6-4 win over St. Mary's leaves USC 1 away from advancing to Super Regionals

It was an incredible late game in the Corvallis Regional. There were five home runs in total between USC and St. Mary's (CA). After a small back-and-forth affair, the Trojans emerged with their second NCAA baseball tournament win and third straight from the Big Ten tournament.

At this point, all coach Andy Stankiewicz's ball club is worried about is making it through to the next stage of the postseason. How it happens during the game itself is less of a concern. Although, as the final 6-4 score indicates, USC is starting to hit the ball at the rate that they were when they went on their midseason run.

Their +14 differential came in large part due to that first game against TCU. Even so, to see Ethan Hedges homer twice in one outing shows what this offense can always put up on the board. Augie Lopez also grabbed a solo HR for the Trojans. 

Richard Tajeda continued his hot streak with an RBI single. Maximo Martinez tacked on an insurance run as the designated hitter that allowed Kade Higgins to come home.

The pitching staff did enough to get the job done on the day. Mason Edwards and Brodie Purcell set the stage for Caden Hunter to help give USC the final out at the top of the eighth and then saw the final three outs through in the ninth.

Unknown opponent will not phase USC

Coach Stankiewicz knows what this team can do and has seen what the Trojan players are doing behind the scenes to put themselves in the best position possible to see through more wins. While they have to now wait for the winner of St. Mary's and Oregon State, there is plenty of reason to believe that USC will be able to take advantage of being the only team without a loss in the region.

In either event, USC will take the field again on Sunday, May 1st, at 7 p.m. PT against either the Gaels or Beavers.