A train whistle interrupted the postgame press conference after the USC baseball team had beaten 12th-seeded Texas A&M just as head coach Andy Stankiewics was beginning to speak.
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“That’s appropriate,” Stankiewicz told reporters. “We tell people, the train’s moving. We’re certainly excited to see where we’re going.”
The next stop for the Trojans’ train is the NCAA Tournament Super Regional – and it’s their first time at this stage in over 20 years.
In 2005, USC lost to Oregon State in a Pac-10 matchup at the Corvallis Super Regional. This year, the Trojans (47-16) head to Chapel Hill to face fifth-seeded North Carolina (48-11-1). The winner moves on to Omaha, Nebraska, for the College World Series, which would snap a 25-year drought for the Trojans.
“It’s been an honor to wear the Trojan brand on the front of my chest,” sophomore catcher Augie Lopez said. “Honestly, just knowing that this team is the team to bring USC back to a super regional is incredible. It hasn’t hit me until right now, but just feeling grateful and super blessed.”
USC fought its way out of the loser’s bracket in the College Station Regional after dropping its first game to Texas State by one run. The Trojans finished the regional with back-to-back dominant wins over Texas A&M by scores of 14-3 and 7-1.
Lopez’s hitting was a major component in the regional championship game.
The Loyola High product was 2 for 5 with five RBIs and one run while hitting third as the designated hitter. His two-run single gave USC a 2-1 lead over the Aggies, and he went yard in the seventh inning to drive in three more runs for a 5-1 advantage.
Lopez is slashing .279/.367/.605 this season with a team-leading 19 home runs. As a team, the Trojans are hitting .282 while holding opponents to .211.
“To come into College Station and play the type of baseball that we played is something that as a coach, you train them, encourage them and believe in them (to do),” Stankiewicz said. “And you just let them go, and man, I can’t tell you how proud I am of everybody on our team. They just kept working, kept getting after it and believing in each other.”
Seven players were named to the College Station Regional All-Tournament team: Lopez, left fielder Andrew Lamb, pitcher Andrew Johnson, catcher Isaac Cadena, third baseman/center fielder Kevin Takeuchi, center fielder/left fielder Walter Urban and second baseman Abbrie Covarrubias.
USC showed the depth and durability of its bullpen in the College Station Regional, as well.
Johnson (7-2), a Capistrano Valley High product, threw 124 pitches over 7⅓ innings in the first win over Texas A&M.
“I’ve been here for four years,” Stankiewicz said, “and that’s the best pitching I’ve seen in four years. Hands down.”
The next day in the championship game, Palos Verdes High alum Grant Govel (10-2) went four innings on two days’ rest and allowed just one run and three hits. Chase Herrell held the Aggies scoreless for the next 3⅔ innings, then Sax Matson and Troy Adam finished the game.
Mason Edwards (8-0), the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and finalist for National Pitcher of the Year, is likely to start Friday, according to game notes released by USC baseball. The Trojans’ southpaw ace has a 1.85 ERA and 1.00 WHIP, which ranks 12th in the country.
“We’ve got a bunch of young men that have trained hard and believe in themselves and they enjoy being together, being a team,” Stankiewicz said. “And so for me as a coach, it’s just exciting to see the development.”
UNC will play at home for the second straight weekend after going 3-0 in the Chapel Hill Regional against VCU and East Carolina. The Tar Heels are appearing in their 13th consecutive Super Regional and are going for their 13th College World Series appearance.
They’re hitting .294 as a team with three players are hitting better than .300 – Macon Winslow (.301), Jake Schaffner (.362) and Owen Hull (.372). Pitching-wise, UNC owns the seventh-best team ERA in the nation at 3.85.
Sean Allen takes Lamar job
Pitching coach Sean Allen will be with the Trojans for the remainder of the NCAA Tournament, then will take over as head coach at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.
Allen built a standout pitching staff in his two seasons with USC. This season, the Trojans led the nation in shutouts with 10 and posted the sixth-best team ERA in the country during the regular season (3.48).
“There are not enough words to thank Coach Stankiewicz for giving me the opportunity to be a part of such a storied program,” Allen said in a press release. “Over the past two years, I have learned so much working under him, but the most important lesson has been how to treat people the right way. He is an outstanding coach, but an even better person.”
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NCAA Chapel Hill Regional
Who: USC (47-16) vs. North Carolina (48-11-1)
When: Noon PDT Friday
Where: Boshamer Stadium, Chapel Hill, NC
TV: ESPN2