USC ace Caden Aoki enters transfer portal

It is something that needs to be fixed in all college sports. For baseball, the transfer portal is now open during the NCAA baseball tournament itself. While USC has already been eliminated, the fact that teams compete for a deep run to Omaha will also have their players potentially entering the portal at the same time, which is not something that should be happening during postseason play.

That specifically will not apply to the Trojans, however, as they lost their second game in the Corvallis Regional to Oregon State on Monday. Since then, USC pitcher Caden Aoki has applied for an additional year of eligibility from the NCAA.

Aoki was given it and will be able to compete at the collegiate level during the next year's 2026 season. In doing so, he has also entered the transfer portal, as shared by D1Baseball's Kendall Rogers on X.

The timing aspect does not apply to this scenario at all. USC had already been eliminated and saw their season come to an end. It is hard to picture Aoki in any other uniform than in the Cardinal and Gold.

It is not uncommon, though, for players to spend their first four years as a player at one place and then go to one last landing spot, depending on what ends up being granted by the NCAA or not. Regardless of the reason, Aoki gave it his all while at USC.

Consistent, professional approach while at USC

In terms of his skill set, Aoki is someone who has full control at the mound. Able to dictate terms, he just knows how to get batters out. Someone with a ton of composure and gamesmanship, he was a true competitor for USC.

Now looking to go somewhere else for his last collegiate season, Aoki will be a great addition for any pitching staff in the nation.