USC Trojans' Caden Aoki, Gala Trubint Become School’s First-Ever Big Ten Medal of Honor Recipients

Caden Aoki (baseball) and Gala Trubint (volleyball) have been named the USC Trojans first-ever Big Ten Medal of Honor recipients.

The Big Ten Medal of Honor was established in 1915 and is the conference’s most prestigious award. It is presented annually to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each institution.

May 31, 2025; Corvallis, OR, USA; USC head coach Andy Stankiewicz takes questions 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

A recipient will exemplify excellence on and off the field throughout their collegiate career and the 2024-2025 class is comprised of student-athletes from 15 sports.

Aoki, a Huntington Beach native, returned to Southern California after spending one season at Notre Dame. As a sophomore in 2023, the right-handed pitcher appeared on the mound in 13 games, including 11 starts. In 63.1 innings for the Trojans, which included a streak of 23.1 straight scoreless innings. He struck out 52 batters and lead the Pac-12 in ERA (2.98). Aoki was a All-Pac-12 selection and All-West Region Second Team.

The following season, he started 11 games and earned Pac-12 All-Tournament Team. This past year, Aoki appeared in 17 games on the mound, including 16 starts. He ranked first in the conference with a 6.43 strikeout-to-walk ratio and with 1.30 walks per nine innings.

MORE: Reggie Bush's Legal Appeal Fails: Ordered To Pay $1.4 Million In Defamation Case

MORE: USC Trojans' State-of-the-Art Football Facility Construction Update

MORE: 4-Star Recruit Khalil Terry Rocks USC Trojans Gear After Michigan State Decommitment

Aoki struck out 90 batters, which ranked fourth in the Big Ten. His finest performance came against then No. 14 Vanderbilt on March 1 when he did not allow an earned run in his 7.0 innings and threw a career-high 10 strikeouts. The Trojans defeated the Commodores 3-1 and Aoki earned Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors.

Aoki was sensational on the mound in the Trojans first NCAA Tournament game since 2015. In 8.0 innings, he gave up one run on four hits. He struck out six batters and walked none and USC blew out TCU 13-1 in the Corvallis Regional opener.

USC baseball — 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

He earned All-Big Ten Third Team, Big Ten All-Defensive Team, All-Corvallis Regional Team and All-West Region Second Team honors in 2025. Aoki entered the transfer portal earlier this month and will spend his final season of eligibility at Georgia.

Trubint, a San Diego native, put together a stellar freshman campaign. She appeared in 29 matches, including 27 starts. Trubint totaled 416 digs, which ranked seventh in the Pac-12, which earned her Pac-12 All-Conference honorable mention and Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.

USC — Feb 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Tommy Trojan statue on the campus of the University of Southern California. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

As a sophomore, Trubint led the Trojans in digs in 18 contests. She produced her first-career double-double against Arizona State with 20 digs and a career-high 10 assists. The following season, Trubint lead the team in digs with 377 digs, which ranked 14th in the Big Ten. She earned Big Ten Fall All-Academic Team honors.

This past season, Trubint helped guide USC to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, before they were eliminated by Texas. In the match, she recorded 11 digs, her 70th-career match in double digits.

Recommended Articles