All week, the big question facing the USC baseball team was how it would align its pitching rotation for a showdown against Texas A&M.
Rather than go with ace Mason Edwards in the opener of the College Station Regional of the NCAA Tournament, the Trojans turned to Grant Govel while preserving Edwards in anticipation of facing the Aggies the next day.
But after USC was upset in that opener, so was its pitching plan.
By the time the Trojans faced top-seeded Texas A&M in an elimination game on Sunday night, neither Edwards nor Govel was available.
It turned out that maybe Andrew Johnson was the guy they wanted all along.
In the most momentous start of his career, the sophomore right-hander baffled the Aggies during USC’s 14-3 rout that featured a continuation of the Trojans’ offensive onslaught.
After piling up 14 hits during a 15-4 drubbing of Texas State earlier in the day, USC (46-16) amassed 17 hits against the Aggies, including home runs from Augie Lopez and Andrew Lamb.
After scoring four runs in the first inning and three more in the third, the Trojans held a 7-1 lead. Johnson (8-2) took it from there, allowing nine hits and three runs in 7⅓ superb innings before reliever Rohan Kasanagottu went the rest of the way.
What it means
After being upset by Texas State in its Regional opener, USC has reeled off three consecutive victories to put itself on the verge of advancing to its first Super Regional since 2005.
Turning point
USC’s four-run first inning silenced a crowd of 6,934 that had expected a party but instead experienced the equivalent of a baseball wake.
MVP: Andrew Johnson
Looking more like an ace than a No. 3 starter, Johnson struck out four and walked only one.
Up next
The Trojans face the Aggies again on Monday, with a chance to complete a rare comeback from losing a Regional opener to making a Super Regional.
