It’s no secret that USC baseball is on fire right now. Heading into their weekend series against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the Trojans had already swept Pepperdine University and Rice University, as well as a one-game rout of Loyola Marymount University.

Though USC (12-0) hit the road for the first time this season, the results were largely the same: The Trojans dominated Cal Poly (5-7) in an uncommon four-game series, resulting in yet another sweep. 

“You go on the road, in a four-game series, it’s not easy to get four [wins], especially against a team like Cal Poly that’s had a lot of success for a lot of years,” Head Coach Andy Stankiewicz said in an interview posted to the team’s X account Sunday.

With the sweep of the Mustangs, USC moved to 11-0 on the season, putting it in elite company in the college baseball landscape: The Trojans are one of only two teams left in Division I baseball with a flawless record, along with No. 3 Texas (12-0).

Shutouts pick up lackluster offense

It’s safe to say that USC’s “Moneyball” (2011) mentality was tested through the first two games of the series. 

The Trojans took Thursday’s series opener 4-0, with all four runs coming as a result of free bases. The scoring started in the top of the third inning, when a bases-loaded wild pitch scored junior catcher Richard Tejeda and moved junior infielder Abbrie Covarrubias to third base. Covarrubias then tagged and scored on a sacrifice flyout from junior infielder Adrian Lopez, putting USC ahead 2-0. 

The free bases were paired with timely extra-base hits, however, as Covarrubias added a triple in the top of the fifth; another wild pitch swiftly brought him home. The fourth and final run came in the seventh inning, when junior catcher Isaac Cadena reached on a hit by pitch and scored on junior outfielder Kevin Takeuchi’s triple.

With a pitching staff as lights out as USC’s, four runs are usually enough to pick up a win — and Thursday was no different. In his second start of the season, sophomore pitcher Chase Herrell allowed only two hits and no runs, while tacking on five strikeouts in as many innings pitched.

Pitching duel results in extra-inning win

Friday’s game consisted of largely the same recipe: pitching dominance, yet inconsistent offense. 

Junior pitcher Mason Edwards put on another masterclass, with his 11 strikeouts across seven hitless innings earning him Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors. Junior pitcher Sax Matson carried the no-hitter into extra innings, as the Trojans’ offense was unable to plate any runs until the top of the 11th, when the scoring floodgates opened. 

The wind in San Luis Obispo turned a seemingly routine fly ball into a double for Lopez, which led to a bases-juiced two-RBI double from senior outfielder Jack Basseer. USC tacked on four more runs and batted around in the 11th, accumulating six hits in the inning after tallying only five in the previous 10 innings. 

In the bottom of the 11th, freshman pitcher Diego Velazquez allowed the Mustangs’ only hit of the night to break up what would have been the Trojans’ second combined no-hitter of the season, but did enough to secure their second win of the series, 6-0.

Bats come alive in dominant victory

Following Thursday’s victory, Stankiewicz told the team, “When our offense starts to move, it’s going to move.” Saturday’s matchup proved Stankiewicz correct, as USC scored its most runs and secured its largest victory in a game all season, with a 16-2 final score. 

Unlikely heroes shined in the Trojans’ convincing win. Sophomore infielder Maddox Riske came into the series with just one hit in 19 at-bats, but he turned his struggles around on Saturday, racking up five hits — the most in a single game by any USC player this season — and adding two RBIs to his stellar day.  

Similarly, sophomore utility Maximo Martinez had only four plate appearances prior to the series against Cal Poly, none of which resulted in a hit. Nevertheless, Martinez blasted a grand slam along with three doubles in the game, bringing in a total of five RBIs. 

On the bump, sophomore pitcher Grant Govel continued to impress, giving up just one earned run in seven innings as USC clinched the series victory.

Trojans survive ninth-inning rally to stay perfect

Stankiewicz’s squad opened the scoring in the final game against Cal Poly, as they tacked on a run in each of the first two innings and added two more in the seventh. 

Meanwhile, sophomore pitcher Andrew Johnson threw another gem for the Trojan weekend rotation, allowing his only run in the bottom of the seventh inning to bring the score to 4-1. The 2025 Big Ten All-Freshman had his longest outing of the season, tossing 6.2 innings and picking up a season-high seven strikeouts before being relieved. 

USC was well on its way to sweeping the series, as another two runs came home in the top of the ninth to move the score to 6-1. However, the Mustangs had other plans, erupting for five runs to tie the game and send it into extra innings.  

The Trojans were able to regain momentum in the 11th inning, with Takeuchi scoring on a wild pitch and Riske continuing his hot weekend with an RBI single to put USC up 8-6. Freshman pitcher Gavin Lauridsen shut the door on Cal Poly in the bottom half to squeak out the nail-biting victory and secure the series sweep for the Trojans. 

After picking up a 6-4 win against UC Irvine (8-5) on Tuesday night to improve to 12-0 on the season, USC will host Waseda University of Japan for an exhibition game Wednesday at 6 p.m. The Trojans will then open Big Ten play with a series against Illinois (7-4), starting Friday at 6 p.m.