Oregon State, TCU, Underdog USC In Corvallis Regional

After finishing 35-21 overall, the USC Trojans are headed to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015. USC coach Andy Stankiewicz has the Trojans’ program on the rise after a stellar season, but they aren’t done yet.

Heading to the Corvallis Regional hosted by Oregon State as the No. 3 seed, the three regional opponents are Oregon State Beavers, Saint Mary’s and TCU. USC kicks off their Regional run with a game vs. TCU on Friday at 12 p.m. PT.

Trending on the right side of the bubble by Selection Monday, the Trojans barely scraped into the NCAA tournament as they were listed as one of the Last Four In teams along with Arizona State, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State.

Arguably the toughest of the three West Coast Regional brackets, Corvallis is hosting some of the best and underrated programs in the country, but interestingly enough has only two automatic qualifiers in the regional.

TCU won nearly 40 games and was on the brink of becoming a host seed before falling to Arizona in the Big 12 championship game. Saint Mary’s is also a 35-game winner and is red hot after stealing a bid away from San Diego in the West Coast Conference Tournament. The hosts, Oregon State, won 41 games and proved to be one of the best teams in the country regardless of conference affiliation.

It’s safe to say it will not be an easy road for the Trojans, who aren’t slouches themselves, finishing as the No. 4 team in the Big Ten and won 35 games. DraftKings places USC’s odds of winning the Corvallis Regional at +700, third-best in the bracket behind TCU at +165 and Oregon State at -125.

MORE: Seattle Seahawks’ Sam Darnold Reveals Communication With Minnesota Vikings

MORE: 4-Star Recruit McHale Blade To Commit To USC Trojans Over Notre Dame, Michigan?

MORE: USC Trojans, Michigan Wolverines Among Finalists For Elite 4-Star Recruit Titan Davis

For USC’s regional opener vs. TCU, the Trojans open up as +154 underdogs according to DraftKings’s odds. Last season, the Horned Frogs beat USC twice in non-conference play. The winner will meet the winner of Oregon State vs. Saint Mary’s on Saturday.

Stankiewicz has experience coaching in a Regional from when guided Grand Canyon to back-to-back appearences in the NCAA Regionals in 2022 and ’23. However, the Trojans’ roster is relatively unexperienced when it comes to postseason play.

Each game for the Trojans will be a battle, but they have shown multiple times this season that they could string together a couple of wins. USC’s offense, led by infielder Ethan Hedges, didn’t have the greatest end to the regular season, but will need to figure out a way to reset quickly or it could spell trouble for their postseason plans.

The Trojans will take on TCU at noon PT on Friday, May 30 at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU