Tag: USC Baseball

USC baseball’s surprising success occurs alongside Duce Robinson’s arrival

Robinson, an elite baseball prospect, can see #USC baseball is improving. Did that help him pick the Trojans? It couldn’t have hurt!

It is far from certain that Duce Robinson, a strong prospect in both football and baseball, will play both sports for USC. As 247Sports experts noted — and as we shared with you on Saturday — Robinson could take off and play professional baseball without ever suiting up for USC.

Yet, playing both sports as a Trojan is one of a number of possibilities which could emerge for Robinson.

It is impossible to ignore, in the midst of this complicated situation, the improvement of USC baseball in a very short period of time under first-year head coach Andy Stankiewicz. The Trojans, picked to finish 10th in the Pac-12 in preseason polls, are first in the conference entering play on Sunday, April 2.

One can’t help but wonder: Did this surge help Duce Robinson choose USC? While one would not be inclined to say that it was number one on Robinson’s (and his family’s) list of reasons for choosing the Trojans, it probably didn’t hurt.

It might be more coincidence than causality, but if USC was 10th instead of first, would we be here today, discussing Duce Robinson’s future as a Trojan? It’s an interesting discussion point.

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USC baseball rises to sole possession of first place in Pac-12

First-year coach Andy Stankiewicz has significantly improved the #USC program. Let’s see if this will be sustained.

The USC Trojans were not picked to finish first in the Pac-12 baseball standings this season. They weren’t picked to finish anywhere close to first. They weren’t picked to finish in the top half of the 12-team conference. They were picked to finish 10th.

Just over one month into the season, guess where the Trojans are? First place in the Pac-12. Outright. Alone. First-year head coach Andy Stankiewicz is surpassing all expectations, moving the program well ahead of schedule.

USC beat Utah on Saturday, 10-0, to win the weekend series against the Utes and move to 9-2 in the conference. Stanford is at 7-2 and Arizona State is 6-2.

The Trojans have delivered back-to-back shutouts against Utah, having won on Friday by a 4-0 score. Teams can’t bluff their way through baseball seasons without having good pitching. One can only win so many 10-9 games. The Trojans appear to have legitimately restocked their pitching, the central reason for their surge to the top of the conference.

Now we get to find out in April if the Trojans can maintain this run of form under Stankiewicz, who seems to be another home-run hire from athletic director Mike Bohn, who has already hired Lincoln Riley in football and Lindsay Gottlieb in women’s basketball.

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What analysts and experts are saying about Duce Robinson and USC

The experts at 247Sports offer a detailed, informative look at the various aspects of Duce Robinson’s situation.

There is so much to say about new USC commit Duce Robinson not only because he is a dynamic player, not only because he is a two-sport star, not only because he plays for Lincoln Riley with a Heisman-winning quarterback named Caleb Williams, but because he might not even play for USC.

Yes, it really is that complicated.

While it is undeniably great news that Robinson committed to USC over Kirby Smart and Georgia, we are not yet at a point where Robinson is absolutely guaranteed to play for the Trojans. No, you shouldn’t be freaking out, but you shouldn’t think it’s a done deal that Robinson will suit up for USC this fall. There are more plot points to deal with this summer, well before the scheduled season opener in late August against San Jose State.

Here’s what various 247Sports analysts are saying about Duce Robinson the athlete and Duce Robinson the football and baseball prospect, a man who has important decisions to make:

(h/t Blair Angulo of 247 Sports)

How baseball could complicate USC’s relationship with Duce Robinson

Duce Robinson could play football and baseball for #USC, but it’s not that clear-cut. It’s not that simple.

Duce Robinson signed to play for USC on Thursday, but it is not guaranteed that he will play college football for the Trojans. We can’t ignore the possibility that he will pursue a baseball career and put football on the back burner.

College football recruiting analyst Brandon Huffman said the following about the role baseball could play in shaping Duce Robinson’s decisions:

“Baseball is looming extremely large here, and to the point where if he goes in the first five rounds in this summer’s MLB First-Year Player Draft, that could be the route he ends up pursuing,” Huffman noted.

“He may not be drafted as high as say, Archie Bradley or Jordyn Adams, two recent Power Five football players who ultimately chose baseball, but a first-five round selection could be the difference maker. So I think baseball is an even larger factor here than most want to concede, and if he does go early in the draft, I think he’s more likely to end up in some small Rookie League or A-ball town than Los Angeles.”

USC fans will have to pay attention to the MLB draft this summer.

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Class of 2024 baseball star commits to USC

The Trojans just landed the No. 1 prospect in the state of California for 2024. That’s how USC can revive a struggling baseball program.

La Jolla Country Day High School prep star Will Stickney has committed to USC baseball.

Why is this particular recruitment notable? Stickney, from San Diego, was the best available in-state recruit on the board. Not one of the best. Not one of many moderately good or notably strong recruits, but the No. 1 recruit in the Golden State.

The class of 2024 infielder who plays second base, shortstop, and third base is a sophomore and one of the top 50 players in the 2024 class. Most of all, he is the best 2024 recruit in the state of California. That’s the kind of recruit USC needed to jump-start a decorated baseball program which has fallen on very tough times this past decade.

The Trojans really needed a lift.

This is definitely a lift.

Stickney’s fielding percentage is .833. He also collected 23 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and added a .361 batting average in his most recent season of high-school baseball.

Be on the lookout for Stickney over the next few years, before he becomes a Trojan baseball star.

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UNC trasnfer Matt Keating signs with New York Yankees

After joining the Diamond Heels a few weeks ago through transfer, Matt Keating will be forgo his Carolina journey and start his MLB one.

UNC has lost another Diamond Heel to MLB with transfer pitcher [autotag]Matt Keating[/autotag] being selected in the 2022 MLB Draft.

Earlier this month it was announced that USC’s right-handed pitcher Keating would be suiting up in Carolina blue threads, however, after a call from the pros, he’s heading to the Big Apple.  The 21-year-old relief pitcher has signed with the New York Yankees after getting drafted by the team in the ninth round of the MLB draft.

As the 280th overall pick, Keating also received a $122,500 signing bonus as he is expected to work his way through the farm system before hitting the mound on the main stage.

The Nebraska native spent just one year with the Trojans, appearing in only 24 games. In those 24 games, Keating pitched 30 innings for seven saves, 44 strike outs and a 3.60 ERA. Working his way up through the rankings will not be anything new for Keating. Before becoming a Trojan last season, he was pitching on the community college level with the Storm of Southeast Community College.

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Giants designate former USC pitcher Andrew Triggs for assignment

Former USC Trojans right-handed pitcher Andrew Triggs was designated for assignment by the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.

The San Francisco Giants designated right-handed pitcher and former USC Trojan Andrew Triggs for assignment on Wednesday, clearing a spot for Trevor Cahill to come off the injured list.

Triggs’ stay in San Francisco was a brief one, as he only appeared in one game, giving up three runs while only recording one out.

Triggs was a budding star with the Oakland A’s from 2016-2018, recording a 4.53 ERA with a much more palatable 4.17 FIP before a bout of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome caused him to miss the entire 2019 season.

The former USC product followed a similar career path to that of fellow USC star Barry Zito, who began his MLB career in Oakland before moving across the bay to play in San Francisco with the Giants – although Zito had more success on the mound, and has now rebranded himself as a country singer after finishing fourth on the popular TV show ‘The Masked Singer’ last season.

Now, the Giants will have 10 days to trade or release Triggs before he ends up back at the team’s alternate site, without a spot on the 40-man roster.

Triggs, 31, starred at USC from 2008-2012, actually getting drafted three times while with the Trojans, waiting to sign until he was a 19th round selection by the Royals in 2012.

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USC Baseball: 5th-round pick Kyle Hurt signs with Marlins

Former USC Trojans right-hander Kyle Hurt has signed a deal with the Miami Marlins, who selected him in the fifth round of the MLB draft.

The USC Trojans have had a player selected in every MLB Draft going back to the 1960’s, and that streak was barely kept alive in 2020 by right-hander Kyle Hurt.

Hurt was selected by the Miami Marlins in the fifth, and final, round of the draft – which was shortened this season thanks to COVID-19 and the lack of minor leagues.

Hurt finally signed his contract with Miami, inking a deal worth $300,000 dollars. He was not added to Miami’s 60-man taxi squad, however, so he will not play affiliated baseball until the 2021 season.

Hurt was USC’s best pitcher in the very abbreviated 2020 season, posting a 2-1 record with a 3.71 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 17 innings. He runs his fastball up to 96 miles per hour, which is what drew scouts to watch him despite a rather pedestrian career overall with the Trojans.

Now, he will look to get work in at Miami’s facility in Florida before hopefully starting to turn some heads during the 2021 minor league season.

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