Trojans Again Team to Beat : College baseball: USC gets a complete game from Flores to defeat Long Beach State, 6-5, and will play 49ers or Waves in the final today.

It was a typical understated performance by Randy Flores, the kind that has made the USC left-hander one of the most effective pitchers in the nation the last two seasons.

“I wasn’t awesome,” Flores said Saturday after pitching top-seeded USC to a 6-5 victory over second-seeded Long Beach State in the NCAA West Regional. “I was not making anyone’s jaw drop.”

Flores never does.

Instead, the 6-foot, 165-pound sophomore from Pico Rivera methodically picks opponents apart and lets his teammates provide the shock value.

On Saturday, one day after the Trojans used virtually their entire bullpen in a 22-17 victory over Fresno State, Flores (10-4) gave up 10 hits and struck out six in his sixth complete game. Trojan center fielder Walter Dawkins provided drama with a fifth-inning two-run home run over the 30-foot-high scoreboard in left field and a spectacular diving catch in the ninth.

Chad Moeller’s two-run single in the eighth against 49er relief ace Gabe Gonzalez gave the Trojans a come-from-behind victory that kept them unbeaten in the double-elimination tournament and puts them one victory away from advancing to the College World Series for the first time since 1978. The series begins Friday.

USC (44-18) plays today against the winner of Saturday night’s late elimination game between Long Beach and Pepperdine. Pepperdine (36-18-1) eliminated Middle Tennessee State (36-27) with an 18-17, 12-inning victory that rivaled USC’s victory over Fresno State on Friday in poor pitching and sloppiness.

Pepperdine had 25 of the game’s 43 hits and committed five of the 12 errors. The teams combined to strand 25 runners.

The Waves won when Middle Tennessee State’s Patrick Mayes walked Gerardo Gonzalez with two out and the bases loaded, allowing Ryan Christenson to score.

Ruben Gamboa had five hits, including two homers, and drove in six runs for Pepperdine.

Today will mark the third time in Mike Gillespie’s nine seasons as USC’s coach that the Trojans will take an unbeaten record into the regional final. But even without a home team and hostile crowd to contend with, Gillespie was in no mood to discuss momentum.

“We’re not going to talk about being in the driver’s seat until we’re at the finish line,” he said.

USC finished off Long Beach by rallying against Gonzalez, who replaced starter Scott Rivette in the eighth. Long Beach had taken a 5-4 lead in the top of the inning on a walk by Jason Minici, a sacrifice by Kirk Pierce and a run-scoring single by Jason Hodges.

Gonzalez (3-7), a senior left-hander who has 18 saves, had pitched five scoreless innings and struck out nine in two appearances against USC this season.

But Moeller’s ground ball up the middle scored Geoff Jenkins and Jacques Jones to give the Trojans a 6-5 lead.