GAME RECAP: #16 Oregon State Stays Hot, Hands Trojans Their 2nd Loss of 2026 in 12-4 Rout at Dedeaux Field

LOS ANGELES — The USC Trojans entered Tuesday’s midweek matchup at Dedeaux Field riding one of the hottest starts in program history. But #16 Oregon State had other ideas.

The visiting Beavers jumped all over Trojan starter Chase Herrell (2-1) right from the jump, posting a seven-run lead through three innings and never looked back in a 12-4 victory that dropped USC to 24-2 on the season — their second loss of 2026. Oregon State improved to 18-5 and continued its torrid early-season form.

Connor Mendez (1-1) earned the win in relief, tossing three innings of two-hit ball while the Beaver offense pounded out 11 hits, including two home runs and a parade of timely extra-base knocks.

Oregon State wasted no time getting after it.

In the top of the first, Easton Talt reached and Bryce Hubbard crushed a two-run homer to right field to make it 2-0. The Beavers added two more in the second on a Talt sacrifice fly and a wild-pitch/run-scoring throw error, then tacked on three in the third thanks to RBI singles from Aj Singer and Talt. By the time the dust settled after three innings, it was 7-0 Beavers and the Trojans were already chasing shadows.

USC finally broke through in the fourth. Augie Lopez and Adrian Lopez strung together hits, Isaac Cadena walked, and Dean Carpentier launched a three-run homer to right that cut the deficit to 9-4 and gave the home crowd its only real reason to roar all afternoon.

But the Trojans’ rally proved short-lived. The Beavers’ bullpen slammed the door the rest of the way, and Oregon State put an exclamation point on the afternoon in the ninth. Paul Vazquez — who had already been a menace all day — crushed a three-run homer to center, plating Singer and Nyan Hayes to push the final margin to 12-4.