Tuesday, February 18
Irvine, Calif.
6:00
USC
4-0
5
at
2
UC Irvine
2-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
USC
1
0
0
0
0
4
0
0
0
5
4
1
UC Irvine
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
2
5
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Govel, Grant (1-0)
L: Brooks, Ryder (0-1)
Batting:
HR: Hedges, Ethan 1
RBI: Hedges, Ethan 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Dowd, Brayden 2 ; Lopez, Adrian 1 ; Higgins, Kade 1 ; Hedges, Ethan 1
HBP: Higgins, Kade 1
Batting:
2B: Yeaman, Colin 1
RBI: Yeaman, Colin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bermudez, Will 1 ; Felsch, Rowan 1
SB: Felsch, Rowan 1
HBP: Bermudez, Will 1 ; McCombs, Jacob 1 ; Reyes, Alonso 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
4
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF/RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballPhoto by: Alex Feinstein
Hedges and Govel Lead USC Baseball Past UC Irvine, 5-2
February 18, 2025 | Baseball
IRVINE, Calif. – Ethan Hedges hit a go-ahead grand slam and Grant Govel had a lights out relief performance as the USC baseball team picked up a 5-2 win at UC Irvine to continue their hot start to the season.
The Trojans move to 4-0 with the victory after their opening weekend sweep, while UCI falls to 2-2 on the year. Govel didn't allow a hit through five scoreless innings on the mound and Hedges continued his tear at the plate with his second homer of the year.
With the Trojans down 2-1, Brayden Dowd led off the sixth with a walk and Adrian Lopez followed a batter later with a one-out single. A hit-by-pitch on Kade Higgins loaded the bases. UCI went to the pen with the bases full and Ethan Hedges greeted the new pitcher by launching the first pitch he saw over the left-field wall. It was the second grand slam by a Trojan through four games.
Andrew Johnson got the start and despite giving up a run in the opening frame, worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam to end the frame and proceeded to toss two more scoreless innings. After UCI plated the go-ahead run in the fourth, Govel took over to start the fifth and finished the game with 5.0 scoreless innings.
Govel was lights out all night to pick up his first career win, walking just one batter while striking out six. He struck out four of the last six batters he faced including fanning the final two in the ninth.
Dowd scored two of USC's five runs, including scoring on a wild pitch in the first. He walked twice on the day.
TOP PERFORMERS
COMING UP
USC hosts CSU Bakersfield on Wednesday at LMU and then travels to Houston to face Rice next weekend. Wednesday's game will be broadcast live on B1G+ and all three games at Rice will be on ESPN+.
The Trojans move to 4-0 with the victory after their opening weekend sweep, while UCI falls to 2-2 on the year. Govel didn't allow a hit through five scoreless innings on the mound and Hedges continued his tear at the plate with his second homer of the year.
With the Trojans down 2-1, Brayden Dowd led off the sixth with a walk and Adrian Lopez followed a batter later with a one-out single. A hit-by-pitch on Kade Higgins loaded the bases. UCI went to the pen with the bases full and Ethan Hedges greeted the new pitcher by launching the first pitch he saw over the left-field wall. It was the second grand slam by a Trojan through four games.
Andrew Johnson got the start and despite giving up a run in the opening frame, worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam to end the frame and proceeded to toss two more scoreless innings. After UCI plated the go-ahead run in the fourth, Govel took over to start the fifth and finished the game with 5.0 scoreless innings.
Govel was lights out all night to pick up his first career win, walking just one batter while striking out six. He struck out four of the last six batters he faced including fanning the final two in the ninth.
Dowd scored two of USC's five runs, including scoring on a wild pitch in the first. He walked twice on the day.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Ethan Hedges: 1-for-4, 4 RBI, R, GW-GS
- Grant Govel: W, 5.0 IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 6K
- Brayden Dowd: 2R, 2BB
COMING UP
USC hosts CSU Bakersfield on Wednesday at LMU and then travels to Houston to face Rice next weekend. Wednesday's game will be broadcast live on B1G+ and all three games at Rice will be on ESPN+.
Baseball: Postgame Press Conference (USC vs OSU, NCAA Regional Round)
Monday, June 02
Baseball: Postgame Press Conference (USC vs SMC, NCAA Regional Round)
Saturday, May 31
Baseball: Postgame Press Conference (USC vs TCU, NCAA Regional Opener)
Friday, May 30
Baseball - USC 10, Washington 4: Highlights (05/17/25)
Saturday, May 17
