USC spring sports breakdown
The Trojans experienced ups and downs to finish their final Pac-12 seasons.
The Trojans experienced ups and downs to finish their final Pac-12 seasons.
In the three weeks since the Daily Trojan’s last issue on April 25, a lot has happened in the USC sports world. There are teams still fighting for wins and playoff spots and others who have seen their seasons come to an end. In what has been an eventful spring for Trojan athletics, let’s break down where each USC team stands.
Lacrosse
USC entered this season with sky-high expectations, being ranked No. 1 in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll. Despite finishing second in the conference, the No. 28-ranked Trojans (12-5, 6-1 Pac-12) were unable to live up to the expectations, falling 12-9 to No. 24 Colorado (13-6, 5-2 Pac-12) in the Pac-12 Conference Tournament semifinal. Due to this loss, USC was one of the first teams out and didn’t receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
However, there were a lot of positives to take away from the season. Graduate attacker Ella Heaney’s team-high 73 points — made up of 43 goals and 30 assists — earned her the Pac-12 Attacker of the Year award. She also made the All-Pac-12 First Team and was an All-American honorable mention alongside redshirt junior attacker Isabelle Vitale.
Head Coach Lindsey Munday will now turn her focus to next season as the Trojans are tasked with joining the Big Ten Conference.
Baseball
After a slow start, the Trojans teetered with a .500 record for a while.. Their season has been made up of impressive wins compiled with head-scratching losses. However, the season is not over, which means they still have life.
Led by sophomore catcher Jacob Galloway — who is batting .311 with a team-high 38 RBIs — USC (24-27, 14-12 Pac-12) has one more series at home this week against Utah (31-18, 16-11 Pac-12) before the start of the Pac-12 Tournament Tuesday. With not a strong enough resume for an at-large bid, Head Coach Andy Stankiewicz’s squad will need the glass slipper to fit if they want to make the NCAA Tournament.
Women’s Tennis
No. 11 USC (20-9, 8-2 Pac-12) advanced to the NCAA super regionals after dominant 4-0 wins over California Polytechnic State University (13-9-1, 5-3-1 Big West) and No. 23 University of San Diego (17-8, 5-1 West Coast Conference). But, the Trojans could not make it to Round 8 as they were defeated 4-0 by No. 5 Pepperdine University (20-6, 6-0 West Coast Conference) last Friday.
No. 33-ranked sophomore Emma Charney and No. 60-ranked junior Grace Piper’s focus now shifts to the NCAA singles championship in Stillwater, Oklahoma, starting Monday. Charney will also be competing in the NCAA doubles championship alongside graduate Eryn Cayetano. The duo is ranked No. 22 in the country in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Collegiate Tennis Rankings and will strive to capture USC’s first doubles title since 2013.
Men’s Tennis
It was not a pretty season, to say the least, for the men’s tennis team. The Trojans (7-16, 2-5 Pac-12) started the season with a promising 4-0 record before collapsing and only picking up three more wins the rest of the season. The season featured an eight-game losing streak, abysmal singles play on court one and a first-round Pac-12 Tournament exit.
However, in a more positive light, fifth-year Stefan Dostanic and sophomore Oscar Weightman had a 2-0 doubles record on court one. Head Coach Brett Masi will need to emphasize facets like this to turn the team around next season.
Men’s Golf
The Trojans disappointingly ended their season, finishing in 12th place in the Pac-12 championship at Desert Forest Golf Club. The one bright spot for USC amid its 102-over-par weekend was sophomore Antonio Safa, who placed in the top 15 in his first-ever Pac-12 championship after transferring from Missouri last season.
USC — one of the winningest and most historic programs of all time — has 20 conference championships but hasn’t won one since 2018. After finishing in the top five in just two events this season, first-year Head Coach Mark Hankins will look to turn things around and bring the Trojans back to that pedigree heading into the 2024-2025 season.
Women’s Golf
On the other hand, the women’s team has been lights-out this season, finishing in first place in three events and placing out of the top five in just two events. The Trojans have a plethora of depth but have been led by sophomore superstar Catherine Park. Her three victories and seven top-10 finishes this season earned Park the No. 5 rank in the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Individual Rankings and a spot on the final watch list for the ANNIKA Award.
After winning the NCAA regional in East Lansing behind top-five finishes from Park and freshman Bailey Shoemaker, USC is heading to the NCAA championship final site for the 26th straight season. Head Coach Justin Silverstein and the Trojans will aim for the program’s fourth-ever national championship starting Friday.
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