Mar 2, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies compete against University of Southern California Trojans during the Kubota College Baseball Series - Weekend 3 at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Will USC Trojans Baseball Make NCAA Tournament? Bubble Watch

Originally posted on USC Trojans on SI | By Cory Pappas | Last updated May 24, 2025 8:53 AM ET

The USC Trojans baseball team will be sweating out during 2025 NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection Show on Monday. In pool play of the 2025 Big Ten Tournament, USC fell to Penn State by a final score of 2-1, ending their hopes of a Big Ten tournament title and auto-bid into the NCAA Tournament.

USC Trojans On NCAA Tournament Bubble

The USC Trojans are wrapping up their first season as a member of the Big Ten. They had an overall regular season record of 35-21 and 18-12 in conference play. USC finished No. 4 in the Big Ten. They had a chance to control their NCAA Tournament destiny in their own hands, but fell to the No. 9 seed in the Big Ten, Penn State. With no more games to play, it will be a long 48 hours of waiting for selection Monday for the Trojans.

According to Baseball America, USC is projected to make the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid as the No. 3 seed in the Eugene regional. The Oregon Ducks would host this regional as the highest seeded team with NC State as the No. 2 seed, USC as the No. 3 seed, and Columbia as the No. 4 seed.

In another projection according to 11Point7 College Baseball , USC is among the "last four in" to the field along with Kentucky, Virginia, and Cal Poly. This projection has the Trojans as the No. 3 seed in the Tallahassee regional with No. 1 seed and host Florida State, No. 2 seed Alabama, and No. 4 seed Miami of Ohio.

The NCAA Tournament field consists of 64 teams, with the top 16 seeds hosting a double elimination pools with three other teams. The 16 teams that win their respective regionals advance to the super regionals, which is a best of three series against one of the other teams that won their regional.

The winners of these best of three series in the super regionals advances to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. In the College World Series, the eight super regional winners play in a double elimination tournament that is split into two brackets. The winner of each bracket plays each other in the National Championship in a best of three series.

USC Trojans' 2025 Season

The 2025 USC Trojans are led by junior Ethan Hedges. Hedges has a batting average of .343 with a team high 12 home runs and 55 RBIs. Not only had Hedges been USC’s best hitter, he has also made appearances on the mound. Hedges has tossed 15.0 innings, only allowing four earned runs for an impressive 2.40 earned run average.

Pitcher Caden Aoki has been the workhorse for the Trojans’ rotation, throwing a team high 87.2 innings with an earned run average of 4.21 and record of 5-4.

This article first appeared on USC Trojans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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