Preview: Oregon State at Southern California

LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — The nation’s top-ranked team puts its lofty record on the line Tuesday afternoon when the Southern California Trojans host the surging Oregon State Beavers in a nonconference clash at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. PDT under clear skies with a game-time temperature of 75 degrees forecast.

The Trojans (24-1), whose only loss came March 14 at Northwestern, have been dominant. They are riding a seven-game win streak, most recently a 14-4 rout of Washington on Sunday where left fielder Brock Slaton went 2 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs. Slaton is a key power threat for a USC lineup averaging over eight runs per game during its streak.

They face an Oregon State squad (17-5) that has won 10 of its last 11, including a three-game road sweep at UC Irvine over the weekend. The Beavers won the series finale 9-5 on Sunday, powered by a two-homer, two-RBI day from Easton Talt and four shutout innings of relief from Eric Segura.

Segura, a right-hander, is the Beavers’ player to watch. Over his last four appearances spanning 15 1/3 innings, he has allowed just one earned run on six hits while striking out 25. His recent dominance out of the bullpen provides a formidable bridge to the late innings.

USC’s Slaton, meanwhile, looks to continue his offensive surge after driving in four runs Sunday.

The game is organized under the Big 10 banner, though it is a nonconference matchup for both programs. It serves as a final tune-up before each team resumes its primary schedule this weekend. USC opens a three-game series at Maryland on Friday, while Oregon State hosts Mercer.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, this showdown projects as a high-scoring affair, with a narrow 8-7 victory for the visiting Beavers.

The matchup features a stark contrast in momentum: USC’s sustained excellence against the nation’s toughest schedule versus Oregon State’s recent road prowess and lockdown relief pitching. How the Beavers’ staff navigates the potent Trojan lineup, and whether USC’s pitchers can slow an Oregon State offense that has scored nine or more runs in four of its last six games, will likely decide the outcome.