For the first time since 2005, USC baseball is headed back to the super regional round of the NCAA Tournament after defeating No. 11 national seed Texas A&M in back-to-back games on Sunday and Monday.

“I think this year getting to a super is special,” USC coach Andy Stankiewicz said, per the Los Angeles Times. “This is a special place. USC, I’m telling you, it’s different. …

“We want to put a nice name back on USC baseball. That’s been part of the plan since we got here. We knew it was going to take time.”

A 4-5 loss to Texas State on Friday sent USC to the loser’s bracket but the Trojans fought their way out, scoring 59 runs across five games to win the College Station Regional. USC defeated Texas A&M 7-1 on Monday to secure the regional title.

Even though the regional took place in Texas, Stankiewicz said USC had a loud section of fans cheering them on throughout the tournament.

“We had our fans, our parents right here,” Stankiewicz said. “They got that little section in the corner. They were outnumbered. That’s part of it too. We want to make them proud. They came a long way to watch their boys play baseball and support us.

“That’s a rewarding feeling when our fans can come in here and sit in the stands. They’re outnumbered. They try like crazy to cheer. This is a cool moment for them too. We’re happy that they can celebrate this with us.”

Six Trojans Make All-Tournament Team

Six USC players were selected for the All-Tournament team, and one was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

Sophomore designated player Augie Lopez was the tournament’s MOP after his three-run home run gave USC a four-run lead over Texas A&M in the top of the seventh inning of the elimination game on Monday. Lopez hit nine RBIs and two home runs across the regional tournament.

Joining Lopez on the All-Tournament team are catcher Isaac Cadena, second baseman Abbrie Covarrubias, third baseman Kevin Takeuchi, outfielders Andrew Lamb and Walter Urbon and pitcher Andrew Johnson.

USC will face No. 4 national seed UNC in a best-of-three super regionals in Chapel Hill, North Carolina starting Friday. The winner will advance to the Men’s College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

Photo Credit: Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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As head coach Lincoln Riley enters his fifth season with USC, the expectation is for Riley to lead USC to the College Football Playoffs next season. Riley and the Trojans have come close to reaching the playoffs but have fallen short every season.

USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen said the expectation has always been to win a national championship, and that it remains the expectation going into the 2026 season.

“The expectation has always been the same. That’s the thing, that’s the reason why I came here, is that the standard is high. We do expect to make the playoff. We do expect to have a championship run. We do expect to be competing for championships every single year.

“I think that’s what’s awesome about USC, is that that’s what we all expect of it. And I know that I’m not the only one that expects that. I know our fans expect that. I know that he expects that. And so I really like this team. I really like the kids that we brought in. I love the returners. I love the leadership of this team,” Cohen said, per the Los Angeles Times.

Cohen Believes USC Has A Strong Program Heading Into New Season

USC is bringing in the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class of 2026. It also some of its top starters from last season like quarterback Jayden Maiava returning next season.

The Trojans also hired Chad Bowden as general manager in January 2025, and Cohen said he has helped transform the program.

“We’ve got some really outstanding older young men in this program that get it, that have been through a lot and really care about this place and this program. The young guys are awesome. They’re really challenging the older guys. So I feel really good about the talent level of this team, and I feel really good about what Lincoln’s done. I think with this staff, I think we have a highly competitive staff. I think we have a really experienced staff.

“And then you can’t dismiss what Chad’s accomplished. You know? I think that that’s been the benefit of bringing in not just Chad, but an entire front office staff, taking the pressure off of Lincoln, taking the pressure off of the other coaches so that they can be at their best. I mean, he’s been really energized about that and really focused on taking the strengths that he has. So yeah, the expectation, I mean, we haven’t been shy about that. We expect to win, and I, I feel confident that we’re going to,” Cohen said, per the Los Angeles Times.

USC will open the new season against San Jose State on Aug. 29 at the LA Memorial Coliseum.

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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