LONGVIEW — Texas College baseball fired its first pitch of the season on Friday and Saturday, splitting doubleheaders on both days with Evangel University in games played at LeTourneau University.

On Saturday, the Steers dropped a close one in Game 1, coming up with an 8-7 setback.

TC freshmen first baseman Cade Thomason went 2 for 3 with a walk, while designated hitter Skylar Finn went 2 for 3 with an RBI for the Steers.

Saturday’s Game 2 was all about TC’s mound effort and the Steers played some long ball with two dingers for a 10-4 victory.

Junior left fielder Colton Daniels was 1 for 4 but that one hit was a monster grand slam to account for almost enough runs for the win. Thomason had a 2-for-3 game with a three-run home run to go along with four RBIs in the win.

Lefty senior Trey Swartzenberg picked up the win on the mound.

On opening day Friday, the Steers took the season opener 3-2 behind the complete game pitching of Miguel Livingston, who went all seven innings.

Livingston gave in to only two earned runs, striking out four and walking just one.

Steers centerfielder N.J. Mason led TC at the plate, going 2 for 3 with one RBI.

In Game 2 on Friday, Evangel came back with a 5-1 win over the Steers.

Steers starting pitcher Kyle Randall surrendered four earned runs in 4 2-3 innings.

The big blow at the plate came from pinch-hitter Trent Salas, slapping an RBI double to account for the lone TC tally.

The Steers will play an official road game road for their next game, playing Louisiana College in a doubleheader on Tuesday in Pineville, Louisiana, at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The Steers return play a pair of doubleheaders this next weekend against University of Houston-Victoria. Both doubleheaders are slated for first pitch at noon on Friday and Saturday. The four-game set is scheduled for Cedar Valley Community College in Lancaster, where most TC home games will be played. Later in the season, the Steers will play Our Lady of the Lakes, from San Antonio, April 17 and 18, at Mountain View College in Dallas.

The Steers home games are by no means a true home game this season. The Steers will travel to Dallas to play all the home games scheduled this season.

All baseball fields in the immediate Tyler area are either overbooked, hosting extra games or facility rentals quoted were beyond the allotted Steers baseball budget.