texas Softball's SEC Opener vs. South Carolina

The Texas Longhorns have steamrolled through the opening weeks of the season, as the defending national champions have begun their 2026 campaign, building a 19-1 record and are currently white hot with a 17-game winning streak, which ties for the fifth-longest in program history.

The Longhorns cruised through almost all of their action in conference play, with the only loss of the season coming to Nebraska in the opening weekend against a Cornhuskers team that currently ranks as the No. 9 team in the country.

The schedule will now flip over for Texas as it gets set to begin year two of SEC play. In their first season in the conference, the Longhorns posted a 16-8 record and reached the second round of the SEC Tournament. The Longhorns will begin conference play this year, taking on the No. 23 South Carolina Gamecocks. Here's more information about the first conference series of the season.

How to Watch the Longhorns Open Up Conference Play on the Road

Texas Longhorns utility Katie Stewart makes a catch for an out in the fifth inning against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

Who: No. 3 Texas Longhorns and No. 23 South Carolina Gamecocks

What: First conference series of the season.

When: March 6-8

Where: Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field, Columbia, S.C.

TV/Streaming: Friday and Saturday on SEC Network+ and Sunday on SEC Network

Radio: Listen to all five games at https://texas.leanplayer.com/

Meet the Opponent

Texas Longhorns utility Leighann Goode throws to first to make the final out in the game in the seventh inning against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

The Gamecocks are one of 11 SEC teams currently ranked as one of the Top 25 teams in the country, coming in at No. 23. South Carolina gets ready to host its conference opener after compiling a 15-6 record throughout nonconference play, and the Gamecocks have tallied a 12-3 record at their home field.

South Carolina's best arm is senior pitcher Jori Heard, who heads into the weekend with the lowest ERA on the Gamecocks roster. The righty has made a total of 12 appearances while starting in five games and has a 1.24 ERA in 39.2 innings pitched, the most by a Gamecock. Heard has also recorded 36 strikeouts while limiting opposing batters to a .211 batting average.

At the plate, the Gamecocks currently have a pair with a batting average over .400 and four different batters with a batting average of .300 or higher. The Longhorns will have to keep an eye on the majority of the Gamecock lineup, which has five players with double-digit home runs and nine batters with at least one home run.

The series opener on Friday will be just the first time the teams meet as conference foes and just the sixth all-time meeting between Texas and South Carolina, and the first since 2018. South Carolina holds a narrow lead in the all-time series with a 3-2 record.

The matchup will also be the second time Texas has taken on South Carolina in Columbia. The Longhorns and Gamecocks last played each other in Columbia in 2018, with the Gamecocks coming out on top in the affair.