The Trojans haven’t left Southern California since their mid-March series with Stanford, but they’ll head up to Eugene, Oregon, for a three-game set with the Ducks this weekend.

USC (16-16, 9-5 Pac-12) has been on a roll since starting winless in its first five bouts and struggling to catch a spark. The Trojans’ 12-5 weekday slugfest victory over No. 12 UC Irvine (24-5, 10-2 Big West Conference) secured their fifth-straight victory and eighth out of their last nine games.

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Thanks to its rejuvenated bats and dependable pitching staff, USC has moved into fourth place in the Pac-12, one slot behind its upcoming opponent: Oregon (22-9, 8-4 Pac-12). The Trojans have won their last two Pac-12 series, albeit the one versus then-No. 2 Oregon State (27-4, 8-3) was shortened because of a rainout. 

Over the recent stretch, Trojan sophomore infielder Ethan Hedges has raised his hitting figures to impressive heights. The right-handed slugger improved his batting average to .264 thanks to five hits in 10 at-bats during the series sweep of Washington (9-16-1, 3-9 Pac-12) and a four-hit performance including a home run and three RBIs against the Anteaters. 

Since spending the beginning of the season below the Mendoza Line, Hedges has delivered when called upon, something many would’ve expected of him coming off a .302 batting average last season. He’s been an ambitious and opportunistic hitter recently, which has allowed him to create offensive chances for his team.

“We’re just putting better at-bats together,” said Head Coach Andy Stankiewicz following the win over UC Irvine. “Guys have just gotten into the cages with coach and are just starting to learn their swings, understand their swings a bit better.”

Senior infielder Ryan Jackson also went on a tear against the Huskies. He went 7 for 13 and drove in five runs over the three-game stretch, featuring a three-double performance Friday night. He continued his surge with a big fly on UC Irvine — rounding out his batting average to a stout .298 — a stark improvement over his subpar numbers to begin the season.

Sophomore catcher Jacob Galloway has undeniably been USC’s most impactful hitter, and he hasn’t slowed down one bit. The hard-hitting backstop extended his hitting streak to five games with three knocks against the Anteaters and is now just one shy of 30 RBIs with 29 on the year.

Freshman infielder Dean Carpentier also had a weekend to remember, as he notched his first two career homers against Washington and his third versus UC Irvine.

The Trojan pitching staff has allowed less than five runs in each of the last five games. Junior pitcher Caden Aoki is coming off three consecutive appearances of one-run ball and will aim to return to the mound against Oregon following some much-needed rest.

“We’ve gotta pitch, gotta throw strikes and nothing too crazy,” Stankiewicz said. “Have stingy at-bats, be tough in the batter’s box and play good defense.”

The Ducks enter the series following a loss to Sacramento State (15-19, 6-9 Western Athletic Conference) and a series win over UCLA (12-18, 5-10 Pac-12). Junior first baseman Jacob Walsh recently shattered the all-time record for home runs at Oregon with 32 total in his three-year career. With 10 on the 2024 campaign, he’s in the top four of the Pac-12.

The Ducks’ arms pitch for punchouts; pitchers senior Kevin Seitter, junior RJ Gordon and sophomore Grayson Grinsell are all top 10 in strikeouts in the Pac-12. Grinsell’s 11.86 K/9 is the second-highest in the conference. 

“[Oregon is] good, it’s gonna be a big challenge on the road,” Stankiewicz said. “We’ve played pretty good baseball in the last couple of weeks, so we’ve just got to keep it moving.”

With plenty of steam brewing lately, USC will aim for yet another seamless conference series. Last year, the Trojans took two of three from the then-No.17 Ducks, a crucial series victory heading down the stretch. 

USC will head north to take on Oregon at PK Park in Eugene for a weekend series beginning Friday.