USC head coach Andy Stankiewicz discusses the Trojans' NCAA Tournament berth

USA Today

27-05-2025

On Monday, it was announced that USC baseball is officially headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 10 years. The Trojans will be the No. 3 seed in the Corvallis Regional, where they will join top-seeded Oregon State, No. 2 seed TCU, and No. 3 seed Saint Mary's. USC's first game will be against TCU, but the path is likely to go through former Pac-12 foe Oregon State if the Trojans want a spot in the NCAA Super Regionals in June.
Making the tournament represents the first step in head coach Andy Stankiewicz's effort to return the Trojans to national prominence. After narrowly missing the field in each of Stankiewicz's first two seasons, USC finally broke through in Year 3.
Following the news, USC posted a clip to social media featuring Stankiewicz's initial reaction to his team's inclusion in the field.
"Excited and proud of this ball club," Staniewicz said. "We haven't had a home for two years. But just proud of the boys.
"It's USC. We feel like it's a big step as we move the program forward . . . big challenge in front of us, but we're excited.
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"It's gonna be an interesting weekend [in Corvallis]. But if we play our game . . . I think we can be competitive. It's just a matter of us settling—just relaxing, slow heartbeat, and playing good Trojan baseball. And if we do, I think we'll be ready."
The Trojans will open tournament play on Friday at noon against TCU. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU and ESPN+.