South Carolina Baseball Eyes Redemption vs. Texas A&M After Another SEC Series Loss
The struggles continue for South Carolina baseball, as the team dropped its fourth straight SEC series, falling to Mississippi State two games to one. The weekend was capped off by a rough 2-hit shutout on Sunday. However, the Gamecocks did manage to bounce back midweek, delivering a commanding 13-3 run-rule win over USC Upstate.
Now sitting at 20-14 overall and just 2-10 in SEC play, Paul Mainieri’s squad is desperately seeking momentum as they prepare for a challenging road trip to College Station to take on the Texas A&M Aggies.
Scouting the Aggies:
Record: 17-15 (3-9 SEC)
D1Baseball Ranking: Not ranked
Recent Games: Crushed Sam Houston State 14-1 midweek, and pulled off a surprising 2-1 series win on the road vs. No. 1 Tennessee.
Despite beginning the year with preseason championship hype, Michael Early’s Aggies have underwhelmed. Once considered a top national contender and the SEC preseason favorite (earning 10 of 16 first-place votes), Texas A&M has fallen flat, sitting at a disappointing 3-9 in conference play.
Their struggles have been amplified by key injuries. Gavin Grahovac is out for the season with a shoulder injury, while Caden Sorrell has also missed significant time. Hayden Schott has battled inconsistency. On the flip side, Jace LaViolette and Wyatt Henseler have lived up to expectations, with help from Bear Harrison, Ben Royo, and Terrence Kiel.
Offensively, A&M ranks last in the SEC in both batting average and on-base percentage. Add in the second-worst fielding and stolen base numbers in the conference, and the struggles are understandable.
Pitching Preview:
While the Aggies’ pitching staff isn’t elite, it’s been relatively steady. They don’t generate many strikeouts (second-fewest in the SEC) but issue the fewest walks, which has kept them competitive.
Ryan Prager headlines the rotation, alongside Justin Lamkin and Myles Patton. Each boasts ERAs between 3.50–4.00 and WHIPs around 1.10–1.20, though all three struggled in a rough outing against Kentucky.
In the bullpen, Weston Moss has been lights out, allowing just two extra-base hits in 28.2 innings. Grant Cunningham has also impressed, but the rest of the bullpen remains inconsistent.
Gamecocks Rotation in Flux:
Paul Mainieri has yet to confirm the starting pitchers for the upcoming series. Last weekend, Jake McCoy, Jarvis Evans, and Brandon Stone got the nods, but with mixed results. There’s hope that veteran Dylan Eskew, who has been sidelined by injury, could return to action.
Series Details:
- Thursday, April 10 – Game 1: 8:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU, ESPN app)
- Friday, April 11 – Game 2: 7:00 p.m. ET (SEC Network+)
- Saturday, April 12 – Game 3: 3:00 p.m. ET (SEC Network+)
With postseason hopes fading, this weekend in College Station could be a pivotal turning point—or a continuation of a tough stretch—for the Gamecocks.
