USC Trojans Baseball: A Perfect Start
The USC Trojans baseball team is off to an impressive start, now sitting at 7-0 after a solid 4-2 victory over Rice at Dedeaux Field. This marks their best start since 2015, when they opened with a 12-0 streak and advanced to an NCAA Regional. Meanwhile, Rice drops to 3-5 with the loss.
Andrew Johnson was the man of the hour on the mound, grinding through five innings and holding Rice to just one run on four hits. The second inning saw him concede his only run, but he showcased resilience in the fourth.
Faced with a bases-loaded, no-out situation, Johnson struck out two batters and forced a popup, preserving USC's 4-1 lead. His performance was highlighted by a career-high six strikeouts.
Offensively, Augie Lopez was the driving force, contributing three of the Trojans' four runs. He launched a two-run homer in the first inning and added an RBI single in the third. USC tacked on another run with a groundout in the same inning, thanks to Abbrie Covarrubias, who also had two hits and scored twice.
The Owls made a push in the eighth inning, loading the bases with one out. However, Sax Matson stepped up, needing just two pitches to induce a pair of groundouts, limiting Rice to one run and maintaining a 4-2 lead.
In the ninth, Adam Troy took over after Matson secured the first out. Troy efficiently closed the game with a flyout and a strikeout, marking his fourth save of the season. Newcomers Rohan Kasanagottu and Diego Velazquez also made their collegiate debuts on the mound, each delivering a scoreless inning in the sixth and seventh, respectively.
Looking Ahead
The Trojans are set to face Cal Poly in a four-game series starting Thursday in San Luis Obispo. Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+.