The USC Trojans' chances of making it beyond the Super Regional final are dwindling after a 4-0 shutout loss in Game 2 against the North Carolina Tar Heels.
The USC Trojans made a big statement in Game 1 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional by storming into the North Carolina Tar Heels ' territory and delivering an impressive victory.
The Trojans' Game 2 showing was the opposite of convincing, with the USC Trojans pitcher Mason Edwards reacting during the first inning after striking out the North Carolina Tar Heels at Boshamer Stadium. The first two games of the Super Regional delivered very different results for USC. The first game brought a 9-5 win after shortstop Dean Carpentier blasted his first career grand slam at the top of the sixth inning.
The second game ended in a 4-0 shutout loss, as the Trojans couldn't get anything working with their offense. With USC holding North Carolina to five or fewer runs in the first two games of the Super Regional, the message seems clear: the Trojans didn't make their postseason path easy on themselves. After beginning the final series of the regular season with a 201 win over the Oregon Ducks in Eugene, Oregon, USC lost back-to-back games by one run.
The Trojans' hopes of hosting a Regional came to a crashing halt entering the Big Ten Tournament. USC started the Big Ten Tournament with a dominant 7-0 victory over the Michigan State Spartans. But it ran into its Southern California rivals, the top-ranked UCLA Bruins, and lost 7-5. A Regional trip to College Station, Texas, posed a challenging road environment for the Trojans.
The Big Ten program rose to the occasion, however. A loss in the first game against Texas State sparked four-straight wins by the Trojans, including against the host Texas A&M, to stave off elimination. USC seemed to be riding high off its success in Texas in the first game, but the reality of playing in a tough road environment against the No. 4 team caught up to it in Game 2.
Even after the Game 1 defeat, the Tar Heels had the better odds to win the CWS. North Carolina's odds moved after the Game 2 win to +425, The Trojans slid from +950 to +1500 after Game 2. USC still holds the eighth-best odds, but its chances of making it beyond the Super Regional final are dwindling with the Tar Heels having the momentum entering the finale.
If Carpentier can summon the same heroics as he did on June 5 or another USC star can step up, they should be able to contend with North Carolina for a trip to Omaha. The Trojans' Pitching will need an improved performance as well, with the program already utilizing Grant Govel and Sax Matson on June 6
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