Players and fans of USC baseball shared mixed emotions following the release of the 2024 season schedule, which features zero home games on USC grounds.
The Trojans will play their home games away from home for the entirety of the 2024 season as Dedeaux Field undergoes major restoration. USC President Carol Folt’s “moonshot” program includes plans to improve USC athletics programs through a series of investments, driven by an emphasis on innovation, gender equity and world-class facilities.
USC Athletics reports that renovations to Dedeaux Field will include a new capacity of up to 2,500, indoor hospitality services, outdoor social spaces, and a video and audio system.
The team announced Monday that USC will host most of their home games at the Orange County Great Park baseball stadium in Irvine. This stadium seats 1,300 fans and can accommodate an additional 1,000 spectators in the outfield grass.
The Trojans will also play three midweek home games at LMU’s Page Stadium and host Oregon State for a three-game series at UC Irvine’s Cicerone Field. According to USC athletics, all home games will be free and open to the public.
Some USC fans are disappointed with the schedule changes. Bennet Patterson, a sophomore studying communications, said he worries that the team will suffer without a proper home-field advantage. He says the absence of an energetic environment may hinder the team’s performance.
“It kind of sucks that they’re not on campus,” Patterson said. “A sport like baseball doesn’t have as much recognition in the NCAA or at USC. I feel it’s definitely hard to fill out stands and that’s just kind of annoying.”
Construction on the field began over winter break, following the annual baseball alumni game and the Cardinal vs Gold intrasquad scrimmage series. The Trojans have been practicing at El Camino College in Torrance since the beginning of the spring semester.
The drive down to the temporary home stadium in Irvine is about 50 miles from USC, which could take up to two hours in rush-hour traffic. USC catcher Connor Clift says that the team will stay overnight for the series in Orange County.
“We have a job to do,” Clift said. “Not one person has complained about having to go off-site to practice or play games. We have a goal we have to reach, and in order to get there we still have to do the work necessary, at a very high level. Getting on a bus doesn’t change that.”
Although traveling could pose a challenge, it may be a blessing in disguise for the four players from the San Diego area and 13 players from Orange County on USC’s roster. Families will be in closer proximity to USC’s home games while they play at Irvine.
“It is always good to be surrounded by and playing in front of family and friends. But it’s not just about us, it’s about all of us and completing what we set out to accomplish,” Clift said. “We have so many alumni in Orange County that every time we play down there the Trojan family fills it up.”
USC’s schedule is not just going to be difficult because of the extra traveling, but also because of the quality of their opponents. They will be facing 10 top teams that competed in last year’s NCAA tournament. Four of their opponents are currently ranked in D1Baseball’s preseason poll, two of which are in the Pac-12 (No. 7 Oregon State and No. 22 UCLA).
Head Coach Andy Stankiewicz led the Trojans to a massive resurgence last season, winning 34 games in his first year as head coach after coming from Grand Canyon University. It was the Trojan’s best season since 2015.
After narrowly missing out on the NCAA tournament last season, USC baseball faces a new challenge – without a home field, they are taking this season on the road.