Top-Ranked Trojans Visit Struggling Dirtbags in Midweek Clash

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Interstat) — The red-hot Southern California Trojans, boasting the nation’s top ranking and a 30-7 record, travel to Blair Field on Tuesday to face a struggling Long Beach State Dirtbags squad (11-23) in a non-conference midweek matchup.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. PDT under cloudy skies with temperatures around 63 degrees.

The Trojans, coming off a three-game sweep of Iowa, have won 10 of their last 13 and feature one of the most potent lineups in college baseball. They defeated the Dirtbags 6-1 in Los Angeles earlier this season on March 10.

A key player to watch for USC is right-hander Andrew Johnson, who is expected to start. Johnson is coming off a strong outing against Iowa last Sunday, allowing one earned run over six innings with five strikeouts in an 8-2 win. His recent performances have been inconsistent, however, including a rough start at UCLA on April 5 where he surrendered seven earned runs without allowing a hit over six innings.

Long Beach State will counter with right-hander Jason Gerfers, who has also experienced volatility. Gerfers was brilliant in a complete-game, one-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts against Cal State Bakersfield on March 22. But in his last start, he took the loss against Cal State Fullerton, giving up four earned runs over six innings. The Dirtbags have lost eight of their last ten games.

According to Interstat, the Trojans are heavy favorites with a 74.6% probability to win. Their game simulator projects a 5-3 USC victory.

For Southern California, designated hitter Augie Lopez and catcher Isaac Cadena provided the power in Sunday’s win, each hitting home runs. The Dirtbags’ Dylan Lina homered in their most recent loss.

The game serves as a final tune-up for USC before a major road series at Nebraska this weekend. Long Beach State hosts San Diego State on Wednesday before opening a Big West Conference series with UC Riverside on Friday.