USC baseball’s historic season lives to see another day, continuing to reach heights the program has not seen in decades. 

USC (47-16, 20-10 Big Ten) headed into the NCAA Regional Tournament with hope, coming off one of its most successful regular seasons in over 20 years, despite struggling against higher-level competition, as shown by its semifinal loss in the Big Ten tournament. 

The Trojans’ resume was enough to land them a No. 2 seed in the College Station Regional, hosted by Texas A&M (41-16, 18-11 SEC), and joined by No. 3 seed Texas State University (37-26, 16-14 Sun Belt) and No. 4 Seed Lamar University (34-27, 19-11 Southland). Following a loss in its first game, USC ran the table and advanced to the Super Regionals after a 7-1 victory on Monday over host-squad Texas A&M. 

Trojans fall late, move to losers’ bracket 

USC faced Texas State on Friday in the first matchup of the regional, which resulted in a 5-4 loss, eerily similar to the one that sealed its fate in the Big Ten tournament. 

The back-and-forth duel saw solid starting pitching for the Trojans, as sophomore pitcher Grant Govel pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing just three runs on four hits and tallying six strikeouts. 

The strong start was supported by timely hitting from the USC offense as well. Junior infielder Abbrie Covarrubias had two hits, including a double and a solo home run, while junior infielder Adrian Lopez’s go-ahead home run gave the Trojans a one-run lead heading into the ninth inning. 

Redshirt junior pitcher Adam Troy was tasked with securing the Trojan victory, looking to redeem himself after allowing the walk-off home run that ended USC’s Big Ten tournament run a week prior. 

However, following a crucial error by sophomore infielder Maximo Martinez before Troy entered the inning, the same fate was met: Troy allowed a two-run blast to the first batter he faced, securing a Trojan loss and putting them in the losers’ bracket. 

USC bounces back in dominant fashion

The loss put the Trojans in a difficult spot for the rest of the regional, as they would have to win four games in a row to avoid elimination. With its back against the wall, USC was able to regain its winning form in a dominant 19-6 victory over Lamar on Saturday. 

The Trojans’ offense jumped out of the gate early to a 16-0 lead by the fifth inning, headlined by four USC batters who had multiple RBIs. 

Adrian Lopez shined once again, with three hits and four RBIs on the day, but the top performance belonged to freshman outfielder Walter Urbon. He had five hits and five RBIs, both career highs, largely thanks to a fourth-inning grand slam. 

Junior outfielder Andrew Lamb was another multi-RBI Trojan, as he brought home four runners on two hits, one of which was a home run. Junior catcher Isaac Cadena had three hits with the same amount of RBIs, helping to keep USC’s season alive. 

Offense guides Trojans to regional championship

The Trojans’ offense again worked in tandem with the pitching staff in Sunday’s elimination game, ultimately culminating in a 15-4 redemption victory over Texas State, sending USC to the regional final. 

Urbon continued to stay hot with two hits and four RBIs, while Cadena continued his rout against opposing pitching with another three-hit affair. Junior infielder Kevin Takeuchi tallied two hits of his own, bringing in four Trojans and adding to their 34 runs scored in the past two games. 

Perhaps the clutchest performance of all came from junior pitcher Sax Matson, who threw 3 2/3 innings of shutout baseball from the bullpen to stop a Bobcat comeback and steer the Trojans onward for their second straight victory. 

Johnson plows through Aggies in career performance

Following the win against Texas State, USC had to turn around just a few hours later Sunday, to face host Texas A&M for the first time this regional. Since the Aggies had yet to lose a game, the Trojans would need to beat them twice in the double-elimination format to advance past the regional. 

Once again, it was an overpowering offense and dominant pitching that propelled the 14-3 win over the Aggies. 

The Trojans were handed a lifeline by sophomore pitcher Andrew Johnson, who threw a gem when it mattered the most. Johnson went a career-high 7 1/3 innings for USC, throwing 124 pitches, while allowing only three runs and preserving an overused bullpen. 

The pitching was once again supported by a hot Trojan offense, with five players recording multiple RBIs. Lamb, Urbon and Takeuchi led the charge, combining for nine RBIs, forcing a winner-take-all game on Monday. 

Trojans defy odds, win regional

USC faced Texas A&M for the second straight day, with the winner advancing to the super regionals. Despite playing its fifth game in just four days and in the biggest game of the season, USC came out on top in a 7-1 victory to secure a spot in the next round of the tournament. 

Govel took the mound on two days’ rest for the Trojans, putting up another successful performance with just one run allowed in four innings pitched — the only run the Aggies would score in the battle. 

The offensive side of the game was highlighted by a riveting three-run home run off the bat of sophomore catcher Augie Lopez, who knocked in five of the seven runs scored. Up only a run in the seventh inning, Augie Lopez’s blast gave USC the insurance it needed, ultimately helping it top Texas A&M once more and win the College Station Regional. 

Augie Lopez’s heroics earned him the Most Outstanding Player of the College Station Regional, totaling eight hits and nine RBIs across five games. Six other Trojans were named to the All-Regional team for their success in lifting the Trojans atop the group: Lamb, Johnson, Cadena, Takeuchi, Urbon, and Covarrubias. 

The Trojans’ super regional appearance marks their first since 2005, as they look to clinch a College World Series berth against the No. 5 national seed North Carolina (48-11-1, 22-8 ACC). USC will play the first of a three-game series Friday at 12 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium.