It was widely felt that USC absolutely had to win at least two of three games over the weekend against Arizona State to have a decent chance of making the 2023 NCAA Baseball Tournament. The Trojans were just about done if they lost two of three, and they were definitely out of the field if they got swept. Two of three would have represented a decent result. It certainly wouldn’t have resolved the issue, but it would have moved USC in the right direction.
A sweep win? That’s exactly what USC needed to get on the right side of the bubble. The Trojans are certainly not a lock to make the tournament, but as things currently stand, they have to like their chances. That’s what winning three straight games against a good team will do.
Let’s go inside this series and look at what the Trojans did to dramatically change their bubble outlook: