USC travels to face off against Oregon in weekend series
Following a weekend series loss against UC Berkeley and a victory over Cal State Fullerton Tuesday, USC will travel north to Eugene for its third Pac-12 series of the season.
The Trojans, who stand at 13-6 on the year and hold a 3-3 conference record so far, will face Oregon this weekend. However, USC has dropped three of its last five following its victory over UCLA March 13.
The Ducks sport a record of 14-6 on the year but have gotten hot as of late, winning seven of their last eight games. Last season, then second year Head Coach Mark Wasikowski led Oregon to a spot in the NCAA Tournament, ultimately falling to LSU in the regional round.
The Trojans’ midweek scuffle against the Titans was a slugfest, as both teams pulled their starting pitchers by the third inning and scored double digit runs. Cal State Fullerton pulled ahead by three runs in the seventh, but a two-run homer by redshirt junior catcher Tyler Lozano cut the lead in half. A three spot in the bottom of the eighth, capped off by a RBI triple from sophomore outfielder Carson Wells, secured an 11-10 comeback win for USC.
The Trojans’ thrilling victory over the Titans earlier this week showcased their ability to produce under pressure. It’s an aspect of their offense that may lead to defeating the conference second place Ducks.
“Anytime you’re in a back and forth game where there’s lead exchanges and you fall behind a little later … it’s a good reminder going into the series that we’re never out of a game,” said Head Coach Jason Gill in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “With our offense, we can put up four runs in an inning; it’s not an issue for them. I think it’s just a good reminder going into a Pac-12 weekend.”
Recently, with the series victory against then-ranked UCLA, USC was given a top 25 ranking by Baseball America. It was the first time the Trojans earned a spot in the top 25 since 2016.
“I hope that it builds confidence. Like I told the team, they’ve earned everything they’ve gotten. They weren’t preseason anything, they weren’t supposed to be anything,” Gill said. “Any accolades that are coming their way, they certainly deserve it.”
Recognition on the national stage at this point in the year might have come as a surprise for the ballclub, but Gill hopes to parlay the confidence booster it provides as fuel for the fire as the team nears the halfway point in the season.
“Our goal wasn’t to be ranked 25th after week five. It’s a great thing, and it’s maybe a confidence booster or some reassurance that we’re doing things right,” Gill said. “Certainly not what we signed up to do. We’d like to finish towards the end of the year at the top.”
The Ducks boast a commanding offense, averaging over nine runs per game and holding a collective .980 OPS. The high-octane Oregon bats could serve as a test for the Trojan pitching staff, who so far sport a team ERA of 4.16.
The Ducks, while not ranked, still own a 5-1 conference record and have already tested juggernauts Stanford and Gonzaga. However, the Pac-12, even with three top 25 squads, still remains well up for grabs for the Trojans.
“You gotta play them one game at a time in our conference because you’re looking around and … you could be 3-6 going into week four and end up winning the conference,” Gill said. “The margin of error in our conference is so small that anybody could win any day.”
The Trojans commitment to fundamentals will make a difference for the squad in this series, Gill said.
“We gotta throw strikes, quality strikes, and play good catch defensively, which we’ve done pretty much the whole season so far. We gotta put the ball in play well, and we gotta run the bases intelligently,” Gill said. “When we do those four things, we have a real chance against anybody in the country … We gotta limit free bases and take free bases.”
For USC, Oregon will serve as a test for what is yet to come from the teams at the top of the Pac-12 pecking order. First pitch is Friday at 4 p.m. in Eugene.