The University of South Carolina Beaufort softball team opens its third season the same way it started its second, hosting St. Andrews for a doubleheader Saturday at Richard Gray Sports Complex. The 12th-ranked Sand Sharks hope the similarities don't end there — they swept the Knights 10-0 and 7-3 on opening day a year ago en route to winning their first eight games. The doubleheader marks the head coaching debut of Laura Heberling, who took the reins in the offseason after serving as USCB's assistant coach in the program's first two seasons. USCB returns seven starting position players and the top three pitchers off last year's team that went 43-6 and swept the Sun Conference regular-season and tournament titles before falling one win short of the NAIA National Championship final site.

LEADING OFF

Date: Saturday, Feb. 1

Time: 1 p.m. (DH)

Location: Richard Gray Sports Complex, Hardeeville

LIVE COVERAGE

TV: The County Channel (Hargray 9/113, Comcast 2, Time Warner 63)

Streaming video: The County Channel

Live stats: Stretch Internet

SCOUTING ST. ANDREWS

The Knights are coming off a season in which they finished 15-29 overall and 4-14 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. They're in their eighth season under coach Elizabeth Burris and are picked to finish 10th in the 11-team AAC. St. Andrews returns its top hitter from a year ago in 1B Jen George (.331 BA, 11 RBIs) and its top pitcher in Jessie Wiegers (5-9, 3.92 ERA). 

HEAD-TO-HEAD

All-time: USCB leads 2-0

Current streak: USCB has won last 2

All-time at USCB: USCB leads 2-0

Streak at USCB: USCB has won last 2

NOTES

• USCB is 17-1 all-time in February and has started each of its first two seasons with at least eight consecutive victories. 

• The Sand Sharks have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 54-4 on opening day in a pair of doubleheader sweeps. 

• USCB is 51-7 all-time at Richard Gray Sports Complex and 57-9 in games played in the state of South Carolina.