Trojans celebrate after defeating the Aggies 7-1 in Blue Bell Park to win the College Station Regional last Monday.NCAA Chapel Hill Regional
USC (47-16) vs. North Carolina (48-11-1), Noon PDT Friday, Boshamer Stadium, Chapel Hill, NC, ESPN2
Jose de Jesus Ortiz (LA Times)/Haley Sawyer (OC Register) — As USC baseball coach Andy Stankiewicz noted the next additions that will be made to USC’s refurbished baseball stadium, he paused Monday night as a train rumbled loudly behind Blue Bell Park.
Stankiewicz, 61, smirked at the fitting metaphor after the Trojans clinched their first NCAA super regional berth in 21 years. He, after all, has rebuilt the USC program over his four seasons as head coach.
“Now we have a beautiful stadium,” he said of Dedeaux Field. “We’re going to have a beautiful clubhouse next year, batting cages and all that.”
As Stankiewicz attempted to utter another sentence, the train’s ear-piercing horn sounded.
Andy Stankiewicz has guided the Trojans to the NCAA super regionals for the first time in 21 years.
“That’s appropriate because we tell people the train’s moving,” Stankiewicz said. “Now we have a train honking its whistle. The train’s moving. We’re certainly excited to see where we’re going.”
The Trojans are definitely going places these days thanks to many players who believed in Stankiewicz’s vision despite knowing their on-campus stadium would be under construction for at least two seasons.
In 2005, USC lost to Oregon State in a Pac-10 matchup at the Corvallis Super Regional. This year, the Trojans head to Chapel Hill to face fifth-seeded North Carolina (48-11-1). The winner moves on to Omaha, Nebraska, for the College World Series, which would snap a 25-year drought for the Trojans.
USC fought its way out of the loser’s bracket in the College Station Regional after dropping its first game to Texas State by one run. The Trojans finished the regional with back-to-back dominant wins over Texas A&M by scores of 14-3 and 7-1.
The Trojans had seven players on the College Station Regional’s All-Tournament Team. Three of them — Abbrie Covarrubias, Kevin Takeuchi and Andrew Lamb — are upperclassmen who could have been tempted to transfer after they learned that they would be without a home field for two years. Junior shortstop Dean Carpentier is another upperclassman who believed in Stankiewicz.
“You talk about just kind of cornerstones,” Stankiewicz said. “Abbrie and Takeuchi … and Dean Carpentier and Andrew Lamb, these guys, they could have left. … They got here when we had a field, and they chose to stay.
“That’s something that I’m grateful for. It just tells you the quality of young men that they are. They’re here. They got two feet in and said, ‘I’m not going anywhere. I want to help build this program. Then to see the success that, not just Abbrie, but all of them have had, they’re great leaders. They lead by example.”
While Dedeaux Field was under construction, the Trojans played most of their home games in 2024 and 2025 at Irvine’s Great Park, 47 miles and another county away. They practiced at East L.A. College.
Yet, they still reached a regional final in 2025. They have gone a step further this year by climbing out of the losers’ bracket in the regional to eliminate Texas A&M and reach a super regional for the first time since 2005.
The Trojans didn’t just climb out of the losers’ bracket. They rumbled through like a runaway train, dominating with 55 runs over four losers’-bracket wins. They scored 21 of those runs over two victories against SEC power Texas A&M in the regional final.
The Trojans made themselves at home while playing in one of the SEC’s most hostile environments. It was as though the Trojans have grown accustomed to making themselves at home on the road in recent years.
Although parts of Dedeaux Field are still under construction, the Trojans were 32-1 there for the best home record in school history. USC (47-16) eclipsed the 40-win mark for the first time since 2005.
“Obviously being able to play at home this year has been a blessing,” designated hitter Augie Lopez said after he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the College Station Regional. “But the last couple of years we’ve just kinda showed up every day — whether that was in Irvine or East L.A. Community College for practice — just with the same mentality of we’re going to show up and put our work in and dominate no matter where we are.
“Just showing up every day and punching that time card and going to work and just putting your head down and knowing that no matter where you are (or) what home field you have or you don’t have a home field, we’re going to get it done and play quality baseball.”
The 12-time national champions will face North Carolina at the Chapel Hill Super Regional in hopes of reaching their first College World Series since 2001. No player on the current roster was alive when the Trojans won their last national title in 1998.
Only a few were even born when USC made its last super regional appearance in 2005 at Oregon State.
“Honestly, it hasn’t hit me until right now, but we’re just feeling absolutely grateful. I’m super blessed.”
“With the history that this program has, it’s been an honor to wear the Trojan brand on the front of my chest,” Lopez said. “Honestly just knowing that this team is the team to bring USC back to the super regional it’s incredible.
The Loyola High product was 2 for 5 with five RBIs and one run while hitting third as the designated hitter. His two-run single gave USC a 2-1 lead over the Aggies, and he went yard in the seventh inning to drive in three more runs for a 5-1 advantage before the Trojans added two more runs to humble the Aggies.
You don’t need to hear the horn to realize USC’s train is moving in the right direction in Stankiewicz’s fourth season at the helm.
UNC will play at home for the second straight weekend after going 3-0 in the Chapel Hill Regional against VCU and East Carolina. The Tar Heels are appearing in their 13th consecutive Super Regional and are going for their 13th College World Series appearance.
They’re hitting .294 as a team with three players are hitting better than .300 – Macon Winslow (.301), Jake Schaffner (.362) and Owen Hull (.372). Pitching-wise, UNC owns the seventh-best team ERA in the nation at 3.85.
Mason Edwards (#30, 8-0), the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and finalist for National Pitcher of the Year, is likely to start Friday, according to game notes released by USC baseball. The Trojans’ southpaw ace has a 1.85 ERA and 1.00 WHIP, which ranks 12th in the country.
latimes.com ocregister.com
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Phil Steele has the USC Trojans ranked 11th in the country for football.
His magazine is the best
Conferences still alive and going to the CWS, SEC – 5, ACC -1, Big 12 – 1, Sun Belt – 1.
The baseball team was 1-stopper away from making it to the finals. Of the losses this season, seems there were a number of come from behind to win in the 9th inning losses. The program is inching away to a better ending each season. Will next season be the one getting USC baseball back to Omaha?
Who knows? Progress is frequently very non-linear. After getting to the 2025 World Series, UCLA overwhelmingly led CBB wire-to-wire in 2026, yet was quickly humbled in its own regional by ST MARY’s, which didn’t even win the regional. CAL POLY did and they never won a game in the WV Super Regional, losing to the Mountaineers 17-1 two days ago. We had a good but never great team. Who knows who USC will lose and add? I’d say Stanky got everything out of this team that was possible, and they seemed to have great chemistry if not superior talent. At… Read more »
Agree completely. Stank got the most out of this good, but great roster. USC is now relevant in college baseball. The big question is can the Trojans prevent attrition of star players in the portal, which happened last year. I hope their NIL war chest is adequately funded
I can’t think of a more heartbreaking loss today. Worst since Vince Young’s knee was down and before that 20-16 to ucla in 1965 after being up 16-6 with 4 minutes left.
2 outs from Omaha after 25 years!
I’m taking solace in Stanky having our baseball program back! After the years of neglect
Now he needs to hit the portal and add on ✌🏼
As far as I’m concerned, This loss doesn’t even compare with the NC loss to Texas in 2005 in football
You know what they say…..good pitching will usually beat good hitting. UNC had good pitching. USC only got 6 hits in the last 2 games after scoring 55 runs in the previous 4 games. OK….they didn’t win the NC. But they had a great season. They were 48-18 and they lost 9 games by 2 runs or less(6 by one run or less). And they were really tough to beat at home. Like I have said before….Rome wasn’t built in one day. Hopefully the administration will have an honest interest in bringing the glory days back in baseball as well… Read more »
Unfortunately…..once Glauber, who did a magnificent job, was done the USC pitching was not up to stopping NC. A great run this year. Our team should be proud of themselves.
Today’s the day!
UNC coach Scott Forbes confirmed either Folger Boaz or relief ace and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Assn. Stopper of the Year Award finalist Caden Glauber will start Game 3 vs USC.
“We tell our guys Sundays are always important,” Trojan coach Andy Stankiewicz said. “This is probably the most important Sunday that they’ll ever play.”
I don’t have a good feeling about tomorrow’s game. We got smoked today. Our team has overachieved and it feels like they have nothing left after the 4 straight elimination game wins, and the incredible comeback vs. Carolina. I hope I am wrong, but it just seems like the Tar Heels exert themselves again, and the season comes to an end.
I’m no prophet(especially when it comes to baseball) but I think they will come back. They looked bad today. It amazing that they only got beat 4-0. I think that they are going to want to redeem themselves. Either way it was an outstanding season
It’s USC vs UNC for the rubber match and a World Series entry tomorrow at 12:00 PT.
USC didn’t look good. I would hope that would be strong incentive to come back strong tomorrow
Looks like the Trojans went up against a guy who is a couple notches above college pitching. Like when USC used to have guys like Tom Seaver and Randy Johnson. Tomorrow is another day.
T don’t think they will have to face him again tomorrow. If they do….will he have anything left. He went 9 innings today.
Off-balance USC only has two hits through five innings and is losing to the Tar Heels 3-0 in the 6th.
Final — USC gets only two hits and loses 4-0. The Tar Heels pitcher, Jason DeCaro, went the distance and completely bewildered and shut out the Trojan hitters. It was as if USC’s hitters had blind folders on with some of their wild swings. DeCaro had 14 0-2 counts.
The score actually could have been much worse. The Tar Heels stranded 13 runners on base.
Let’s hope UNC doesn’t have another one of those pitchers for tomorrow. That guy, Decaro, looks MLB ready. Supposed the get drafted high next month.
He was awesome. You don’t see complete nine inning two-hit shutouts every day.
At least USC didn’t lose a heartbreaking nail biter, like so many of these games turn out to be. Probably better for us.
To all of my TDB’ers–I have mispoken abolut the story I told a couple of days ago about when USC beat GT in an Atlanta Super Regional. I thought it was in 2005 (our last appearance). My wife as a graduate of GT, is fervent in the support of her alma mater. I am therefore in a mixed marriage during the rare times when SC and GT matchup. It has happened only three times in our 38 year marriage. GT upset SC in the NCAA basketball tourney during the days of Harold Miner; GT again upset SC in the Sun… Read more »
Here’s what AI told me my friend and you are absolutely correct, but it was in 2000, not 2005: Yes, USC has played Georgia Tech in baseball, with USC winning all three of their all-time matchups. USC swept the Yellow Jackets in the best-of-three NCAA Super Regional in Atlanta in 2000 to advance to the College World Series, and also defeated them in a regular-season tournament in 2004. A breakdown of the matchups and results: June 2, 2000: USC 7, Georgia Tech 2 (NCAA Super Regional – Game 1) June 3, 2000: USC 6, Georgia Tech 3 (NCAA Super Regional… Read more »
Well I feel better now. Serves me right for trusting that cruel mistress AI.
DDS, I’ve been there putting what I first believed was accurate info only to find out it wasn’t. You hate it when it happens and fear another TDB’er is going to catch it. The problem here is, if our baseball & football programs wouldn’t take so long to get back into championship form, we wouldn’t have to stretch our minds so far back!
I agree, Jam. Hope we can pull it off tomorrow.
SC could have had Stank in 2020 instead of 2023 when he actually came to USC. Bohn passed over him in favor of Jason Gill from Loyola Marymount. Bad decision. He lasted 2 1/2 years(the 2020 season was cut short because of covid).
The number of bad CBB coaches who got an undeserved crack at the USC program is astounding.
It’s a shame it had to happen.
But I’m suddenly having a fantastic time paying a lot of attention to a sport which has been dormant at USC for so long. So fun.
I played a lot of baseball when I was young, even some semi-pro baseball. Somewhere along the line I lost interest. Ever since Stanky took over I’ve actually regained interest. I LIKE THIS COACH
I’m totally into USC baseball again. It’s amazing what an amazing team and some timely wins on the national stage will do.
Beat the Tar Heels. Game’s on at 11 PT (ESPN).
amen
Did MG ever say why he fired Gillespie? Was it because he didn’t win like Dedeaux? For that matter few could!
AI — Former AD Mike Garrett “fired” legendary baseball coach Mike Gillespie at USC in 2006 largely due to a dip in the team’s performance, as the Trojans posted losing records in three of his final four seasons. Garrett forced Gillespie’s departure by essentially framing it publicly as a “retirement,” a decision that Gillespie later clarified was an outright firing rather than a voluntary step down. While the official USC Athletics press release cited his retirement, Gillespie revealed the true nature of his unceremonious exit after taking over at UC Irvine. Garrett replaced Gillespie with his son-in-law, Chad Kreuter, to… Read more »
OK, in 3 of 4 losing seasons, and you know MG was all about winning (and we feel strongly Jen is the same way). So It wasn’t difficult to figure the baseball program was slipping. If anyone had a problem with this decision, then how many more seasons should MG have waited on Gillespie? What if the losing had continued? Those same people would have complained MG didn’t care about the baseball program? I could see that scenario coming about for sure. MG treated most all the USC sports programs pretty much the same…. If I don’t see improvement, you… Read more »
Mike was a very controversial figure at USC because of how he handled people, not necessarily because of his decision making. I literally knew people in the USC athletic department who would actually cross the street to the other side rather than encounter him.
To his credit, nobody wanted to win more than Garrett. But he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way which was unnecessary and unfortunate.
I think Swann hired Gill, which would be typical for his tenure at USC. Bohn hired Stank
I stand corrected. Thanks for the info. I thought it was Bohn
Thanks Spanky! Among the deluge of congratulations that old school, unpretentious Andy Stankiewicz fielded after his USC baseball team’s long-awaited breakthrough was a text message that said it all. “Just like the good old days,” read the note from Justin Dedeaux, son of legendary Trojans coach Rod Dedeaux. Stankiewicz spent two summers playing for USC NC-winning coach Mike Gillespie with the North Pole Nicks of the Alaska Baseball League. “It was a chess game for him, and I began to really understand, like, how can I create an edge as a player against an opponent?” said Stankiewicz, a grinder of… Read more »
Let’s go USC Hoosiers!!!!!
JR SS Dean Carpentier hits a grand slam (first of his career) to give USC a 6-5 lead over the Tar Heels in the top of the sixth.
Update: USC wins 9-5.
The Trojans have outscored opponents 64-19 during their unexpected five-game NCAA tourney sprint to success.
Are we the hottest team in college baseball? Another win tomorrow at 11 a.m. PT (ESPN) puts USC in the CWS.
Bring – It – On!
Talk about things changing…..the Chicago Bears Board of Directors on June 4 voted to move the team to a new stadium in Indiana. Of course the stadium needs to be built but the state of Indiana has already approved the funding for the stadium and a site has been selected. . Arlington (the Bears desired site in Illinois) still has an outside chance but the governor of Illinois has already stated that he can’t see giving a billionaire family like the McCaskey’s tax benefits for the move. Which probably kills the Illinois deal. Indiana is providing one billion dollars for… Read more »
ESPN — Indiana Gov. Mike Braun issued a statement Friday welcoming the Bears to the “great state” of Indiana. “We look forward to building a partnership as strong as the ’85 Bears defense, creating opportunities and economic growth that will benefit our state and the Bears organization for decades to come,” a portion of Braun’s statement read. “An NFL franchise in Northwest Indiana will be an economic boost to the entire region like we haven’t seen before.” The Bears current lease at Soldier Field — the stadium where they play but which is owned by the City of Chicago —… Read more »
OK…..to clarify……the Bears are on the hook for 90 million for breaking their lease early. They have already stated they are leaving as soon as a new stadium is ready. All of the other cost is on the City of Chicago and State of Illinois concerning the remodel that occurred in the early 2000’s. Indiana is discussing helping them pay the 90 mill. Even so……once the Bears move to Hammond they get control of ALL revenue on game days. That includes parking, food etc that is currently taken by the city of Chicago. So….the 90 million is chump change. Bears… Read more »
Good for Indiana!
Now that the Hoosiers have claimed the headlines from the Fighting Irish (who ever thought that would or ever could happen?), why not get the Bears, now led by the amazing Caleb Williams, into the evolution of Indiana sports — specifically the border town of Hammond, Ind, 27 miles from Soldier Field where the Bears have played full-time since 1971.
Chicago and the city of Chicago are in a neck-and-neck competition with Cali and the city of Los Angeles as to who can be the worst governed city and state in the US.
Not surprising that the Bears will want to move.
Agree…..At least LA has the weather…..as you may know, major HQ’s are leaving the city in good order as they come to understand that the programs and pensions have to be paid by someone and that someone is them. Apologies to anyone from Chicago…..I was born in the area and it’s a great city that is in the hands of some folks that are intent on doing harm…..intentionally or otherwise.
Chicago has themselves to blame, by electing buffoons like JB Pritzker and Brandon Johnson. They establish a terrible business climate, and then they wonder why companies leave. Illinois- the state where ex- governors make your license plates.
And how about Coach Stank and his players!
I agree. Pritzker and Johnson were not appointed. They were voted in. The people of Chicago have nobody to blame but themselves.
Let’s not get crazy here…..only 4 governors have gone to jail in the past 50 years…….LOL…..and never forget they had a governor try to auction off a US senate seat. I keep waiting for the movie. I used to have a friend who was somewhat connected in Illinois……I asked him one day why we still have toll booths on the Illinois toll roads when the bonds were paid off decades ago…..he grinned and responded……where else could I get all my cousins a job paying what they make for making change. Illinois is in a special place when it comes to… Read more »
I really don’t know much about Illinois at all, except all the bad stuff I always see on the news.
Since you’re the resident authority on the matter, when you say it’s a “special place when it comes to government,” can you take the gloves off and go into any more detail? I would consider it very educational.
If you want to have some fun there are lots of books about the mess. Dick Simpson wrote a book titled……Corrupt Illinois….that goes thru some of the stuff. It was written in 2015 but nothing has changed. As I stated earlier, 4 governors in about 50 years have gone to jail. One simple update to the Simpson book…..in 2025…..Michael Madigan who was the longest serving state representative in the history of the US and was the speaker of the Illinois House……yep…..you guessed it……sentenced to 7 !/2 years for corruption by a federal judge. Bribery, wire fraud, racketeering….10 felony counts. It’s… Read more »
Do you have an opinion about why Illinois is like this? Is there something about the culture than allows, or even promotes it?
You’d think people would get sick of it, but people say that about Calif too, and nothing ever changes.
I guess the questions you asked are great bar room topics. First I’ll state I am uneducated concerning this topic….my opinions are just that…..as valuable as the water flowing in the sink. IMO corruption exists just about everywhere. It’s the human condition. Most government has corruption. Illinois and Cal get the press because they fit the narrative. Big city machine ethnic minority politics. IMO Texas is as corrupt as Illinois, yet very few mention it. Does not fit the narrative. If you have a few minutes one day enjoy reading about how LBJ won his first senate election in Texas.… Read more »
Liberals will never change. Talk to a lib about why socialism and communism has never worked anywhere. They will tell you that it just wasn’t done right. Tweak it so that it is done right and it will bring paradise to that city or state or country. That’s actually an advantage for the conservatives. All the libs have to do to win is move back towards the center. But they can’t. They just keep going to the left until they are saying silly things like a man can have a baby and there are not 2 genders but 50-100 and… Read more »
Illinois’ Bret Bielema Tells Notre Dame to ‘Just Join a Conference’ After AD’s Comments
Bielema on X — “Some guys really like to talk about something that could happen and who they might play…. Actually it’s pretty easy just join a conference.”
Andy Staples — “Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua, who used to run NBC Sports, tells senators that the best way to make the most money from TV rights is a super league.
“Then he says he doesn’t want a super league.”
x.com
Bret sounds like he is representing a bunch of BIG coaches who are disgusted. ND plays the sisters of the poor and then claims a playoff spot if they end up top 12. Meanwhile the BIG teams play a blistering schedule in most cases and are fighting for the top 3 in the best conference. Come on ND….times are changing…..it’s time to play USC every year and join the BIG. The cash being created in the BIG supersedes even your deal with NBC by a ton…..and a few late night games will not kill you. Imagine a TV deal for… Read more »
I can see ND joining a conference, but I bet it will be the ACC where they can dominate in football. The B1G will be just too much work.
I think ND would lose too much stature by joining the ACC, which will never be viewed on a par with the B1G and the SEC in football. JMHO. ND is addicted to its place in CFB as an independent, and the only one in that class that has ever been truly dominant. It separates the Irish from everyone else, just like they like it. The ACC would be a come down, though I sure would love that move if I were the ACC. ND would be viewed as being afraid of the B1G if they joined the ACC, which… Read more »
90 degrees, sunny, light breeze in Chapel Hill tomorrow. Gotta be better than freezing rain at Northwestern in March. Despite their record on the road this team shouldn’t be fazed by it. Couldn’t resist some stats:
Team batting average UNC .294 USC .282
Team ERA USC 3.48 UNC 3.85
RPI UNC 4 USC 9
Looks pretty evenly matched, could be some good games.
This Tar Heel Super Regional series is gonna tell USC a lot about where it really stands.
Actually getting back to the College World Series in Omaha where we dominated like no other for many years is what it’s really all about for a program like SC.
We’ve been dying in the desert for a long time and Stanky has us back to national respectability and outright swag territory if he can get this team past the #5 seed Tar Heels on the other side of the U.S.
As you’ve said, it’s a crazy sport. So let’s make it crazier!