After a key sweep of Minnesota, and a shutout win against CSUN, USC turns its attention to a crucial crosstown showdown against UCLA at Great Park this weekend.
The two teams faced off once earlier this season, with UCLA defeating USC 5-1 on March 2. Bruin sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky powered the win, blasting two home runs and driving in four runs. Despite outhitting UCLA 10-7, USC failed to capitalize on its chances.
A lot has changed since that meeting.
That March 2 loss was the start of a six-game losing streak for the Trojans, but they held strong and have kept pace with UCLA, posting a 21-12 record since. The Trojans enter this weekend riding a seven-game winning streak. Meanwhile, UCLA has gone 24-8 during that stretch and has looked every bit of its strong record.
This weekend marks USC’s first full series against a ranked opponent since it was swept by Oregon the weekend of March 7-9. On the other side, UCLA has remained battle-tested, recently facing a tough slate that included No. 6 Oregon State, No. 7 Oregon and No. 8 UC Irvine.
Both teams have shown some vulnerability against ranked opponents. Away from Jackie Robinson Stadium, UCLA has been shaky with a 7-5 road record, while USC is 14-8 at home.
Despite injuries that have decimated its pitching staff, USC has compiled an impressive 30-14 record, its third straight 30-win season for the first time since 2002. Junior right-handed pitcher Michael Ebner, who pitched against UCLA on March 2, has been sidelined, along with sophomore right-hander Garren Rizzo, who was off to a promising start before undergoing Tommy John surgery after a March 11 injury against Cal State Fullerton.
On the mound, USC is expected to hand the ball to junior left-hander Caden Hunter on Friday and senior right-hander Caden Aoki on Saturday. After an incredible start to the season, Hunter has struggled in recent outings, giving up three or more earned runs in five of his last six starts. His last appearance was his shortest of the season, failing to get out of the second inning. Conversely, Aoki is coming off a dominant complete-game performance, allowing just one run on two hits against Minnesota.
UCLA will likely counter with redshirt junior lefty Ian May, junior right-hander Michael Barnett and sophomore righty Landon Stump.
USC, who is 14-7 in Big Ten play, has a chance to surpass second-place UCLA, who sits at 16-5 in the conference. A sweep would move the Trojans into second behind Iowa and match the Bruins’ overall record.
At the plate, both teams bring hot bats into the series. Cholowsky has homered in three of his last four games for UCLA, helping the Bruins complete a sweep of Penn State and pushing his season total to 16 home runs. Sophomore outfielder Dean West has also been red hot for the Bruins, hitting safely in 19 of his last 20 games.
For USC, sophomore infielder Adrian Lopez has been right in the middle of the action, hitting .425 over his last 10 games while driving in 16 runs during that span. USC sophomore Andrew Lamb, who was not a factor early in the season, has been a pleasant surprise for the Trojans and recorded a hit in every start he has made this year while batting .409 in 14 starts.
USC’s bullpen, a weak spot earlier in the year, has turned a corner. The Trojans have held opponents to two runs or fewer in five of their last six games, including most recently pitching a shutout.
Sophomore righty Brodie Purcell has blossomed into the closer’s role, not allowing an earned run since March 28 at Michigan. Freshman right-handed pitcher Andrew Johnson has also picked up a lot of the slack, throwing 11.1 innings over his last three appearances while allowing only one run. Johnson has fared much better in conference play, posting a 2.65 ERA, nearly two runs lower than his overall ERA, albeit in a smaller sample size.
Scoring will be at a premium: USC is 2–7 when scoring fewer than four runs, while UCLA is 1–10 in those contests.
Since the turn of the century, UCLA has had the edge in the rivalry, winning the last three meetings and leading the series 53-43 during that span.
The stage is set for a pivotal series that will have major postseason implications for both teams.