Getting to know USC baseball, which plays UNC for spot in College World Series

The USC Trojans (47-16) will face the No. 5-seeded UNC Tar Heels (48-11-1) in a best-of-three Super Regional series at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill, starting June 5 at 3 p.m. on ESPN2. This matchup marks USC’s first Super Regional appearance since 2005 and UNC’s third consecutive hosting of the series, with the Tar Heels chasing their first national championship. USC’s pitching staff, led by top prospect Mason Edwards (8-0, 1.85 ERA, 164 strikeouts) and Grant Govel (10-2, 2.93 ERA, 96 strikeouts), will be tested against UNC’s offense. The Trojans’ offense, however, has been dominant in the NCAA Tournament, scoring 58 runs in five games, including 10 home runs and 16 doubles. UNC holds a 3-8 all-time series advantage over USC, with two NCAA Tournament losses in 1966 and 1978. The teams last met in 2012, when UNC won two of three games at Boshamer Stadium. USC, which started the season 19-0 and ranked as high as No. 12 nationally, struggled on the road (12-13) but dominated at home (32-1). The Trojans’ road trip to Chapel Hill spans 2,500 miles, adding pressure to their quest for a College World Series berth, their first since 2001. UNC, aiming for its second Omaha trip in three years, will look to capitalize on USC’s pitching while maintaining its offensive momentum.