No. 25 USC Baseball Heads to Cal Poly for Four-Game Series

Thursday, February 26

San Luis Obispo, Calif.

6:05 p.m. PT

USC

Cal Poly

Abbrie Covarrubias runs on base bath in game against LMU.

Photo by: Kevin Kim

No. 25 USC Baseball Heads to Cal Poly for Four-Game Series

February 25, 2026 | Baseball

Game Notes (PDF)

THIS WEEK: The No. 25 USC baseball team is on the road for the first time this season, facing Cal Poly for a four-game set starting on Thursday. The Trojans look to improve on their 7-0 record after their best start since 2015.

GAME SCHEDULE:
Thursday - USC vs. Cal Poly (Baggett Stadium), Feb 26, 6:05 p.m. PT (ESPN+)
Friday - USC vs. Cal Poly (Baggett Stadium), Feb 27, 6:05 p.m. PT (ESPN+)
Saturday - USC vs. Cal Poly (Baggett Stadium), Feb 28, 3:05 p.m. PT (ESPN+)
Sunday - USC vs. Cal Poly (Baggett Stadium), Mar 1, 1:05 p.m. PT (ESPN+)

PROBABLE PITCHERS:
Thursday - USC: LHP Chase Herrell (0-0, 8.44 ERA) vs. CP: TBD
Friday - USC: LHP Mason Edwards (2-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. CP: RHP Griffin Naess (1-1, 1.50 ERA)
Saturday - USC: RHP Grant Govel (2-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. CP: RHP Laif Palmer (1-1, 4.50 ERA)
Sunday - USC: RHP Andrew Johnson (2-0, 0.90 ERA) vs. CP: RHP Carson Turnquist (0-0, 2.25 ERA)

BROADCAST INFO: All four games against the Mustangs will be broadcast on ESPN+. Links to the broadcasts are available on the baseball schedule page at USCTrojans.com.

FOLLOW: Fans can also follow the action through live stats on USCTrojans.com. Live, in-game updates will be available for all games from @USC_Baseball on X as well.

GET SOCIAL: Follow USC Baseball on social media to get updates on everything going on with the team this season. The Trojans can be followed at @USC_Baseball on X, at @sctrojans_baseball on Instagram and USC Trojans Baseball on Facebook.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS CAL POLY: USC is 27-10 all-time against Cal Poly. The two programs last met in March 2023, when the Trojans earned a dominant 16–3 victory over the Mustangs in San Luis Obispo.

IN THE RANKINGS: The Trojans broke into the Top 25 this week, coming in at No. 25 in the Perfect Game Rankings. USC is off to a 7-0 start, the program's best since 2015, when the Trojans opened the year 12-0. USC is outscoring opponents 49-13 through the first two weeks of the season. The Trojans were last ranked on May 11 of 2025.

WEEKEND SWEEP VS RICE: The Trojans extend their win streak to seven, their best start since 2015, with a dominant sweep of Rice. In Friday's 5-0 win, Will Stickney launched his first career home run to break a scoreless tie in the third, while Mason Edwards struck out a career-high 11 over 6.0 scoreless innings, combining with Gavin Lauridsen to shut out the Owls. Grant Govel followed with another strong outing on Saturday, tossing 6.0 scoreless frames, allowing just one hit and matching Edwards with a career-high 11 strikeouts to secure the series. On Sunday, USC held on for a 4-2 win as Sax Matson escaped an eighth-inning jam and Adam Troy recorded his fourth save, with Rohan Kasanagottu and Diego Velazquez each tossing scoreless innings in their collegiate debuts.

MIDWEEK WIN VS LMU: Last week, the Trojans picked up its second run-rule victory of the season, taking down LMU 14-4 in seven innings. All nine starters drove in runs in the game as USC scored four runs in the fifth to break a 4-4 tie and then put up five runs in the sixth.

OPENING WEEKEND SWEEP: The Trojans opened the 2026 season with a sweep of Pepperdine, taking down the Waves 3-1 on opening night and then breaking out the bats for 11-0 and 8-5 victories. USC's starting pitchers were masterful, combining for 16.0 scoreless innings with 3 hits allowed, 3 walks and 24 strikeouts. The Trojans picked up a run-rule no-hitter on Saturday, getting 6.0 hitless innings from Grant Govel and 1.0 hitless inning from Cameron Fausset, while Andrew Lamb hit a walkoff homer in the bottom of the seventh to give the Trojans an 11-0 lead and invoke the run rule (10 run lead after 7 innings). Adam Troy also had two saves against his former team, saving the opener and finale. Mason Edwards tossed 5.0 scoreless on Friday and Andrew Johnson threw 5.0 scoreless on Sunday. Kevin Takeuchi led the way offensively, going 5-for-10 (.500) at the plate, with 6 RBI.

2026 PLAYER/TEAM NOTES:

Augie Lopez has been a consistent run producer for the Trojans this season. The sophomore currently leads the team with 9 RBIs and continued his hot streak on Sunday against Rice, driving in three of USC's four runs while going 2-for-3 with a run scored and a 2-run homer.
Abbrie Covarrubias has gotten off to a strong start this season, currently batting .391. The junior went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored in the midweek game against LMU and has four stolen bases so far, after leading the team with 15 last year.
Andrew Johnson has emerged as one of the key pitchers in USC's early-season rotation. Last Sunday, Andrew Johnson took the mound against Pepperdine, tossing 5.0 scoreless innings to earn the victory. He allowed just two hits, walked none, and struck out five, keeping the opposition off the board and giving the Trojans a strong start in the game.
Grant Govel earned both National and Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors after leading USC to a 7-inning no-hitter against Pepperdine. Over 6.0 hitless innings, Govel retired 11 straight batters at one point and struck out five consecutive hitters, allowing just two baserunners (a walk and hit-by-pitch) in the Trojans' 11-0 run-rule victory. It marked Govel's first Pitcher of the Week honor, adding to last season's Big Ten Freshman of the Week recognition. The sophomore followed up with another strong performance Saturday against Rice, tossing 6.0 scoreless innings and striking out a career-high 11 batters.
Kevin Takeuchi has gotten off to a hot start, batting .450 through seven games with 9 hits and 6 walks. In Saturday's game against Rice, he went 2-for-3, scoring a run, and he also leads the team (tied with Abbrie Covarrubias) with four stolen bases, two of which came in the midweek matchup against LMU.
Mason Edwards continued his dominant start to the season on Friday against Rice, delivering another scoreless outing for the Trojans. For his second consecutive start, Edwards showcased his command and strikeout ability, striking out a career-high 11 batters over 6.0 innings of work.
Combined Starting Pitcher Stats: Through the first two weekends of the season, the starting rotation has combined for 33.0 innings pitched and 52 strikeouts, allowing just one earned run. Mason Edwards (11.0 IP, 20 K), Grant Govel (12.0 IP, 21 K), and Andrew Johnson (10.0 IP, 11 K) have helped anchor the staff early, holding opponents to minimal production while setting the tone on the mound.

Team Stat Rankings:
        - 13.7 K/9 - 1st B10, 6th NCAA
        - 1.68 ERA - 1st B10, 3rd NCAA
        - 3.7 BB/9 - 5th B10, 61st NCAA
        - 0.97 WHIP - 2nd B10, 8th NCAA
        - 3.75 K/BB ratio - 19th NCAA