Usc Baseball Is Back And Finally Ready To Match Its Rival

Welcome backmost to nan Times of Troy newsletter, wherever assemblage shot is backmost — and, I hope, present to enactment — successful L.A. At least, that’s really it felt sitting successful nan apical statement of nan packed auxiliary bleachers of a sold-out Jackie Robinson Stadium connected Friday night, wherever tickets were going for upwards of $150 connected nan secondary market.

In my 7 years connected nan USC hit pinch The Times — positive 4 years connected nan UCLA hit a while backmost — nan shot rivalry pinch nan Bruins hadn’t carried each that overmuch significance. But that was earlier nan Trojans won 19 games successful a statement to commencement nan season, nan longest specified streak successful nan program’s vaunted history.

The 2 rivals entered Friday arsenic top-10 teams for nan first clip successful complete a decade, and their play matchup lived up to nan billing. The stadium was electric. The rivalry was alive. Sure, nan Trojans ended up getting swept by their top-ranked rivals, and yes, 2 of those losses did travel by six aliases much runs. But nan container people unsocial isn’t a adjacent portrayal of what happened successful Westwood.

On Friday, nan Trojans were tied astatine 4 aft six innings. USC ace Mason Edwards had fixed up 4 runs successful 4 innings, much than he had successful his erstwhile 7 starts combined. But USC was still wrong striking distance, still scratching and clawing its measurement done a crippled successful which it was mostly overmatched. It wasn’t until correct fielder Andrew Lamb came up short connected a diving drawback that nan reservoir yet burst. UCLA scored 7 runs successful nan eighth inning, and that was that.

But successful nan midst of a sadistic losing play were a fewer metallic linings. Namely that USC shot is yet backmost successful a spot wherever it tin push nan No. 1 squad successful nan federation to nan very brink.

The adjacent night, it took UCLA robbing a imaginable location tally from Augie Lopez to champion nan Trojans. Had a fewer different breaks gone USC’s way, past it might’ve been a existent series.

We wouldn’t person said that astir this matchup a fewer years ago. And that’s a in installments to Andy Stankiewicz, who has flooded an moreover much difficult group of circumstances than astir group recognize to get here. Not only has USC shot been either displaced aliases playing successful an unfinished stadium, but nan Trojans are acold disconnected from different elite programs erstwhile it comes to NIL and danasiwa support. Stankiewicz has made it activity anyway.

That this weekend’s rivalry was an anticipated matchup astatine each is an encouraging sign. Even if 3 consecutive losses doesn’t consciousness truthful encouraging for USC.

“A afloat location here, a sold-out crowd, nan stands going backmost and forth, that’s what you want,” Stankiewicz said Friday. “It was nosy for a moment, past it wasn’t truthful overmuch fun. But that’s OK. It’s portion of nan maturation of our program. We consciousness for illustration we’re moving successful nan correct direction. I’m not gonna fto a mates bad innings astatine nan extremity put america successful a bad spot. It’s baseball. We’ll get backmost connected it tomorrow.”

USC freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley takes portion successful drills during outpouring believe connected March 10.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Quarterback

Starter: Jayden Maiava

Reserves: Sam Huard, Jonas Williams

Post-spring skinny: No mobility astir who leads nan measurement here, but Williams looked much physically fresh than I expected this spring. Huard has nan experience, but USC likes what it has seen from Williams.

Running back

Starters: Waymond Jordan, King Miller

Reserves: Deshonne Redeaux (Fr.), Riley Wormley, Shahn Alston (Fr.)

Post-spring skinny: Jordan missed nan outpouring and had a 2nd process done connected his ankle, paving nan measurement for Miller to unafraid much marketplace share. Miller, who’s now connected scholarship, besides looked bigger. The mobility is really overmuch different backs will facet successful — I’m intrigued particularly by Redeaux’s accomplishment set.

Wide receiver

Starters: Tanook Hines, Terrell Anderson, Trent Mosley (Fr.)

Reserves: Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (Fr.), Ethan “Boobie” Feaster (Fr.), Corey Simms, Zacharyus Williams

Post-spring skinny: Coach Lincoln Riley pointed to receiver arsenic nan position he was astir encouraged astir aft seeing nan advancement this spring. That’s connected relationship of a tremendous freshman people that includes 3 (Mosley, Dixon-Wyatt and Feaster) who will decidedly person a role. In nan slot, Mosley is simply a benefactor of a bladed group of wrong receivers, but it’s imaginable others, for illustration Dixon-Wyatt, could activity there.

Tight end

Starters: Mark Bowman (Fr.)

Reserves: Tucker Ashcraft, Taniela Tupou, Walter Matthews, Josiah Jefferson

Post-spring skinny: This is mostly projection, fixed really clear it is that Bowman is nan superior talent successful nan room. Ashcraft had impressed until an wounded derailed his spring. I expect Tupou will play a portion arsenic a receiving threat, possibly moreover up of Bowman astatine first. But that shouldn’t past long.

Offensive line

Starters: Elijah Paige (LT), Alani Noa (LG), Tobias Raymond (OC), Breck Kolojay (OG, Fr.), Justin Tauanuu (RT)

Reserves: Kilian O’Connor (OC), Elijah Vaikona (OT), Keenyi Pepe (OT, Fr.), Hayden Treter (OG), Kaylon Miller (OG/OC), Aaron Dunn (OL), Vlad Dyakanov (OL, Fr.), Kannon Smith (OC, Fr.)

Post-spring skinny: It’s a wonderment really quickly nan outlook has changed up beforehand for USC. But location are a batch of possibilities for this group. If Kolojay lives up to early hype, he could beryllium a mauler from Day 1. Tauanuu missed spring, which could time off him successful threat of losing his occupation to Vaikona, who has impressed, aliases moreover Pepe, nan five-star freshman. Raymond tin fresh successful anywhere, but I for illustration him astatine center, pinch different ascending talents astatine defender and tackle.

Defensive line

Starters: Kameryn Crawford (DE) Jahkeem Stewart (DL), Alex Van Sumeren (DT), Braylan Shelby (DE)

Reserves: Jide Abasiri (DL), Floyd Boucard (DT), Luke Wafle (DE, Fr.), Zuriah Fisher (DE), Jamieon Winfield (DT, Fr.), Jamaal Jarrett (DT), Jadyn Ramos (DE)

Post-spring skinny: The interior of nan Trojans’ statement abruptly feels stacked, pinch Stewart, Boucard and Abasiri each tin of creating pressure. Van Sumeren has Big Ten acquisition and should thief against nan run. And Luke Wafle surely looks nan portion of a freshman lineman who will lend from Day 1. I expect it won’t beryllium agelong earlier Wafle emerges up of Shelby successful nan pecking order.

Linebacker

Starters: Desman Stephens, Jadyn Walker

Reserves: Deven Bryant, Talanoa Ili (Fr.) Ta’Mere Robinson, Elijah Newby

Post-spring skinny: Both Riley and Patterson person said nan correct things astir nan linebacker room, but I’m still wary. Stephens and Walker look locked in, for nan moment. But Bryant will play, and I’ll beryllium fascinated to watch nan advancement of Ili, who has a ton of potential.

Defensive backfield

Starters: Jontez Williams (CB), Marcelles Williams (CB), Alex Graham (S/NB), Christian Pierce (S), Kennedy Urlacher (S)

Reserves: Chasen Johnson (CB), Elbert “Rock” Hill (CB, Fr.), RJ Sermons (CB), Prophet Brown (DB), Kendarius Reddick (S), Madden Riordan (S, Fr.)

Post-spring skinny: At slightest 1 cornerback spot is still very overmuch up for grabs, presumably betwixt Chasen Johnson and Marcelles Williams. But there’s still a batch of clip for things to shingle retired differently. Rock Hill has a peculiarly breathtaking accomplishment set, and Sermons was a much-hyped imaginable astatine 1 point. The 3 different spots are beautiful overmuch set, pinch Pierce and Urlacher arsenic safeties and Graham playing successful a versatile safety/corner role.

• Eric Musselman will request to beryllium much prudent successful nan transportation portal. Last year, pinch an full squad to rebuild and small successful nan measurement of restrictions connected rev-share money to help, USC happily paid up successful nan portal. That didn’t precisely activity out, arsenic Musselman paid measurement excessively overmuch for Chad Baker-Mazara, who was kicked disconnected nan team, and a postulation of reserves who punched little than their weight for overmuch of nan season. No disrespect to nan likes of Ryan Cornish aliases Gabe Dynes, but USC needs to beryllium much wary of who it’s spending up for this spring.

• The champion assemblage shot programs will walk upwards of $40 cardinal connected their rosters adjacent season, according to The Athletic. So I asked Riley what he thought astir those rising costs. “Things are decidedly going up,” he said. “There’s nary uncertainty astir that.” But Riley doesn’t person immoderate logic to kick correct now. USC has been consenting to spend astatine those rising prices. So nan burgeoning marketplace has only benefited USC ... assuming, of course, that it tin triumph this season. “Fortunately,” Riley continued, “we’re astatine a spot correct now that’s superior astir shot and superior astir winning.”

• The NCAA tourney seems bound to grow to 76 teams. It’s a bad idea. On 1 hand, successful a 76-team field, possibly nan USC men would’ve recovered their measurement into nan tourney this season. But for nan liking of nan tournament, is that a bully thing? I can’t deliberation of much than a squad aliases 2 connected nan extracurricular looking successful for this year’s tournament, and those teams inevitably would’ve been blasted from nan section successful short order. This year’s mostly chalky section had a ton of first-round blowouts, while conscionable 2 teams supra nan three-line made it to nan Elite Eight.

• JuJu Watkins is still “a mates much months” distant from being full-go. The USC prima was constricted to shooting drills astatine a Team USA hoops campy successful Phoenix connected Friday, but she assured that she was closing successful connected nan decorativeness statement of her recovery. “I’ll beryllium fresh for adjacent season,” she told reporters, “so that’s each that matters.”

• Incoming freshman Saniyah Hall was MVP of nan McDonald’s All-American game. If you needed different reminder of really stacked USC will beryllium adjacent season, do yourself a favour and watch immoderate highlights of Hall. She dropped 21 against a postulation of nan champion prospects successful nan women’s game. Anywhere else, she mightiness measurement successful and instantly beryllium nan No. 1 option. At USC, she’ll beryllium nan No. 3 astatine champion astatine nan beginning. But her crippled is incredibly smooth, and she shouldn’t person immoderate rumor adjusting.

• Malia Samuels and Dayana Mendes are entering nan transportation portal. With truthful overmuch talent coming successful and Watkins returning, it’s difficult to ideate overmuch clip to spell astir for Mendes, who averaged conscionable 3 points and 3 rebounds per crippled past season. Samuels mightiness person recovered a domiciled arsenic a backup constituent defender adjacent season. But some exits time off a basal magnitude of elasticity arsenic Lindsay Gottlieb sets retired to adhd complementary pieces to an already stacked lineup for adjacent season.

Olympic sports spotlight

It was a captious play for USC men’s volleyball, which put distant No. 14 Stanford successful 2 consecutive matches, 3-0 and 3-1. That’s nary mini feat for nan fourth-ranked Trojans, who person conscionable 2 losses to No. 1 UCLA and conscionable 1 different (UC Irvine) this season.

USC is trending toward being a superior nationalist title contender, if it tin support peaking astatine nan time. Its adjacent 2 matchups — against Brigham Young and Pepperdine — should beryllium bully tests. Both are classed successful nan apical 15.

What I’m watching this week

Yahya Abdul-Mateen arrives astatine nan motorboat arena for “Wonder Man” astatine TCL Chinese Theatre successful Hollywood connected Jan. 22.

(Richard Shotwell / Invision / Associated Press)

It’s been a while since a Marvel show has really captured my attention. But I americium astatine slightest intrigued by Wonder Man, nan latest Marvel TV bid connected Disney+. Yahya Abdul-Mateen stars arsenic Simon Williams, a struggling character who has to hide his superpowers aft super-powered individuals are banned from moving successful Hollywood.

I for illustration a self-contained story, arsenic opposed to an Avengers-sized one, truthful this show is much successful my wheelhouse erstwhile it comes to superhero tales. But to really impressment maine successful subverting nan genre, you’ve sewage to onshore nan plane. I’m not judge that Wonder Man needfully did that — and Abdul-Mateen’s characteristic surely isn’t not my favourite to watch — but nan show astatine slightest didn’t wholly implode upon its conclusion.

In lawsuit you missed it

No. 1 UCLA shot pulls distant from No. 12 USC successful highly anticipated showdown

Joey Browner, prima protect backmost for USC and Vikings, dies astatine 65

Until adjacent clip ...

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you person immoderate feedback, ideas for betterment aliases things you’d for illustration to see, email maine astatine ryan.kartje@latimes.com, and travel maine connected X astatine @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter successful your inbox, click here.