It has been a remarkable season for the USC baseball team. The Trojans are one of the top squads in the Big Ten, and last week, hit 40 victories for the first time in 21 years.
A huge part of USC’s success has been due to ace Mason Edwards. Through 13 starts, Edwards currently has a record of 8-0 and a remarkable 1.61 ERA.
The national media is beginning to take note of Edwards, too. In a recent story, Kyle Bonagura of ESPN looked at Edwards’s path to becoming one of the top pitchers in the country.
“Edwards’ rise has been anything but conventional,” Bonagura wrote. “He wasn’t a showcase regular and didn’t interest top schools until late in high school. In his first two seasons at USC, he flashed potential without sustaining it. Last summer, he turned down the opportunity to play in the Cape Cod League to train at home, and the results have been better than imagined. Through 12 starts, Edwards is 7-0 with a 1.74 ERA and leads the nation in strikeouts (132 in 72⅓ innings). Last week, he set the Big Ten single-season strikeout record with 101 in conference play.
“The 2024 and 2025 seasons were an adventure for USC. With their stadium undergoing significant renovations, the Trojans played their home games nearly 50 miles away, in Orange County. The team would finish classes Thursday, bus to Irvine, practice, then stay near the baseball complex for the weekend. Last season, that home travel came on top of the team’s move to the Big Ten, which made for a grueling, nomadic schedule.
“As a freshman, Edwards finished with a 7.88 ERA in 37⅔ innings, but he looks back at that season now as an important part of his maturity as a pitcher.
“The progress carried into his sophomore season, but it still wasn’t linear. Edwards missed a few weeks because of a minor arm issue and continued to move between roles, at times starting and at others coming out of the bullpen. When he was on, the swing-and-miss ability was obvious.
“He finished the year with a 3.86 ERA and showed enough late in the season to earn a spot in the weekend rotation.
“[This season] Edwards didn’t allow an earned run over his first four starts and allowed just three over his first seven. The improved velocity has been helpful, but the curveball — two different types of curveballs, really — is the best pitch in his repertoire.”
On Thursday evening, Edwards will take the mound when the Trojans open up their final series of the regular season at Oregon. As USC looks to push towards a potential NCAA Tournament run, Edwards will play a major role in the team’s quest to do so.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: ESPN story discusses rise of USC baseball ace Mason Edwards
Reporting by Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
