South Carolina Baseball: Gamecocks learn 2024 SEC schedule
By Kevin Miller
Mark Kingston’s South Carolina baseball squad had a good 2023 season in which they made the program’s first Super Regional since 2018, and Founder Park hosted its first Regional as a 1-seed since 2016.
The Gamecocks are in the unique position of adding a lot of new faces to the roster while still returning much of its core talent from 2023 (Ethan Petry, Cole Messina, Gavin Casas, Talmadge LeCroy, Dylan Brewer, Evan Stone, Carson Hornung, Will Tippett, Eli Jones, Matthew Becker, and Chris Veach were all major contributors last season who return in 2024).
Armed with one of the nation’s top transfer portal classes, some intriguing newcomers, developing young players, and that experienced group of returners, the South Carolina baseball team has high expectations for itself in the spring.
Now, that team knows a good portion of the schedule it will be facing on its journey to a deep run the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
On Wednesday, the SEC announced the 2024 SEC schedules for all 14 teams in the conference (Texas and Oklahoma will join the league in the fall, so they will be on the 2025 baseball schedule).
The Gamecocks’ entire schedule is listed below:
3/15-3/17: @ Ole Miss Rebels
3/22-3/24: Vanderbilt Commodores
3/28-3/30: @ Alabama Crimson Tide
4/5-4/7: Texas A&M Aggies
4/12-4/14: @ Florida Gators
4/19-4/21: Arkansas Razorbacks
4/26-4/28: Kentucky Wildcats
5/3-5/5: @ Missouri Tigers
5/10-5/12: Georgia Bulldogs
5/16-5/18: @ Tennessee Volunteers
5/21-5/26: SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama
South Carolina baseball will, as always play one of the top schedules in the nation. The SEC slate is not quite as difficult as in some years past, however. The Gamecocks dodge the national champion LSU Tigers and an up-and-coming Auburn Tigers program. They also will not play the 2021 national champion Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Still, an SEC schedule and a series against Clemson in the out-of-conference season is not an easy row to hoe, and USC will have to play really good baseball to improve on last season’s success on the field. However, thankful for South Carolina baseball fans, the Gamecocks are equipped with all the tools needed to do just that.
The baseball season is still over five months away, but there certainly is reason for optimism in Columbia.