USC baseball dominates TCU to earn its first NCAA tournament win in a decade
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CORVALLIS, Ore. — After 10 years, you’d expect there to be some rust. Maybe some angst. At least some nerves. Not for USC baseball participating in its first NCAA tournament game in a decade.
The Trojans played loose and free as they piled up 14 hits and took advantage of 13 freebies (nine walks, four hit batters) in a 13-1 victory against No. 22 Texas Christian on Friday afternoon in the opening game of the Corvallis Regional.
USC consistently produced tough at-bats, going deep into counts early. It forced TCU to cycle through its bullpen after chasing starter Tommy LaPour, an All-Big 12 first-team selection, in the fourth inning.
Nine-hole hitter Richard Tejeda was a catalyst for the Trojans. He drove in the game’s first run with a two-out single in the second inning. The USC catcher put his body on the line in the bottom half of the inning, banging into the dugout railing while hustling over to catch a foul pop.
Two innings later, a bunt by Tejeda loaded the bases when he beat out the play for the second of his three hits, ending LaPour’s day. TCU reliever Louis Rodriguez did a good job limiting the damage, getting a strikeout, a fielder’s choice and a flyout, but USC had taken a 3-0 lead and never looked back.
“I think getting out of the chute early was beneficial for sure. Getting on the board early with the big knock by Richie,” USC coach Andy Stankiewicz said. “We just kind of built on that momentum. Then we just felt like with Caden [Aoki] on the mound, we just play good defense, he’s going to pump strikes. He’s not going to give any freebies. That’s exactly what he did.”
Aoki, USC’s senior starting pitcher, diced up a talented but young TCU lineup, mixing four pitches for strikes on both sides of the plate.
“He’s really good. He’s got four pitches he can throw in any count,” said TCU coach Kirk Saarloos, a former Cal State Fullerton All-American pitcher. “Pitched in really well to kind of get the bat sped up and then being able to throw the offspeed in the zone and out of the zone.
“A senior that’s been around the block a bunch. Heartbeat was super slow and did a good job of pitching. I mean that’s the best thing you can say about him. He’s a complete pitcher, one that competes and knows who he is.”
For a team that prides itself on being able to wear pitchers down, TCU couldn’t create offensive momentum against Aoki. Their lone highlight came in the fourth inning when star freshman Sawyer Strosnider drove a ball out to right field for a solo home run. But that was the only mistake Aoki made. The only time the Horned Frogs got a runner in scoring position was when an outfielder got twisted up going back on a ball that resulted in a two-out double that was quickly wiped away by a flyout.
Aoki credited pitching coach Sean Allen, who worked under TCU offensive coordinator Bill Mosiello the last two years when both were at Ohio State, with coming up with a great game plan and recognizing early the Horned Frogs’ plan of attack.
“Coach Allen noticed pretty early that they were sitting soft, so we were able to get ahead with fastballs, which was really nice. It seemed like they were taking a lot of them,” Aoki said. “To be able to execute quality strikes in and out with my fastball was really big for me. Not just strikes, but quality strikes. When I’m able to keep the ball down with my fastball and pinpoint it and not just throw it in there for a strike, that’s when I know I’m going good.”
The right-hander kept the Horned Frogs’ offense at bay, facing just three over the minimum in eight sterling innings. He struck out six, yielding one run on four hits while delivering 80 of his 114 pitches for strikes.
With Aoki cruising, the offense didn’t have to do much, but the Trojans built momentum as the game progressed.
Tejeda got a USC rally started in the sixth inning when he lined the first pitch to center field for a single. Two pitches and two bunt singles later, the bases were loaded for the heart of USC’s lineup. Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek blooped a single off the glove of the second baseman to plate a run. Adrian Lopez followed with a run-scoring single, and an Abbrie Covarrubias sacrifice fly made it 6-1. The Trojans added three more in the next inning with Lopez supplying a two-run single.
USC tacked on four more runs in the ninth inning to give the Trojans their largest margin of victory in the postseason since a 25-9 win over North Carolina Greensboro in 1994.
“We’re playing with a chip on our shoulder,” Aoki said. “To put on this uniform and win the first game after making a regional against a really good opponent, it’s a surreal feeling. We’re going to keep going.”
With the victory, USC advanced to the winner’s bracket where it will face Saint Mary’s on Saturday at 6 p.m. PDT. Saint Mary’s defeated No. 8 national seed and regional host Oregon State 6-4 on Friday.
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