Friday, March 21
Irvine, Calif.
6:30 PM
USC
13-8, 3-4
5
vs
3
Nebraska
9-12, 1-6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Nebraska
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
0
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3
5
0
USC
1
0
3
0
0
0
1
0
X
5
9
0
Photo by: Alex Feinstein
USC Baseball Takes Series Opener Against Nebraska, 5-3
March 21, 2025 | Baseball
IRVINE, Calif. – Caden Hunter tossed a season-high seven innings to lead the USC baseball team to its fourth win in the last five games with a 5-3 victory over Nebraska in the series opener in Irvine on Friday night.
The Trojans used a three-run third inning to build an early lead and despite a shaky fourth inning for Hunter on the mound, rode their pitching the rest of the way. USC improves to 12-8 overall with the win and 3-4 in Big Ten play. Nebraska falls to 9-12, 1-6.
USC's third-inning rally came with two outs and was sparked by Ethan Hedges, who singled up the middle. Adrian Lopez followed with an infield single and then Kevin Takeuchi drove both players in with a double into the left field corner. Dean Carpentier kept it going with a single down the left field line to score Takeuchi.
USC plated one run in the first after Hedges tripled off the wall and Lopez drove him in with a single. Augie Lopez would add an insurance run in the seventh, hitting a solo-shot for his first career home run after entering as a pinch hitter.
Hunter gave up all three of his runs and four of the five hits he allowed in the fourth inning, but faced the minimum the rest of the way to pick up the victory and move to 4-1 on the year. He gave up a single in the fifth, but catcher Johnny Elliott caught the runner trying to advance on a wild pitch. Hunter struck out three of the last six batters he faced, including two in the seventh.
Mason Edwards brought the victory home, recording his second save of the year by retiring six batters in a row to finish things off. He struck out three of the six he faced.
Hedges' two-hit game was his sixth multiple-hit game of the season and extended his hitting streak to six games. His triple in the first inning was his league-leading third of the season. Adrian Lopez recorded three hits on the day and Takeuchi's two RBI were a game high.
TOP PERFORMERS
COMING UP
The Trojans and Cornhuskers are back at it on Saturday at 2 p.m. and then wrap things up on Sunday at 12 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live on B1G+.
The Trojans used a three-run third inning to build an early lead and despite a shaky fourth inning for Hunter on the mound, rode their pitching the rest of the way. USC improves to 12-8 overall with the win and 3-4 in Big Ten play. Nebraska falls to 9-12, 1-6.
USC's third-inning rally came with two outs and was sparked by Ethan Hedges, who singled up the middle. Adrian Lopez followed with an infield single and then Kevin Takeuchi drove both players in with a double into the left field corner. Dean Carpentier kept it going with a single down the left field line to score Takeuchi.
USC plated one run in the first after Hedges tripled off the wall and Lopez drove him in with a single. Augie Lopez would add an insurance run in the seventh, hitting a solo-shot for his first career home run after entering as a pinch hitter.
Hunter gave up all three of his runs and four of the five hits he allowed in the fourth inning, but faced the minimum the rest of the way to pick up the victory and move to 4-1 on the year. He gave up a single in the fifth, but catcher Johnny Elliott caught the runner trying to advance on a wild pitch. Hunter struck out three of the last six batters he faced, including two in the seventh.
Mason Edwards brought the victory home, recording his second save of the year by retiring six batters in a row to finish things off. He struck out three of the six he faced.
Hedges' two-hit game was his sixth multiple-hit game of the season and extended his hitting streak to six games. His triple in the first inning was his league-leading third of the season. Adrian Lopez recorded three hits on the day and Takeuchi's two RBI were a game high.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Caden Hunter: W, 7.0 IP, 5H, 3R, 2BB, 7K
- Mason Edwards: S, 2.0 IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
- Ethan Hedges: 2-for-4, 2 R, 3B
- Adrian Lopez: 3-for-4, RBI, R
- Kevin Takeuchi: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, R
COMING UP
The Trojans and Cornhuskers are back at it on Saturday at 2 p.m. and then wrap things up on Sunday at 12 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live on B1G+.
Ethan Hedges gives his thoughts after extending his hitting streak to 6 games in the win ✌️#FightOn x @ethan_hedges pic.twitter.com/Kt3ChDCAq7
— USC Baseball (@USC_Baseball) March 22, 2025
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hunter, Caden (4-1)
L: Walsh, Will (2-4)
S: Edwards, Mason (2)
Batting:
2B: Stone, Tyler 1 ; Carey, Dylan 1
RBI: Stone, Tyler 1 ; Carey, Dylan 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Nunez, Devin 1 ; Brumbaugh, Cayden 1 ; Stone, Tyler 1
HBP: Cymbalista, Colin 1
PO: Carey, Dylan 1
Batting:
2B: Takeuchi, Kevin 1
3B: Hedges, Ethan 1
HR: Lopez, Augie 1
RBI: Lopez, Adrian 1 ; Takeuchi, Kevin 2 ; Carpentier, Dean 1 ; Lopez, Augie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hedges, Ethan 2 ; Lopez, Adrian 1 ; Takeuchi, Kevin 1 ; Lopez, Augie 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballINF/RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballINF/OF
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