PREVIEW: No. 2 Texas vs South Carolina

The Texas Longhorns are out in Columbia, South Carolina for the first ever Texas vs South Carolina match as SEC league mates. The last and only time the Longhorns traveled to Columbia was in 2022, where the Longhorns were swept in the weekend series. Lately South Carolina has been playing better than their 1-8 record suggests, can the Gamecocks pull off an upset over No. 2 Texas this weekend?

Texas is tied for the lead in the conference with Georgia and Mississippi State at 7-2 after three weekends of SEC play. While South Carolina looks like an easy win with a 1-8 conference record thus far, they have been playing better after firing head coach Paul Mainieri.

He was immediately fired after an abysmal 6-22 seven inning loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks. However, since that firing, they played Arkansas to a ten inning ballgame, losing by a single run, won the final game, salvaging the series, and had two games against Georgia on the road that were close battles resulting in three and two run deficits.

They have been dangerously close to taking back-to-back series vs top 10-ranked opponents. They will likely not just let Texas waltz in and sweep them without earning it.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

THURSDAY – RHP Ruger Riojas (1.59 ERA) vs. LHP Alex Valentin (3.91 ERA)
Ruger Riojas has been excellent, especially when striking out batters. The good news for him is that the Gamecocks do that a lot, having both the most strikeouts and the highest percentage of strikeouts of any SEC team over the last 14 days. South Carolina will be putting the ball in the hands of Valentin for just the second time as a starter in 2026. He has starting experience at Texas State, where he showed he can go deep into outings.

FRIDAY – LHP Luke Harrison (2.65 ERA) vs. RHP Josh Gunther (6.97 ERA)
Luke Harrison has been the textbook definition of consistency on the mound for the Horns. While he may not have the lucrative K/9 numbers of his fellow starters, he has a sub 3.00 ERA and is only allowing opposing batters to average .226 while he is on the mound. Josh Gunther has been prone to giving up the longball in his outings, with 7 allowed on the year. He has allowed more HRs than both Phillips and Valentin combined, resulting in a high ERA.

SATURDAY – LHP Dylan Volantis (2.08 ERA) vs. RHP Amp Phillips (2.68 ERA)
Amp Phillips has been their most consistent starter in 2026, with a great ERA and a sub .200 opponent batting average. He is certainly doing his part for a win despite a 2-3 record on the year. Dylan Volantis, while still excellent, has seen a drop in efficiency over the last two outings. He will look to resurrect that success on Sunday against the Gamecocks’ strikeout-prone offense.

STATISTICAL MATCHUP

The Longhorns, on paper, hold every advantage and should absolutely take this weekend series on the road. While the South Carolina pitching can be good, the offense is leaving a lot to be desired on the table. Going 0-8 so far against quad 1 teams in the current RPI.

This radar chart shows the visual difference in the two teams. Texas has been one of the most complete teams in all phases of the game so far in 2026. While South Carolina’s offense has been holding their pitching behind.

The Gamecocks will have a tall task in front of them, and the odds really aren’t in their favor. They are a team that strikes out more than anyone else in the league, going up against two of the best starters at striking batters out in the nation. If the Gamecocks want to win this series, chasing the Longhorn starters will be paramount to having that come to fruition.

With Texas A&M coming up next weekend, Texas will want this series to go as smoothly as possible.