USC baseball’s season took another disappointing turn this weekend as it was swept by No. 9 Oregon in a three-game series at Great Park in Irvine. The losses extended the Trojan losing streak, which began with a tough defeat against crosstown rival UCLA on March 2, to five games. 

During the series, USC made similar mistakes in its recent losses. The Trojans, now 9-6 overall and 0-3 in Big Ten play, struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities, leaving runners stranded on base and failing to deliver at the plate in critical moments. The Ducks (14-2, 3-0), meanwhile, continued their strong start to the season, establishing themselves as the team to beat in the Big Ten.

 The series opener Friday night set the tone for the weekend, as Oregon’s offense was explosive early and never looked back. The Ducks jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings, capitalizing on USC’s defensive miscues. Oregon junior outfielder Mason Neville got things going with a solo home run in the first inning, and the Ducks never relinquished control.

Daily headlines, sent straight to your inbox.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with the latest at and around USC.

USC junior pitcher Caden Hunter got the start and struggled with his command, allowing eight hits and six runs — four of them earned — over 4.1 innings. Hunter, who entered the game with a 2-0 record, was tagged with the loss. Oregon junior pitcher Grayson Grinsell, on the other hand, struck out eight batters over five innings while only allowing two earned runs.

The Trojans did manage to score in the third and fourth innings, with redshirt junior infielder Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek driving in a run on a double and sophomore infielder Dean Carpentier adding a sacrifice fly. However, USC’s offense couldn’t keep pace with Oregon’s relentless attack. 

The Ducks added an insurance run in the fifth inning, and junior reliever Jason Reitz shut the door with four scoreless innings to secure the 7-2 victory.

“[We need to] use the middle of the field. It’s kind of our staple, offensively,” said Head Coach Andy Stankiewicz in an interview with the Daily Trojan after the game. “We’ve just stepped away from the middle of the diamond and kind of gotten away from that, and so we’ve got to regroup a little bit here.”

Saturday’s game was a tighter contest, but USC’s late rally fell short as Oregon held on for an 8-6 win. The Ducks once again struck early, scoring three runs in the first three innings, highlighted by junior infielder Dominic Hellman’s two-run blast in the third. Oregon broke the game open in the fifth inning with a five-run outburst, fueled by RBI doubles from senior infielder Jacob Walsh and junior catcher Anson Aroz.

USC showed signs of a comeback in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs to cut the deficit to 8-4 after junior infielder Ethan Hedges delivered a key two-run double and Carpentier added an RBI single. 

And in the seventh inning, when Hedges launched a two-run homer to make it 8-6, all of the momentum was with the Trojans. But Oregon’s bullpen held firm. USC’s offense went quiet in the final two innings and the Ducks escaped with a narrow victory to clinch the series win. 

Oregon sophomore pitcher Santiago Garcia earned the win in relief, while USC’s senior pitcher Caden Aoki took the loss after allowing seven runs, six earned, over four innings. The Trojans’ pitching staff struggled to contain Oregon’s potent lineup, which racked up 13 hits in the game.

Sunday’s series finale was a pitcher’s duel for the first six innings, but Oregon’s offense came alive late to complete the sweep with a 5-3 victory. Oregon freshman pitcher Will Sanford was sharp early, holding the Trojans scoreless through five innings. 

USC finally broke through in the sixth inning with a three-run rally, highlighted by sophomore outfielder Brayden Dowd’s two-run homer. Sophomore infielder Adrian Lopez and junior outfielder Jack Basseer also delivered with runners in scoring position. However, Oregon was able to reclaim the lead in the seventh inning on Neville’s solo homer and sophomore infielder Maddox Molony’s RBI single.

The series highlighted a troubling trend for USC — an inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities. Over the three games, the Trojans left a combined 23 runners stranded on base. USC’s offense, which had been a strength earlier in the season, has gone cold during the five-game losing streak. 

“We’ve just got to make sure that we’re committed to our pitchers and throwing the ball where we want to and play good defense,” Stankiewicz said. “Then from the offensive side, [we need to] string together better at bats … So getting more consistent up and down the lineup.”

For USC, the road ahead is daunting. The Trojans will need to rediscover their early-season form quickly if they hope to salvage what was once a promising campaign, as their margin for error shrinks fast.

USC will go on the road to compete against Cal State Fullerton (4-11, 0-3 Big West) Tuesday at 6 p.m. and take flight to battle Michigan (8-6, 2-1 Big Ten) in a three-game series in Ann Arbor on Friday through Sunday.