Trojans look to build on recent success against Utes
To call a loss “momentum-building” seems a bit counterintuitive. Losses generally quell momentum, rather than creating it.
Batting practice · Freshman infielder Blake Lacey (above) finished 2-for-5 in USC’s recent 5-2 win over the Loyola Marymount Lions. The Trojans had 15 combined hits en route to the road victory. – Corey Marquetti | Daily Trojan
But as the USC baseball team heads on the road for a three-game set against Utah, building momentum from a loss is exactly what it appears to be doing.
On Sunday, the Trojans (14-22, 6-9 Pac-12) fell 6-5 to No. 9 Arizona State. After trailing 5-0 at one point, the Trojans mounted a furious comeback over the last three innings but couldn’t quite push the tying run across.
Regardless, USC head coach Dan Hubbs was thrilled with the effort, which carried over into Tuesday’s 5-2 win over Loyola Marymount.
“We created a lot of chances for ourselves,” Hubbs said. “We just kept getting guys on base. But we left a ton out there. I felt like we should have scored 11 runs.”
Like USC, the Utes (15-17, 4-11) find themselves struggling in the rugged Pac-12 conference. Utah is talented, but youthful — three of its top five hitters are freshmen. Their Friday night ace, Mitch Watrous, is a sophomore.
The Trojans are youthful as well, but the more significant similarities are in the styles of play.
“They swing early, and they swing often,” Hubbs said of the Utes, who, similar to the Trojans, have more than twice as many strikeouts as walks. “They’re not swinging the back very well in terms of average, but they do find ways to score.”
Finding ways to score is something USC needs to do better. Despite having nearly 100 more hits on the year than Utah, the Trojans have scored just six more runs. USC banged out 15 hits on Tuesday but only scored five runs and stranded 13 runners on base. They struck out seven times and hit into a pair of double plays.
“It just comes down to being patient and not forcing it,” junior catcher Jake Hernandez said. “You gotta trust yourself to hit your pitch when it comes and not swing at the pitcher’s pitch, [when] the ball’s off the plate or [so] high that you can’t really hit well.”
Patience at the plate has been a problem for USC all year, and perhaps for no individual more so than Hernandez. The junior was expected to be a middle-of-the-order hitter for USC this year but has struggled at the plate, batting just .225 and striking out in nearly a quarter of his at-bats.
But on Tuesday, he went 2-for-5 with an RBI single and a solo home run, the first of his career. Like the rest of the team, he’s hoping to use Tuesday’s win to kick-start his bat.
“I’m just trying to keep a more consistent approach at the plate,” Hernandez said. “We’ve preached it all year that it’s your at-bat as the hitter.”
As a team, USC needs Hernandez and other upperclassman to get hot at the plate. Senior second baseman Adam Landecker has seen his average drop 22 points in the last five games to .328. Junior third baseman James Roberts’ average has dropped 34 points in the last six games to .324.
“We need these guys,” Hubbs said of his upperclassmen. “Especially the last week, when they’ve really been scuffling. We need to get them going. And they hit pretty well on Tuesday, so hopefully that will lead to them swinging the bat like they’ve been doing all year.”
Roberts, Landecker and Hernandez combined to go 5-for-13 on Tuesday, no doubt a step in the right direction. Friday’s game is at 5 p.m., with Saturday’s matinee at 11 a.m. and Sunday’s series finale also at 11 a.m.