It was a more-than-forgettable weekend for No. 23 USC baseball after suffering a three-game sweep in Lincoln against No. 20 Nebraska. The Trojans have plenty to address over the final 15 games of the regular season after losing eight of their last 11 games.
Misfortunes piled on as the weekend progressed, with a bullpen collapse defining Friday night’s series opener. USC had a 7-2 lead through seven innings before Nebraska scored three times in the bottom of the eighth and twice in the ninth to tie the game. The Cornhuskers then walked it off in the 10th, courtesy of a bunt from junior center fielder Mac Moyer. USC junior left-handed pitcher Sax Matson fielded the bunt, sailing the throw over the head of junior first baseman Adrian Lopez, which allowed second baseman Rhett Stokes to score from second base, sealing the 8-7 comeback victory for the Cornhuskers.
USC’s bullpen spoiled what would have been another gem from junior left-hander Mason Edwards, allowing six runs (five earned) over two innings in the loss. Edwards made it through the first seven innings of the evening, allowing just two runs and striking out 12. Edwards has now tallied double-digit strikeouts in eight of his 10 starts this season.
Saturday afternoon’s battle was a much more lopsided affair, with the Trojans falling in a 12-2 mercy-rule loss. The Cornhuskers boasted a relentless attack at the plate. They put seven runs on the board through three innings and took a 10-0 lead by the end of the sixth. Sophomore right-hander Grant Govel had his shortest start of the season, lasting just three innings, conceding seven runs on eight hits. He fell to 7-1, suffering his first loss.
Junior first baseman Case Sanderson and freshman right fielder Drew Grego led the way at the dish for Nebraska, combining for seven RBIs. Each of them blasted home runs, with Grego in particular hitting two solo shots in the third inning alone. It was eventually junior catcher Trey Fikes who slapped the game-ending single to left in the seventh, scoring Moyer to bring the mercy rule into effect.
When it rains, it pours. Nebraska triumphed over USC on Sunday to win the series finale. The Trojans lost in mercy-rule fashion for the second consecutive day, taking a 16-6 loss after eight innings. Despite claiming momentum early this time around, the Trojans could not hang on.
They held an advantage through the first two innings, largely courtesy of back-to-back blasts in the second from junior center fielder Kevin Takeuchi and sophomore designated hitter Augie Lopez. Takeuchi’s home run – a three-run shot – was his third of the year, making it a 4-2 score. Lopez stepped up and hit a solo shot to make it 5-2. In the fifth inning, Lopez hit a second home run of the game in the fifth inning – his 13th of the season.
However, a run-scoring barrage from the Cornhuskers across the fourth, fifth and sixth innings completely flipped the script and left the Trojans in the rearview mirror. A 15-6 deficit towered over them after six innings, with their pitching staff at the center of their sluggish day.
Sophomore right-hander Andrew Johnson made his tenth start, allowing seven runs (six earned) across three innings on eight hits. He fell to 3-2 on the season, matching his shortest outing thus far and raising his ERA to 4.53. Together, Lauridsen and Matson allowed four more runs across two innings in relief.
Right-handed redshirt sophomore Chase Herrel lasted only a third of an inning behind them. He allowed two hits, including a sixth-inning grand slam off the bat of Grego, who smoked his third home run of the series and seventh this season. It took the Trojans six total relief pitchers to reach the finish line, allowing freshman right-hander Rohan Kasanagottu to make his first appearance since March 11.
Sanderson officially put the series to bed in the eighth inning, slapping a single down the left field line against USC right-handed freshman Cameron Fausset. Moyer scored to make it 16-6.
In a series where USC plated 15 total runs, the offense was not the problem. The more alarming red flag is the regression of a pitching unit that came into the series ranked fifth in ERA (3.39), second in shutouts (6), seventh in WHIP (1.19) and second in hits per nine innings (6.65). Their historic 19-0 start to the season was due in large part to the dominance and consistency of the group.
They’ll have to re-center themselves rapidly, with their Big Ten Tournament implications in the balance down the final stretch of the season. With nine games and three series remaining against conference opponents (Purdue, Rutgers and Oregon), USC will need to maximize every single one of those opportunities.
The top four seeds will enjoy a first-round bye, while seeds five through 12 must play in a 10-game, double-elimination bracket. Only the four winning teams advance to a seven-game, single-elimination bracket, joined by the top four seeds. The Trojans are currently fifth in the conference.
Amongst a group that holds true threats such as No. 1 UCLA and No. 19 Oregon, claiming a top seed amongst them is vital. Having to grind out a 10-game bracket first would simply be a daunting task for a Trojans unit that has not looked like its previously dominant self. The next month will serve as a major gut-check as aspirations of a title hinge on every pitch.
USC visits Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday, April 21, for a one-game battle, looking to reverse its momentum and kickstart a strong close to the 2026 campaign. The Titans are no pushover at 19-19, but they head into the game having lost two of three this past weekend to No. 6 Oregon State.
Both starting pitchers are still to be determined with first pitch set for 6 p.m.