After two years away from its home stadium and coming off its most successful season in a decade, USC baseball is coming home to Dedeaux Field. 

The Trojans played the previous two seasons at Great Park in Irvine, a 45-minute drive from Los Angeles, due to construction on Dedeaux Field. Their return to the campus stadium is part of a positive trend for USC’s baseball program since the arrival of Head Coach Andy Stankiewicz in 2023. 

Through his first three seasons with the Trojans, Stankiewicz has achieved a 102-74-1 record, with 30 or more wins each season. The recent success earned him a contract extension through 2030 in August.

“We [have] got an administration that is very supportive, has given us all the resources that we need to be successful, in terms of scholarship, in terms of our development … that’s probably the biggest reason we’ve had [success],” Stankiewicz said in an interview with the Daily Trojan. 

Last season, USC earned its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2015 after finishing with a 37-23, 18-12 record, gaining an at-large bid thanks to key series wins over ranked UCLA and Big Ten champion Nebraska. The Trojans fell just one game shy of the Super Regionals after losing back-to-back games against Oregon State in the Corvallis Regional. 

Portal and draft lead to exodus of roster

With the ever-changing landscape of college athletics, it was inevitable that USC would lose some of its 2025 talent to the transfer portal and MLB draft. However, with the departure of 20 out of 40 players on the roster, Stankiewicz’s squad was hit hard.

For starters, the MLB draft claimed one of USC’s most dependable players: Two-way player Ethan Hedges was drafted in the third round by the Colorado Rockies. Hedges earned All-Big Ten First Team honors in 2025 after slashing .346/.462/.619, all of which led the team at third base. He also put up a 2.40 ERA and nine saves as the team’s closer.

Outfielder Brayden Dowd and right-handed pitcher Brodie Purcell transferred to Florida State after two seasons with the Trojans. Dowd had 57 starts in center field last season, along with 73 hits and a .324 batting average, while Purcell made the All-Big Ten Second Team thanks to a 2.11 ERA — the lowest on the roster.  

Perhaps the biggest hit to the Trojan pitching staff was right-handed pitcher Caden Aoki’s departure for Georgia. Aoki was USC’s ace, leading the Trojans with 97 innings pitched and 90 strikeouts while making the All-Big Ten Third Team. 

New and familiar faces try to maintain momentum 

The silver lining in losing half of last season’s roster is that it allowed USC to obtain the No. 18 recruiting class in the country. There will be 20 new Trojans joining the 2026 squad, including seven transfers and 13 freshmen.  

USC targeted arms in the transfer portal to patch up the pitching rotation. The key portal addition was that of graduate right-handed pitcher Henry Chabot, a Chapman University transfer, who was ranked as the preseason No. 75 reliever in the nation by D1Baseball. 

Also contributing to the Trojans’ top-20 recruiting class are No. 39-ranked freshman pitcher Gavin Lauridsen and infielder Diego Velazquez, who is ranked as the No. 50 freshman. 

“[Lauridsen] is a guy that needs to be on the mound pitching on a regular basis, so we’ll find innings for him,” Stankiewicz said. “Velazquez is another good-looking young freshman player. He’s a possible two-way guy … we think he’ll do both [pitching and hitting].” 

Additionally, USC was able to maintain key players from its postseason run in 2025. Headlining this list is junior pitcher Mason Edwards, who posted a 3.86 ERA last season after missing time with an injury. The lefty was selected by D1Baseball as the preseason Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and looks to be the Trojans’ 2026 ace. 

One of the key returning players to look out for is junior infielder Abbrie Covarrubias. Covarrubias had a .302 average last season while starting 58 games at second base for the Trojans, earning him All-Big Ten Third Team honors. 

Junior infielder Adrian Lopez also brings valuable experience to the roster, as he hit .329/.400/.550 last season, and his 222 at-bats lead among returning Trojans.

“The postseason run last year, they got a little taste of it. I really believe they want more,” Stankiewicz said of his returning stars. “They’re pushing each other and pushing themselves and pushing the team … to step up and do better than we were last year.” 

Trojans look to persevere through tough schedule 

Despite the influx of new and returning talent, the road to the postseason won’t be an easy one for USC. Stankiewicz and company are set to face six opponents who made the tournament in 2025.

The Trojans will get a chance at revenge when they host the preseason No. 12 Oregon State Beavers, who made the College World Series last season. The two face off for a single game on March 24.

USC’s first big test in conference play is likely its most anticipated matchup of the year: crosstown rival No. 1 UCLA. The three-game series will take place from April 3-5, as the Trojans look to upset the 2025 College World Series team. 

The Trojans will conclude their season facing the Oregon Ducks on the road, a three-game series taking place from May 14-16. 

“In order to be one of the best programs in the country, you have to [face] teams that are successful,” Stankiewicz said. “It’s not going to be easy, [but we have] to be able to step up and accept the challenge.” 

USC will look to continue moving toward some of its storied success in 2026, as the 12-time national champions will kick off the season with a matchup at Dedeaux Field against Pepperdine University on Friday at 6 p.m. 

Kishneet Kaur contributed to this report.