USC Baseball Hosts No. 14 UCLA at Great Park

THIS WEEK: The USC baseball team takes on crosstown rival No. 14 UCLA in a three-game series at Great Park in Irvine. After the crosstown showdown, the Trojans will travel to UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday for their penultimate nonconference game of the season. The Trojans are coming off their seventh series win in a row, their third sweep of the season against Minnesota, and have won thirteen of their last sixteen games.

GAME SCHEDULE:
Friday - USC vs UCLA (Irvine, Calif.), May 2, 6:30 p.m. PT (B1G+)
Saturday - USC vs UCLA (Irvine, Calif.), May 3, 2 p.m. PT (B1G+)
Sunday - USC vs UCLA (Irvine, Calif.), May 4, 1 p.m. PT (B1G+)
Tuesday - USC at UC Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, Calif.), May 6, 4:30 p.m. PT (ESPN+)

PROBABLE PITCHERS:
Friday - USC: LHP Caden Hunter (6-2, 4.50 ERA) vs. UCLA: LHP Ian May (6-2, 3.97 ERA)
Saturday - USC: RHP Caden Aoki (4-2, 4.71 ERA) vs. UCLA: RHP Michael Barnett (8-0, 4.01 ERA)
Sunday - USC: TBA vs. UCLA: TBA

BROADCAST INFO: All games this weekend against UCLA will be broadcast on B1G+ and Tuesday's game will be on ESPN+. Links to the broadcasts are available on the baseball schedule page at USCTrojans.com.

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 X as well.

GET SOCIAL: Follow USC Baseball on social media to get updates on everything going on with the team this season. The Trojans can be followed at @USC_Baseball on X, at @sctrojans_baseball on Instagram and USC Trojans Baseball on Facebook.

2025 HOME GAMES: For the second season in a row, USC will play the majority of its home games at Great Park in Irvine due to construction on the new Dedeaux Field, which is scheduled to be completed prior to the 2026 season. Most midweek games will be held at LMU. All USC home games this season will be free and open to the public. For more information visit USCTrojans.com/baseballgameday.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS UCLA: The Trojans own a 270-154 record against the Bruins, dating back to the first ever matchup in 1928. The most recent meeting came earlier this season in the Southern California College Baseball Classic, with the Bruins taking the non-conference game, 5-1. In the last six matchups, USC has a 4-2 record in the rivalry. In 2024, the Bruins won the regular season Pac-12 series at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Trojans won 15-2 on Friday night, but dropped the next two games. Prior to that, USC took the last three matchups against UCLA in 2023, winning the last two games of the regular season series and then picking up a 6-4 victory in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament. In the matchup earlier in the season, Dean Carpentier led the way with three hits, along with Brayden Dowd who had two hits. Freshmen John Elliott and Augie Lopez also both had two hits in the game.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS UCSB: Since the first matchup in 1921, the Trojans have held the advantage in the all-time series against the Gauchos, with a record of 91-50-1. The programs have split the last two meetings dating back to 2022, when the Trojans beat the No. 13 Gauchos at Dedeaux Field. The Trojan offense dominated, scoring 13 runs on 16 hits. USC won by the score of 13-7. The most recent matchup came earlier this season in a non-conference game at LMU, and went the way of No. 16 UCSB, 8-1. Freshman Andrew Johnson, Jude Favela, Tee Southisene and Ben Cushnie all combined for 5.1 scoreless innings of relief in the game.

30 WINS AGAIN: USC's win against CSUN on Tuesday gave the program a third straight 30-win season for the first time since 2002. The Trojans have won at least 30 games in each of Head Coach Andy Stankiewicz's three seasons at the helm, a feat that had happened just once in the prior 17 years before Stankiewicz took over in 2023. USC's streak of seven straight series victories is also the first such streak for a Trojan team since 2001.

THIRD SWEEP AT MINNESOTA: The Trojans picked up their third sweep of the season and seventh straight series win over the weekend at Minnesota. The Trojans exploded for a season-high 16 runs on 17 hits to take the opener on Friday night, 16-6. On Saturday, Caden Aoki went the distance only allowing one run on two hits with nine K's, taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning to propel USC to a 6-1 win. On Sunday, the Trojans came from behind scoring one run in the sixth, and two runs in the top of the ninth to sweep the series with a 3-2 victory. The Trojan bullpen was excellent, only allowing three hits in the game, with Sax Matson and Brodie Purcell combining for 4.1 innings of hitless and scoreless baseball to close out the game.

TUESDAY WIN AT CSUN: USC shut out CSUN 8-0 on Tuesday, with six Trojan pitchers combining to allow just four hits. Andrew Lamb finished the game a single shy of the cycle, driving in three runs and scoring three as well.

2025 PLAYER/TEAM NOTES:

Ethan Hedges has not only been the Trojans' offensive leader this season, but has established himself as one of the nation's top closers as well. Hedges ranks 7th in the Big Ten with 61 hits, and his .361 batting average is 8th. His 112 total bases are also good for 8th in the conference and a .663 slugging percentage is 10th. He is 13th in the conference with 47 RBI, his 11 home runs are the most on the team and also tied for 14th in the league, and his OBP of .476 is 12th in the league. Hedges has reached base safely in 42 of 44 games so far this year. He is also 9-for-9 in stolen base attempts. Hedges has 8 saves so far this season, a total that is 18th in the NCAA and 2nd in the Big Ten. In 12.0 innings pitched, he has only allowed 8 hits while striking out 11 batters and holding opponents to a .186 batting average. Hedges has hit a home run and been credited with a save in the same game 5 times this season. Several midseason awards were announced in early April with Hedges being named a D1Baseball Midseason First-Team All-American and the Perfect Game Midseason 2-Way Player of the Year. Hedges was also named to the NCAA Lineup of the Week for the second time this season after his performance in Bloomington. In late April Hedges was placed on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List among the top closers in the nation.
Brayden Dowd in his sophomore season is hitting .326 for the Trojans. The center fielder ranks 4th in the Big Ten in walks (39), while also hitting 8 home runs. His 43 runs scored are tied for the most of the team, his 56 hits are second, and his 30 RBI are fourth. He also has 3 stolen bases on the year, and has reached base in 43 of 44 games for the Trojans, and is currently on a 23-game on base streak. Dowd has proven to have the clutch gene time and time again as he cranked a go-ahead home run in the 9th on Saturday against Indiana, and the following weekend he hit a game-tying solo-home run with two outs in the bottom of the 9th on Sunday against Ohio State. Dowd's 15 multiple-hit games are tied for second on the team, and his 9 multiple-RBI games are tied for third on the team.
Bryce Martin-Gruzielanek returned this season after being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 20th round. BMG has been the Trojans' shortstop all season, and is hitting .297 with 52 hits, which is third on the team. His 8 homers are tied for second on the team, and his 36 runs scored are third most on the team. Martin-Grudzielanek leads the team with 17 multiple hit games, and is second with 10 multiple RBI games. On Saturday against Minnesota, he hit his second grand slam of the year, launching one to deep left in the top of the fifth. His first grand slam came against Hawai'i in a non-conference game at LMU.
Andrew Lamb has gotten hot for the Trojans after beginning the year on the injured list and making his season debut on March 16 at Michigan. The sophmore has spent time catching for the Trojans, as well as at both corner outfield positions. He is leading the team with a .375 batting average, and has 21 hits in 56 at bats. He has scored 20 runs and tallied 6 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 home runs. He also leads the team in slugging (.714) and is third with a .429 on base percentage. In just 19 games played, he has 6 multiple hit games, and has been on base in all but 6 of them. On Tuesday at CSUN, Lamb was a single short of the cycle, with 3 hits and a walk, scoring three times and driving in 3 more. On Sunday against Minnesota, Lamb led off the ninth inning rally with a single and ended up scoring the tying run that led to a Trojan sweep.
Richard Tejeda had a coming out party on Friday night at Minnesota, going 4-for-5 with 5 RBI and 2 runs scored. He also hit his first home run as a Trojan on Friday. He followed up that performance with two more hits and a run scored on Saturday and one hit on Sunday.
Abbrie Covarrubias is hitting .305, with 46 hits which is fifth on the team, and has seven doubles, two triples and three home runs. In four starts against LMU and Penn State, the sophomore led the Trojans in hits (8), RBI (8), runs (5), total bases (15), extra-base hits (4) and stolen bases (3). For the week, he batted .500 (8-for-16) with an OPS of 1.494. Covarrubias posted two doubles, one triple and one home run and this performance led him to be named the Big Ten Player of the Week. He was also named to the NCAA Lineup of the Week after his performance. Against LMU, he matched his career high with 5 RBI. He also drove in 4 runs against Michigan on Friday to lead the Trojans to a 7-4 victory. After a slow start to the season, he has hits in 22 of his last 30 games.
Adrian Lopez, a sophomore transfer from LBSU, hit the first home run of the season for USC, with a grand slam in the first inning on Saturday of opening weekend. Lopez had 8 homers for the Dirtbags last year. On Friday night against Minnesota, he had 3 hits and 5 RBI, and also scored once in the game. He is slashing .316/.392/.555.
Caden Hunter, a junior transfer from Sierra College, has been effective on the mound for the Trojans on Friday nights, pitching to a 4.50 ERA (20th in the Big Ten) with a WHIP of 1.41. In 58.0 innings pitched, he has struck out 64 batters (T-4th most in the Big Ten), with his 9.93 strikeouts per nine innings 6th best in the Big Ten. He matched a season-high 7.0 innings against Penn State, giving up just one run on three hits with a season high 9 strikeouts. Hunter has been credited with the win in four of his last seven Friday night starts. His six wins are 7th most in the conference, and with Hunter on the mound, USC is 8-3 in series openers.
Caden Aoki threw an absolute gem this past weekend against Minnesota, throwing a complete game for the Trojans. Aoki worked a no-hitter into the eight inning, and finish giving up just two hits in his nine ninnings of work. He struck out nine and was the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season. He also posted one of the biggest performance of the year against No. 14 Vanderbilt on March 1st, throwing 7.0 innings, giving up just 4 hits and 1 walk, and not allowing an earned run. His 10 strikeouts were a career high. Aoki was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week for his efforts against Vandy. He is the first USC pitcher to earn the award this season. His 7.88 strikeout-to-walk ratio is 1st in the conference and 6th in the country, with his 1.11 WHIP being 8th in the conference. His 1.11 walks per 9 are 1st in the conference and 3rd in the country.
Brodie Purcell has been outstanding out of the bullpen for the USC, pitching to a 0.83 ERA in 21 appearances. In 32.2 innings he has 43 K's and has given up just 16 hits. He has given up just 1 earned run in his last 15 appearances, in 27.0 innings. His 21 appearances are 2nd most in the Big Ten.
Andrew Harbour had a breakout relief performance on Sunday against Ohio State, in just his third appearance on the mound this season, Harbour tossed 2.2 scoreless innings, striking out 6 of the 9 batters he faced.
Andrew Johnson has been solid for the Trojan bullpen. When the freshman comes out of the bullpen in relief he has pitched to a 2.83 ERA, and has 40 strikeouts in his 47.0 innings pitched, with just 11 walks. This past weekend against Minnesota, Johnson came into the game in the third inning on Friday night. He threw 6.1 scoreless innings for the Trojans giving up just two hits all night and struck out four without surrendering a walk. For his outstanding relief appearance, Johnson was the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.
Team Stat Rankings:
9.5 K/9 - 2nd B10, 42nd NCAA
3.86 BB/9 - 1st B10, 53rd NCAA
2.45 K/BB ratio - 1st B10, 41st NCAA
1.36 WHIP - 3rd B10, 36th NCAA
4.67 ERA - 4th B10, 54th NCAA
14 triples - 1st B10, 30th NCAA
Have had double digit hits in 26 games, including 16 of the last 22 games
No. 37 - RPI

USC Baseball Hosts No. 14 UCLA at Great Park

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Players Mentioned

Caden Aoki

Dean Carpentier

Abbrie Covarrubias

Ben Cushnie

Brayden Dowd

John Elliott

Jude Favela

Andrew Harbour

Ethan Hedges

Caden Hunter

Andrew Johnson

Andrew Lamb

Adrian Lopez

Augie Lopez

Sax Matson

Brodie Purcell

Tee Southisene

Richard Tejeda

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