USC Baseball Faces Penn State, Washington in B1G Tournament Pool Play

THIS WEEK: The USC baseball team plays in the Big Ten Tournament, facing Penn State on Thursday at noon, followed by Washington at 8 am on Friday. The Trojans secured the No. 4 seed in the tournament with a win at Washington on Saturday.

GAME SCHEDULE:
Thursday - USC at Washington (Omaha, Neb.), May 22, 12 p.m. PT/2 p.m. CT (B1GN)
Friday - USC at Washington (Omaha, Neb.), May 23, 8 a.m. PT/10 a.m. CT (B1GN)
Saturday - Big Ten Tournament Semifinals (Omaha, Neb.), May 24, 12 p.m. PT/2 p.m. CT (B1GN)
Sunday - Big Ten Tournament Finals (Omaha, Neb.), May 25, 12 p.m. PT/2 p.m. CT (B1GN)

BROADCAST INFO: All games during the Big Ten Tournament will be broadcast live on Bg Ten Network (B1GN). 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.

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT: The Trojans head into their first-ever Big Ten Tournament as the No. 4 seed after finishing fourth in the conference standings. USC is the top seed in its pool, which gives the Trojans the tie-breaker over No. 5 Washington and No. 9 Penn State. They will face off against Penn State in on Thursday, followed by Washington on Friday. If USC advances, they will face the winner of Pool A on Saturday. The finals will take place on Sunday at 12 p.m. PT/2 p.m. CT.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS PENN STATE: This will be the sixth ever game between the Trojans and Nittany Lions, with USC winning both of the first two meetings in 1994 at a neutral site tournament hosted by Texas A&M in March of that season. The most recent matchups came in mid April of this season, where the Trojans travelled to State College and after falling in the series opener, took both weekend matchups to take the series on the road. Adrian Lopez had five hits in the two Trojan wins at State College, and starters Caden Hunter and Caden Aoki combined to throw 14.0 innings, giving up just 3 earned runs while striking out 15 batters on Friday and Saturday.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS WASHINGTON: USC is 47-49 all-time against the Huskies. The most recent matchup came just one week ago, when the Huskies won the series in Seattle. After dropping the first two games of the series, the Trojans beat the Huskies in 10 innings, 10-4, on Saturday. Mason Edwards was stellar on the mound, throwing 5.0 innings of scoreless and hitless ball, striking out 7 and allowing just one walk. In the 10th, Ethan Hedges hit a bases-loaded double with two outs that scored three, and two batters later, Adrian Lopez launched a three-run homer to secure the victory for the Trojans. In 2024, USC swept UW at Great Park.

ALL-BIG TEN HONORS: The Big Ten postseason awards were announced this week and seven Trojans were honored. Ethan Hedges led the way, earning a spot on the All-Big Ten first team, followed by Brodie Purcell on the second team, and then Caden Aoki and Abbrie Covarrubias on the third team. Andrew Johnson and Augie Lopez picked up nods to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, and Andrew Lamb earned the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. Aoki and Hedges also earned spots on the conference's all-defensive team.

STANKIEWICZ NEARING 100 WINS AT USC: USC Head Coach Andy Stankiewicz is one win away from 100 career wins at USC (99-71-1). Hall-of-Famer Mike Gillespie is the only other USC manager to reach the 100-win mark in his first three seasons at the helm for the Trojans. In his three years at USC, Stankiewicz has already led the program to its first run of three straight 30-win seasons since 2000-02, and the first back-to-back-to-back Top 4 finishes in the conference standings since 2000-02. USC is one of just 13 power four schools with 50+ conference wins over the last three seasons (51). For his career as a head coach, Stankiewicz owns a career record of 440-310-3 over 14 seasons.

BRICK BY BRICK: USC has been methodically building its baseball program back towards its former greatness since Andy Stankiewicz took the helm in 2023, accomplishing feats not seen in several decades over the last three years.

USC finished the regular season with 34 wins, matching the highest total since Andy Stankiewicz took over the program.
USC's run of three straight 30-win seasons is the first such run since 2000-02 under Hall of Fame coach Mike Gillespie.
The Trojans' 99 wins over the last three years are the most in a three-year stretch since 2001-03.
USC's third straight Top 4 conference finish is the first such streak since 2000-02.
The Trojans' 18 conference wins are the most since Stankiewicz took over, and USC's 52 conference wins over the last three years are the most in a three-year span since 1998-00 (54).
1997-99 was the last time a USC team has won at least 17 conference games in three consecutive seasons (17, 21, 17). The Trojans have won 17, 17 and 18 over the last three seasons.
USC's run of eight straight series wins over the course of this season was the longest such streak for a Trojan team since 1978.

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 8th in the Big Ten with 72 hits and his .346 batting average is 10th. His 128 total bases are 9th, a .616 slugging percentage is 15th, and his 40 walks are 10th in the conference. He is 16th in the conference with 54 RBI, his 12 home runs are the most on the team and also 23rd in the league, and his OBP of .461 is 12th in the league. Hedges has reached base safely in 50-of-54 games so far this year. He is also 9-for-9 in stolen base attempts. Hedges has 9 saves so far this season, a total that is 22nd in the NCAA and 2nd in the Big Ten. In 14.0 innings pitched, he has only allowed 9 hits while striking out 11 batters and holding opponents to a .180 batting average. Hedges has hit a home run and been credited with a save in the same game 5 times this season. Hedges most recent clutch moment came in the series finale one week ago at Washington, hitting a bases clearing double in the top of the 10th inning on Saturday. 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 and this week he was named one of the 10 finalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year award, in addition to earning All-Big Ten first team and All-Defensive team recognition.
Brayden Dowd in his sophomore season is hitting .319 for the Trojans. The center fielder ranks 7th in the Big Ten in walks (42), while also hitting 9 home runs (2nd most on the team). His 48 runs scored and 66 hits are 2nd on the team, and his 33 RBI are 4th. He also has 3 stolen bases on the year, has reached base in 51-of-53 games for the Trojans, and had a 30-game on base streak broken on Saturday. Against Michigan State, Dowd had three hits on Saturday and six over the whole weekend, including his 9th homerun he hit on Sunday. 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 18 multiple-hit games and 10 multiple-RBI games are tied for 3rd on the team.
Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 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 .307 with 66 hits, which is tied for 2nd on the team. His 8 homers are T-3rd on the team, and his 42 runs scored are solo 3rd most on the team. Martin-Grudzielanek leads the team with 21 multiple hit games, and is tied for 3rd with 10 multiple RBI games. Sunday against Michigan State, BMG had 3 hits including his 7th double of the year, and scored a run.
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 sophomore has spent time catching for the Trojans, as well as at both corner outfield positions. He is 2nd on the team with a .344 batting average, and has 33 hits in 96 at bats. He has scored 27 runs and tallied 10 doubles, 2 triples, and 5 home runs. He also leads the team in slugging (.646). In just 29 games played, he has 10 multiple hit games, and has been on base in all but 8 of them. Against UCLA and CSUN, Lamb led the Trojans with 8 hits (8-for-18) on the week. At CSUN, Lamb was a single short of the cycle, with 3 hits and a walk, scoring three times and driving in 3 more. For his performance against UCLA and CSUN, Lamb was named the Big Ten Player of the Week.
Abbrie Covarrubias is hitting .300, with 57 hits which is 5th on the team, and has 10 doubles, 2 triples and 3 home runs. On Sunday against Michigan State, Covarrubias had 2 doubles, 2 RBI, and 2 stolen bases. He leads the team with 11 stolen bases. Against UCLA he tallied 3 hits on Saturday, scoring a run as well as driving in another. In 4 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 2 doubles, 1 triple and 1 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. He has hits in 27 of his last 37 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, and has matched that total so far this season. In the 10th inning on Saturday against Washington, Lopez launched a three-run homer to secure the victory for the Trojans. He had 7 total hits including two doubles and the homer in the series against Washington. On Sunday against Michigan State, Lopez had three hits and two RBI, and also scored a run. On Friday night against Minnesota, he had 3 hits and 5 RBI, and also scored once in the game. Against UCLA he had three hits and two doubles on Friday, drove in two runs, and scored once. He is slashing .333/.410/.564.
Freshman Augie Lopez has been a strong left-handed DH for the Trojans in 23 games (21 starts), with a .306 average. Augie leads the team in pinch hit at bats as well, having 11 at-bats coming off the bench, hitting .455 with 5 hits, 1 home run, and 3 walks as a pinch hitter.
Caden Aoki had back-to-back stellar outings against UCLA and Minnesota, posting a 0.56 ERA in 16.0 IP. In the two starts, he gave up just 6 hits and 1 run, striking out 15. In his start against rival UCLA, Aoki was electric, going 7.0 innings, giving up just 4 hits and not allowing a single run. He struck out 6 and only walked one. He threw an absolute gem against Minnesota the week prior, throwing a complete game for the Trojans. Aoki worked a no-hitter into the eighth inning, and finished giving up just 2 hits in his 9.0 innings of work. He struck out 9 and was the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season. He also posted one of the biggest performances 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. His 6.17 strikeout-to-walk ratio is 1st in the conference and 11th in the country, with his 1.17 WHIP good for 7th in the conference. His 1.34 walks per 9 are 1st in the conference and 10th in the country.
Brodie Purcell has been outstanding out of the bullpen for the USC, pitching to a 2.23 ERA in 24 appearances. In 36.1 innings he has 45 K's and has given up just 21 hits. His 24 appearances are 5th most in the Big Ten, he has not given up an earned run in 19 of his outings, and has 4 saves this season.
Andrew Johnson has been stellar for the Trojan pitching staff, and has been credited with a win in three of his last six appearances. His season ERA is 4.41 and he has 53 strikeouts in his 63.1 innings pitched, with just 12 walks. In the Sunday rubber match against rival UCLA, Johnson came into relief in the first inning, and was stellar into the seventh. He went 6.1 IP, gave up just 4 hits, struck out 5, and did not allow a single earned run. Johnson was recognized for his performance against the Bruin making the NCAA Lineup of the Week. 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. His 4.42 strikeout-to-walk ratio is 4th in the conference, with his walks per 9 of 1.71 being second in the conference, behind teammate Caden Aoki.
Sax Matson has made the most appearances for the Trojan pitching staff. His 26 appearances is 4th most in the conference. The lefty made two appearances against Washington, striking out seven in his four total innings of work over the weekend.

Team Stat Rankings:

- 9.2 K/9 - 2nd B10, 52nd NCAA
- 3.82 BB/9 - 1st B10, 52nd NCAA
- 2.42 K/BB ratio - 1st B10, 38th NCAA
- 1.35 WHIP - 3rd B10, 31st NCAA
- 4.61 ERA - 4th B10, 39th NCAA
- 5.2 Runs allowed per game - 4th B10, 46th NCAA
- 0.293 AVG - 4th B10, 74th NCAA
- 110 doubles - 2nd B10, 54th NCAA
- 15 triples - 1st B10, 43rd NCAA
- 553 hits - 2nd B10, 44th NCAA
- 10.2 hits per game - 1st B10, 52nd NCAA
- Have had double digit hits in 32 games, including 22 of the last 32 games
- 8 series wins in a row were the most since 1978
- Won 10-of-13 three-game series on the season
- No. 41 - RPI

USC Baseball Faces Penn State, Washington in B1G Tournament Pool Play

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Caden Aoki

Abbrie Covarrubias

Brayden Dowd

Mason Edwards

Ethan Hedges

Caden Hunter

Andrew Johnson

Andrew Lamb

Adrian Lopez

Augie Lopez

Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek

Sax Matson

Brodie Purcell

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University Southern California Trojans

USC Baseball Faces Penn State, Washington in B1G Tournament Pool Play

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Caden Aoki

Abbrie Covarrubias

Brayden Dowd

Mason Edwards

Ethan Hedges

Caden Hunter

Andrew Johnson

Andrew Lamb

Adrian Lopez

Augie Lopez

Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek

Sax Matson

Brodie Purcell

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