USC Trojans Baseball Opens Season With Historic Winning Streak

The USC Trojans baseball team is one of the hottest teams in college baseball to start the 2026 season. Following Tuesday’s 6-4 win over the UC Irvine Anteaters, the Trojans post a 12-0 record on the season.

The Trojans are one of two remaining undefeated teams in college baseball, with the other being the Texas Longhorns, who also post a 12-0 record, after their dominating 16-3 win over Houston Christian.

According to USC team reporter Keely Eure, the Trojans' 12 wins to start a season is their best since 2015.

USC Trojans College Baseball Big Ten matchups NCAA Tournament UC Irvine Anteaters TCU Horned Frogs Saint Mary's Gales — May 31, 2025; Corvallis, OR, USA; USC infielder Ethan Hedges (15) encourage infielder Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek (27) during the fifth inning after hitting his second home run of the game at the NCAA Corvallis Regional at Goss Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Last season, the Trojans finished with a 37-23 overall record, winning two games in the Corvallis Regional against the TCU Horned Frogs and Saint Mary’s Gales, before being eliminated by the Oregon State Beavers. With an undefeated start to the season, can the Trojans maintain their success heading into conference play?

USC Trojans Strong Start to 2026 Season

USC Trojans College Baseball Big Ten 2026 season Texas Longhorns UC Irvine Anteaters NCAA Tournament run Cal Poly Mustangs — May 31, 2025; Corvallis, OR, USA; USC infielder Ethan Hedges (15) celebrates in the first inning with infielder Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek (27) after hitting a home run at the NCAA Corvallis Regional at Goss Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

This season, the Trojans aim for a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament, and so far, they are on the right track. In addition to Tuesday’s win over UC Irvine, the Trojans also secured series sweeps over Pepperdine, Rice, and Cal Poly. USC also defeated Loyola Marymount 14-4 in seven innings on Feb. 18.

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Through 12 games of the Trojans' undefeated start to the season, several players have put up impressive performances for USC. One of those players is junior infielder Kevin Takeuchi, who is one of the top leaders to start the season for the Trojans.

Top Performers For Trojans

USC Trojans College Baseball Big Ten Abbrie Covarrubias Isaac Cadena Augie Lopez strikeouts Kevin Takeuchi infielders — May 31, 2025; Corvallis, OR, USA; USC pitcher Caden Hunter (22) high-fives teammates after a game against Saint Mary's at the NCAA Corvallis Regional at Goss Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Takeuchi leads the Trojans with 16 hits, 12 RBIs, 12 runs, and a home run. His batting average stands at .364, and he also has an OPS of 1.064. Junior infielder Abbrie Covarrubias has also made an impact for the Trojans to start the season, recording 18 runs, 16 hits, 5 RBI’s, and one home run.

Covarrubias also holds the second-best OPS on the team at .921, along with a batting average of .348. On the pitching mound, Covarrubias has also shown his dominance, as he has struck out 12 opposing batters this season.

In addition to Covarrubias' performance, the Trojans have also seen excellence on the mound by Isaac Cadena and Augie Lopez. Cadena is tied with Covarrubias with 12 strikeouts on the season, while Lopez has also made an impact on the mound for the Trojans with 10 K's.

Not only will efficient pitching help the Trojans maintain their undefeated record, but it also benefit the team's aspirations to make a run in the Big Ten this year and the NCAA Tournament. Despite making the NCAA Tournament last season and winning two games, the Trojans experienced ups and downs in conference play, including an 18-12 record in the Big Ten.

USC Conference Opener Against Illinois

USC will face its first test when it opens Big Ten play with a three-game home weekend series against the Illinois Fighting Illini that is set to begin on Friday. Before that, however, USC is scheduled to face Waseda University from Japan in an exhibition matchup at home.

The first pitch between Waseda and USC is scheduled for 6 p.m. PT from Dedeaux Field in Los Angeles, California, with the game broadcast on Big Ten Plus.