USC baseball signs head coach Andy Stankiewicz to contract extension through 2030 season
Stankiewicz just led USC baseball to their best campaign in nearly two decades. The Trojans qualified for their first NCAA Tournament since 2015 and made it to the final of the Corvallis regional, where they fell to Oregon State in the decisive seventh game.
If USC wants to make it back to the NCAA Tournament in 2026, they will have to do so without their two best players from this past season. Two-way sensation Ethan Hedges was drafted in the third round of the MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies and signed with the team, while star pitcher Caden Aoki transferred to Georgia for his final year of eligibility.
While Hedges and Aoki will be tough to replace, however, the Trojans should return many key players from their NCAA Tournament run. In addition, after two years without an on-campus stadium, USC should finally be able to begin playing at the new Dedeaux Field next spring.
In recent years, the storied USC baseball program seemed to have lost its way a bit. But with Stankiewicz at the helm for years to come, the future for the Trojans appears to be trending upward.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
USC Receives Clear Message from Highly Touted Recruit as Battle with Oregon Heats Up
USC Receives Clear Message from Highly Touted Recruit as Battle with Oregon Heats Up originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The USC Trojans have already been dominant when it comes to the 2026 recruiting class, landing a total of 32 commits (second-most in the nation), while ranking No. 1 in the nation, per Rivals. However, they've quickly turned a lot of focus onto players within the 2027 class, which includes wide receiver Damani Warren, who, when talking to Rivals' Adam Gorney, revealed what it would be like to play for the nine-time national champions. 'Me growing up in California, I've always been a USC Trojan fan,' Warren said. 'My whole family and I grew up as Trojan fans so it's nice to have them recruiting me. USC is doing a great job recruiting me... That's always been a dream so it could be a dream come true if everything falls into place." Oregon Poses A Real Threat to USC If the Trojans do want to come out on top, though, they'd need to beat out the Oregon Ducks, who have already hosted Warren for two unofficial visits and, according to the wide receiver, have stood out. "Oregon did a great job recruiting me,' Warren said. 'They were the first school ever since my freshman year when I was picking up offers to really recruit me hard and they started recruiting me very hard this last offseason... They told me I was No. 1 on their board so they were recruiting me really hard and they still are.' As he gets set to enter his junior year of high school, Warren still has plenty of time before making a decision, but it's clear he's already garnered a lot of interest, which will likely only intensify as other teams enter the mix. How Does Warren Stack Up As a Recruit? It's no surprise to see a battle between these two juggernauts already forming, as Rivals Industry Rankings place him as a four-star recruit, the No. 16 wide receiver, the No. 2 player in Nevada and the No. 70 player in the nation. Last season for Arbor View High School, he put up some productive numbers, appearing in nine games, while hauling in 35 receptions for 584 yards and five touchdowns. Does Oregon or USC Have Better Wide Receiver Development? Of course, for many recruits, college football is seen as a stepping stone to hopefully making the NFL, meaning that picking a program that has a proven track record of strong development could be key for Warren. Since 2016, the Ducks have had three wide receivers selected in the NFL draft, including Tez Johnson (2025 seventh-rounder), Troy Franklin (2024 fourth-rounder) and Dillon Mitchell (2019 seventh-rounder). In that same timespan, the Trojans have had seven with Brenden Rice (2024 seventh-rounder), Tahj Washington (2024 seventh-rounder), Jordan Addison (2023 first-rounder), Drake London (2022 first-rounder), Amon-Ra St. Brown (2021 fourth-rounder), Michael Pittman Jr. (2020 second-rounder) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (2017 second-rounder).This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
Former USC RB Raleek Brown earns new chance with 2024 playoff team
Three years ago, Raleek Brown looked like the future of USC's running back room. A highly-rated local recruit, Brown had more than 400 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns as a true freshman in 2022, and looked poised to play an even bigger role in the years to come. Entering his sophomore season, however, USC's coaching staff wanted to switch Brown from running back to wide receiver. This frustrated Brown, and he instead elected to redshirt in 2023 and transfer. Brown transferred to Arizona State ahead of the 2024 season. Although the Sun Devils won the Big 12 and made it to the College Football Playoff last year, however, a hamstring injury forced Brown to miss the vast majority of the season. Now, he is back with the team and looking to earn more playing time in 2025. In a recent feature, Michelle Gardner of AZ Central discussed Brown's journey and his new role with the Sun Devils this fall. '[Brown] looks like he will be the Sun Devils' primary kick return specialist come Aug. 30 when the Sun Devils face Northern Arizona in the season opener at Mountain America Stadium,' Gardner wrote. 'Few in the ASU camp are more excited than Brown about that season opener. In 2024, he was limited to nine carries in two games due to a hamstring issue that began early in fall camp, then was aggravated when he tried to play a month later. He redshirted in 2023 at USC before coming to ASU, so it has been two years since he got to experience that game-day feeling. Brown watched from the sideline as the Sun Devils soared to a Big 12 championship and berth in the Peach Bowl. He was happy to be part of the team, but felt like he was missing out by not being able to participate. ''I've been thinking about this, dreaming about this," Brown said. "It's all I can think about, being out there in that first game. Every day I think about it.'' Brown is one of a number of decorated recruits to sign with USC under Lincoln Riley and transfer out within two years. While each player obviously had his own unique reasons for leaving, the Trojans will need to do a better job retaining talent moving forward.
Newsweek
7 hours ago
- Newsweek
Michigan State, Tom Izzo Get Major Recruiting Update on 4-Star Big
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Michigan State Spartans and head coach Tom Izzo were good last season, but they didn't have quite enough talent to make a Final Four run in the NCAA Tournament. When all was said and done for the 2024-25 college basketball season, the Spartans finished with a 30-7 overall record that included a 17-3 record in Big Ten play. They entered the tournament as a No. 2 seed. In the tournament, Michigan State defeated No. 15 Bryant in the first round, No. 10 New Mexico in the second, and No. 6 Ole Miss in the Sweet 16. Unfortunately, they fell to the No. 1-seeded Auburn Tigers in the Elite Eight. Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans looks on against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first half at Williams Arena on February 06, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans looks on against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first half at Williams Arena on February 06, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Photo byBringing in more talent is a must for the Spartans to make a deeper run. Izzo has always been a top recruiting head coach and that hasn't changed. Read more: Duke, Jon Scheyer Won't Be Thrilled With Latest 2025-26 Ranking On Sunday, Michigan State received a big update regarding four-star 2026 power forward Quinn Costello. As shared by Joe Tipton of Rivals, Costello has narrowed down his list of potential schools to six teams. One of those teams is the Spartans. They will be battling with the Michigan Wolverines, Texas Longhorns, North Carolina Tar Heels, Purdue Boilermakers, and Minnesota Golden Gophers to land his commitment. According to 247 Sports, Costello is ranked as the No. 11 power forward in the 2026 recruiting class. He is also ranked as the No. 70 overall player in the country. Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, Costello stands in at 6-foot-10 and 195 pounds. He has attended The New School and is one of the most sought after recruits currently available in the 2026 class. While there are five other schools competing for his services, Izzo's presence gives Michigan State a fighting chance. Read more: Tom Izzo, Michigan State Receive Head-Turning 2025-26 Prediction It will be interesting to see if the Spartans are able to secure a commitment from him. Should they be able to do so, he would instantly become a big part of the future for Michigan State's basketball program. Expect to hear more about Costello's recruiting market and a potential decision date in the fairly near future. For now, all fans can do is to wait and see what he chooses to do and which team he ultimately picks. For more Michigan State Spartans and college basketball news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
