USC baseball ace Caden Aoki granted extra year of eligibility, enters transfer portal
On Monday, USC baseball's season came to an end in the NCAA Tournament. After making their first postseason appearance in 10 years, the Trojans fell to Oregon State in the final of the Corvallis Regional.
On Wednesday, the Trojans got more tough news when it was reported that their top pitcher, Caden Aoki, will be entering the transfer portal. Aoki was a senior this past season, but was granted an additional season of eligibility by the NCAA. However, it now appears as though he will spend that season elsewhere.
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.
While the Trojans were likely expecting to lose Aoki anyway, seeing him hit the transfer portal would be a tough loss. Given that USC lacked pitching depth behind Aoki in 2025, it will be critical that head coach Andy Stankiewicz address the position this offseason.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
What John Mateer's Venmo history means for Oklahoma Sooners
Late Monday night, social media started to buzz around John Mateer's public Venmo history. On one payment it says "Sports gambling (UCLA vs USC)" from November of 2022. What does this mean for Oklahoma and its new quarterback? Watch here as George Stoia III joins Andy from On3's SoonerScoop website to breakdown the latest. Will anything come of this? 0:00 Intro 0:54 George Stoia Joins 2:33 John Mateer and his Venmo account 12:50 Rhoback 14:04 What happens next at OU? George's story here:
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hear from Iowa City West defensive back AJ Hodge during Iowa high school football preseason
Iowa City West defensive back AJ Hodge is a vocal competitor for the Trojans. Hodge is the son of Iowa football tight ends and fullbacks coach Abdul Hodge.
Chicago Tribune
10 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Michael Osipoff's top 10 boys soccer teams and 25 players to watch in Northwest Indiana for the 2025 season
Featuring Cal Stuckert, Chesterton may be the team to beat in the Duneland Athletic Conference again. 1. Chesterton (11-4-2): The Trojans, who have won at least a share of the Duneland Athletic Conference title for seven straight years, open this season atop a crowded field. Senior forward Cal Stuckert (23 goals, 3 assists) stars. Senior forward Zarek Sierazy (10 goals, 10 assists) is another productive player. Senior goalkeeper Elliott McEvoy and senior defender Nate Kitchel also return, and the Trojans add senior Danny Lule, a transfer from Portage, among their newcomers. 2. Crown Point (13-4-2): Senior midfielder Nate Townsend and junior Oliver Brewer, perhaps the area's top goalkeeper, headline the Bulldogs. Sophomore defender/midfielder Kane Estrada joins the team after transferring from Portage. Sophomore Maksim Tasevski could help offensively after switching to forward from defense during club season. The Bulldogs lost their top three scorers, including star midfielder Brayden Kurtz and forward Landyn Hoyhtya to academy teams. 3. Lake Central (7-6-3): The Indians are in the mix among the elite every season. They should have a formidable midfield with seniors George Karabatsos (12 goals, 5 assists) and David Dorneanu, and Ethan Tarry also made a significant impact as a freshman. 4. Valparaiso (11-10): The Vikings look to continue their momentum after winning their first sectional title since 2012. Senior defender/midfielder Jack Luth (8 goals, 12 assists) leads the way. Junior midfielder Noah Barnett (2 goals, 11 assists) also is back. Senior goalkeeper Zach Bayer, sophomore forward Patrick Klimek and junior midfielder Nasser Ali also are among their returnees. They lost standout forward Will Donley (23 goals, 9 assists) to academy ball. 5. Munster (14-4-1): The Mustangs, perennial Northwest Crossroads Conference champions, won a sectional title last year for the first time since 2021. They graduated a large and talented senior class, including midfielder Nikola Dimitrijevic (24 goals, 6 assists), but typically reload. Senior midfielder/forward Lucas Ferguson is among the returnees. 6. Bishop Noll (12-5-1): There's an unmistakable buzz surrounding the Warriors, who shared the Greater South Shore Conference title last season. Junior forward/midfielder Joaquin Rosas (18 goals) broke out, and senior forward Alfonso Leon (22 goals in 2023) returns after missing last season following a sophomore season in which he led the team in scoring. Sophomore midfielders Lino Melero and Kevin Bogarin also are among their returnees, as is senior defender Adrian Luna. 7. Illiana Christian (14-3-2): Expectations are high once again for the Vikings, who have won back-to-back sectional titles and shared the GSSC title for their fourth straight. Senior midfielder Josh Carter (8 goals, 12 assists) should be their key player again. Senior defender Noah Davids (7 goals, 2 assists) also returns, as do senior forward Grant Terpstra (9 goals, 5 assists), senior midfielder Lucas Terpstra and junior goalkeeper Aidan Drost, part of an experienced group that includes 10 seniors. 8. Hanover Central (12-4-1): The Wildcats are another team with high expectations. Among 10 returning starters are eight seniors. The dynamic duo of senior midfielder Logan Zilz (3 goals, 10 assists) and senior forward Kyle Otworowski (21 goals, 9 assists) lead the list; Otworowski is out with a knee injury, but there's hope he can come back by the end of the season. Also among their returnees are senior midfielder Owen Furman, senior defender Evan Brooks, senior goalkeeper Tyler Burroughs and junior midfielder Aldo Desiderio (9 goals, 3 assists). 9. Wheeler (11-6-2): Senior midfielder Harper Schaberg (9 goals, 7 assists) should be the focal point for the Bearcats, who have won three straight sectional titles. Junior defender Leo Vega and senior forward/midfielder Tyne Vettickal (7 goals) also return. 10. Hobart (6-7-2): The Brickies suffered several significant injuries last season, forcing younger players into action. Now they're an experienced team with 18 seniors and juniors among their 19 players. Senior midfielder Gabriel Rodriguez highlights the group. Junior midfielder/forward Cameron Guess and senior midfielder Cooper Evans also are among their returnees. Keith Luttell, their third coach in as many seasons, said 'my intent is to be here long term and develop a winning program.'
