In a season in which USC baseball started 19-0 and broke numerous program records, it seemed as if there was nothing the Trojans couldn’t do. And during the Super Regional series against North Carolina over the weekend, USC was in prime position to continue its historic year and, after over 20 years, become Omaha-bound once again. 

After defeating the Tar Heels (50-12-1, 22-8 ACC) in game one of the best-of-three series, USC (48-18, 20-10 Big Ten) was one win away from its first College World Series berth since 2001. And on Sunday, in the decisive final game, the Trojans held a one-run lead going into the bottom of the ninth and were two outs away from an elusive trip to college baseball’s biggest stage.

But USC couldn’t convert, and North Carolina took advantage to end the Trojans’ resurgent season and national championship hopes 4-3 in heartbreaking fashion.

In the ninth, USC’s relievers struggled to find the strike zone, leading to extra baserunners and hitters’ counts that helped the Tar Heels get hard contact against the Trojans and push just enough runs across the board to carry them over the top. 

“The goal from the beginning of the season is Omaha. We’re definitely not just happy we made it to the supers and made it past the regional, but for sure, this is a great season. We can be proud of what we accomplished as a group,” sophomore pitcher Andrew Johnson said in a postgame press conference. “Fought all the way to the end; nothing really to hang our heads about.” 

USC pulls off dramatic comeback in series opener 

The Trojans’ travails against top teams this season was a concern heading into NCAA Tournament play, but USC made a statement with back-to-back wins over No. 12 national seed Texas A&M in the College Station Regional to advance. However, a bigger challenge awaited them in the super regional round: No. 5 national seed North Carolina. 

At Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill, the two teams faced off for the right to play in the College World Series. 

Despite falling behind 5-1 after the fifth inning, the Trojans rallied and scored eight unanswered runs to prevail 9-5 on Friday. 

The Tar Heels capitalized on a few uncharacteristic mistakes from junior and National Pitcher of the Year Award finalist Mason Edwards, including back-to-back two-run innings and a throwing error that allowed a run to score. Edwards went just three innings — his fewest all season — after throwing 77 pitches. 

But after the fifth inning, the Trojans’ bats woke up. With the bases loaded and one run already in, junior infielder Dean Carpentier, who came into the game with just three home runs on the year, belted a monumental two-out grand slam over the left field fence to give the Trojans their first lead. 

“We got some runs in, and the energy was high for our dugout for sure. We knew we were going to win that ball game after that,” Carpentier said after the game. 

USC went back to work the very next inning, with junior infielder Adrian Lopez, sophomore catcher Augie Lopez and junior infielder Kevin Takeuchi scoring to give the Trojans a four-run cushion. 

The bullpen shut down the Tar Heels the rest of the way. Johnson continued his excellent postseason, getting the final 11 outs of the game without allowing a run. 

North Carolina blanks USC to set up winner-take-all finale 

The comeback victory gave the Trojans an opportunity to sweep the series and end the Tar Heels’ season Saturday. 

But North Carolina, one of the best teams in the nation all season, responded to stave off elimination and even the series. 

USC’s offense sputtered and, this time, had no late-game magic. The Trojans mustered just two hits and never advanced into scoring position as junior Tar Heel right-hander Jason DeCaro pitched a complete-game shutout. 

Sophomore pitcher Grant Govel gave the team a chance to win, with one earned run in five innings of work. But in the sixth and seventh, North Carolina scored three runs to pull away for a 4-0 final. 

Tar Heels stun Trojans in walk-off heartbreaker 

In USC’s biggest game of the year, with a College World Series appearance on the line, Head Coach Andy Stankiewicz handed the ball to Johnson, who elevated his play when it mattered most. The right-hander pitched 7 2/3 innings and allowed just two earned runs to a strong Tar Heels lineup. 

In the fourth, Takeuchi jumped on the first pitch to take a 2-1 lead; an inning later, junior outfielder Andrew Lamb crushed his second home run of the Super Regionals to make it 3-1.

In the top of the ninth inning, up 3-2, the Trojans had a chance to give themselves some insurance with runners on first and second. However, they failed to gain any breathing room, sending the game to the bottom of the ninth with redshirt junior closer Adam Troy on the mound.

That lack of scoring proved costly, as a one-out walk and single put runners on the corners for North Carolina, and a sacrifice fly tied the game. 

With just one out needed to send the game into extra innings, sophomore infielder Maddox Riske couldn’t track down a pop-up near the seats in foul territory, and the Tar Heels didn’t squander the extra opportunity. 

The very next pitch, North Carolina junior outfielder Owen Hull, who was 3-for-4 with three doubles heading into the ninth inning and had 80 RBIs on the season, launched a high fly ball off of sophomore pitcher Chase Herrell to left center. The ball fell over the head of Takeuchi, delivering the winning run for the Tar Heels and ending the Trojans’ season. 

“It was a tough one,” Stankiewicz said in a postgame press conference. “Don’t know really what to say in moments like this. Proud of our boys. Disappointed in the results, but I’m never disappointed in our guys. They did something pretty special this year.”

Now that the 2026 season has come to an end, USC’s first national title since 1998 will have to wait at least another year.

“We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished and what we’re doing, and it’s a step,” Stankiewicz said. “We’ve been at this thing for a while now, and we feel like we’re certainly building it, and I think folks are taking notice, and now we just can’t go backward. This thing’s got to continue to move forward, and it will.”