Former USC star pitcher Caden Aoki commits to Georgia
Last week, USC baseball ace Caden Aoki made headlines when he surprisingly announced his intention to enter the transfer portal. On Monday, Aoki made his new home official: He will play for the Georgia Bulldogs in 2026.
After spending his freshman year at Notre Dame in 2022, Aoki transferred to USC prior to the 2023 season. He emerged as the Trojans' top starting pitcher over the better part of the past three seasons. In 2025, he went 6-4 with a 3.99 ERA.
However, it was the NCAA Tournament where Aoki forever etched himself into Trojans lore. In USC's tournament opener against TCU, Aoki allowed just one run over eight innings, throwing 114 pitches. For his performance, he was named to the all-Corvallis Regional team.
Despite being a senior this past season, Aoki was granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA. However, it appears he will spend that year in Athens, Georgia, rather than in Los Angeles.
USC's lacked significant pitching depth behind Aoki in 2025. The Trojans will need to improve on that front next year if they want to have any chance of making it further in the postseason.
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