University Southern California Trojans
Tuesday, May 23
Scottsdale, Ariz.
2:30 PM
USC
vs
UCLA
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
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OF
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RHP
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RHP
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Photo by: Katie Chin
USC Baseball Opens Pac-12 Tournament Against UCLA
May 22, 2023 | Baseball
THIS WEEK: The USC baseball team opens Pac-12 Tournament play on Tuesday against UCLA and then closes pool play on Thursday against Washington. The Trojans come into the tournament as the 4th seed, while UCLA is the 7th seed and Washington is the 3rd seed.
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GAME SCHEDULE:
Tuesday - USC vs. UCLA (Scottsdale Stadium), May 23, 2:30 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)
Thursday - USC vs. Washington (Scottsdale Stadium), May 25, 2:30 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)
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PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS:
Tuesday - USC: RHP Eric Hammond (3-4, 4.78 ERA) vs. UCLA: RHP Jake Brooks (6-5, 5.45 ERA)
Thursday - USC: TBA vs. WASH: TBA
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BROADCAST INFO: All Pac-12 Tournament games will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks. Links to the broadcasts are available on the baseball schedule page at USCTrojans.com.
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FOLLOW: Fans can also follow the action through live stats on USCTrojans.com. Live, in-game updates will be available for all games from @USC_Baseball on Twitter as well.
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GET SOCIAL: Follow USC Baseball on social media to get updates on everything going on with the team this season. The Trojans can be found at @USC_Baseball on Twitter, @sctrojans_baseball on Instagram and USC Trojans Baseball on Facebook.
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LAST WEEK: The Trojans closed the regular season at Arizona last week, dropping both games of a Friday doubleheader after getting rained out on Thursday, then taking the finale 14-6 on Saturday.
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TOURNAMENT FORMAT: The Pac-12 Tournament features nine teams broken into three pools. The top team in each pool, and the highest seeded 2nd place team will move on to a single elimination bracket starting on Friday and ending on Saturday.
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SERIES VS UCLA: The Trojans and Bruins have played four times this season, splitting the season series 2-2. UCLA won a non-conference matchup in Westwood early in the season, and USC took 2-of-3 at home during the teams' Pac-12 series. The series at Dedeaux came down to the Sunday finale, with USC getting a walkoff single from Cole Gabrielson in the bottom of the ninth to take it, 6-5. The Trojans lead the all-time series between the teams, 268-151.
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THE STANK EFFECT: After finishing last in the Pac-12 and missing the conference tournament last season, USC has made a remarkable turnaround in head coach Andy Stankiewicz's first season. USC's 33-22-1 record is an 8-win improvement from last season, its 17-13 Pac-12 record is a 9-win improvement and the Trojans' fourth place finish is six spots better than their predicted 10th place finish in the Pac-12 preseason poll. All three marks are the best by a USC team since 2015 (the last time USC made the NCAA Tournament).
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PLAYER NOTES:
TEAM NOTES:
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GAME SCHEDULE:
Tuesday - USC vs. UCLA (Scottsdale Stadium), May 23, 2:30 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)
Thursday - USC vs. Washington (Scottsdale Stadium), May 25, 2:30 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)
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PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS:
Tuesday - USC: RHP Eric Hammond (3-4, 4.78 ERA) vs. UCLA: RHP Jake Brooks (6-5, 5.45 ERA)
Thursday - USC: TBA vs. WASH: TBA
Â
BROADCAST INFO: All Pac-12 Tournament games will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks. Links to the broadcasts are available on the baseball schedule page at USCTrojans.com.
Â
FOLLOW: Fans can also follow the action through live stats on USCTrojans.com. Live, in-game updates will be available for all games from @USC_Baseball on Twitter as well.
Â
GET SOCIAL: Follow USC Baseball on social media to get updates on everything going on with the team this season. The Trojans can be found at @USC_Baseball on Twitter, @sctrojans_baseball on Instagram and USC Trojans Baseball on Facebook.
Â
LAST WEEK: The Trojans closed the regular season at Arizona last week, dropping both games of a Friday doubleheader after getting rained out on Thursday, then taking the finale 14-6 on Saturday.
Â
TOURNAMENT FORMAT: The Pac-12 Tournament features nine teams broken into three pools. The top team in each pool, and the highest seeded 2nd place team will move on to a single elimination bracket starting on Friday and ending on Saturday.
Â
SERIES VS UCLA: The Trojans and Bruins have played four times this season, splitting the season series 2-2. UCLA won a non-conference matchup in Westwood early in the season, and USC took 2-of-3 at home during the teams' Pac-12 series. The series at Dedeaux came down to the Sunday finale, with USC getting a walkoff single from Cole Gabrielson in the bottom of the ninth to take it, 6-5. The Trojans lead the all-time series between the teams, 268-151.
Â
THE STANK EFFECT: After finishing last in the Pac-12 and missing the conference tournament last season, USC has made a remarkable turnaround in head coach Andy Stankiewicz's first season. USC's 33-22-1 record is an 8-win improvement from last season, its 17-13 Pac-12 record is a 9-win improvement and the Trojans' fourth place finish is six spots better than their predicted 10th place finish in the Pac-12 preseason poll. All three marks are the best by a USC team since 2015 (the last time USC made the NCAA Tournament).
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PLAYER NOTES:
- Austin Overn currently leads the nation with 13 triples, which set a new USC single season record, breaking the record set by Grant Green in 2007 (10) (the NCAA record is 17). Overn is 2nd on the team with a .311 batting average, and his 71 hits lead the squad. Overn was a walk-on WR with the USC football team this past fall, but did not see time on the field.
- Blake Sodersten earned Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week honors after leading USC to a series-opening win over then No. 17 Oregon, giving up one run in 7.0 innings while striking out a career-high 11 batters and walking just one. Sodersten was pitching on short rest after starting the previous Sunday. He followed that up with 7.0 innings of three-hit and one-run ball against Arizona State. He now owns a 3.82 ERA, good for 5th in the conference.
- Caden Aoki leads the Pac-12 and is 35th in the nation with a 2.78 ERA in 10 starts this season. Since taking over as USC's Saturday starter, he has given up more than one run just twice and has thrown five or more shutout innings in a start three times. He tossed a career high 8.0 shutout innings against Arizona State, earning Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week honors. Aoki's 1.20 WHIP is 3rd in the Pac-12.
- Cole Gabrielson is tied for the team lead with 11 homers and his 48 RBI lead the squad. Gabrielson hit a walk-off single against UCLA to win the series finale and secure a 2-1 series win for the Trojans.
- Johnny Olmstead is tied for the team lead with 11 homers after hitting a pair against LMU last Tuesday, and his 46 RBI are 2nd on the team. Olmstead's .556 slugging percentage is 2nd on the team and his 10 stolen bases are 2nd as well. He also has 4 triples on the season, the 4th most in the Pac-12.
- Garrett Clarke is 3rd in the Pac-12 and 36th in the nation with 8 saves on the year. In 25 appearances, he owns a 1.64 ERA, with opponents hitting .197 against him. He has struck out 31 batters and walked 12. Clarke was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year midseason watch list.
- Kyle Wisch is 2nd on the team and 6th in the Pac-12 with 6 saves on the year. He has a 1.87 ERA, with opponents hitting .158 against him. He has struck out 39 batters and walked 15, while making 30 appearances on the mound, good for 4th most in the Pac-12 and 16th most in the NCAA. Along with Clarke, he was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year midseason watch list.
- Jacob Galloway took over as USC's starting catcher after an injury to Connor Aoki following the UCLA series, and since then leads the team with a .386 batting average. He currently has a 5 game hitting streak going and has hit safely in 8 of his last 9 games.
TEAM NOTES:
- USC's 33 wins this year are the most by a Trojan team since 2015 (the last time USC made a regional).
- After finishing last in the conference last season, USC was picked to finish 10th in the preseason poll this year, but finished 4th in the standings.
- The Trojans are 26-6 at home this season, posting the most home wins by a USC team since 2001.
- USC posted back-to-back shutouts on the road at Utah, marking the first time since 2008 that a USC team has posted consecutive shutouts. The Trojans have 3 shutouts on the season, 4th in the Pac-12 and 41st in the NCAA.
- USC's 27 triples lead the Pac-12 and are 2nd in the nation. Five Trojans have multiple triples, including Overn (13), Olmstead (4), Hedges (3), Gabrielson (2), and Martin-Grudzielanek (2).
- USC's 4.35 team ERA is 1st in the Pac-12 and 22nd in the nation. The Trojans' team WHIP (1.32) is also tops in the conference and 14th in the NCAA. The 8.13 hits allowed per game by USC pitching leads the Pac-12 and is 19th in the nation.
- USC has outscored opponents 379-282 this season. The +97 run differential is USC's best since 2015.
- USC has won 10-of-14 series on the season, including 4 sweeps.
- The Trojans have won 3-of-4 series against ranked opponents (W- #2 Stanford, #22 UCLA, #17 Oregon, L - #17 Auburn).
- USC won 7-of-10 Pac-12 series, including 2 sweeps.
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