LONG BEACH, Calif. — Long Beach State continues the 2026 season Tuesday night with a midweek road matchup against No. 25 USC, then return home to Bohl Diamond at Blair Field for a three-game Big West series against Hawai’i beginning Friday.

LEADING OFF

• The 72nd season of Long Beach State baseball continues this week as the Dirtbags hit the road for a midweek matchup against the No. 25 University of Southern California Trojans on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in Los Angeles. All USC home baseball games are free for spectators at Dedeaux Field.

• Following the midweek contest, Long Beach State returns home to resume Big West play with a three-game series against the University of Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field. The series begins Friday, March 13 at 6:05 p.m., continues Saturday, March 14 at 6:05 p.m., and concludes Sunday, March 15 at 1:05 p.m. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+.

PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS

•Long Beach State is expected to send senior left-hander Van Larson to the mound for the midweek matchup. Larson has appeared in three games this season, logging 3.1 innings with one strikeout. He has allowed seven hits and six runs while issuing six walks.

• USC is projected to counter with right-hander Chase Herrel. The Trojan starter has made five appearances with three starts this season, posting a 5.02 ERA with a 1-0 record. In 14.1 innings, Herrel has struck out 17 batters while allowing 16 hits and eight earned runs. 

THIS OR THAT

•The Dirtbags have been one of the most balanced teams in the conference early in the season, sitting 3rd in the Big West in team overall batting average (.264) while also ranking 2nd in conference play defensively with a .956 fielding percentage entering the start of league play.

•Trevor Goldenetz ranks fourth in the conference in batting average (.600) while also sitting third in on-base percentage (.714) and seventh in OPS (1.314). Jake Evans is 12th in batting average (.444) and 14th in on-base percentage (.538). Aaron Perez is 13th in slugging percentage (.667), while Goldenetz also ranks 18th in slugging (.600). Goldenetz sits seventh in the conference in hits (6) and is tied for 13th in runs scored (3). Trotter Enright and Dylan Lina are also tied for 14th in RBIs with three, while Enright and Perez each appear among the conference leaders in doubles. Smith Chandler, Enright, Evans and Goldenetz are all among the top 20 in walks, and Goldenetz and Camden Gasser are both listed among the conference leaders in sacrifice bunts.

•Tyler Gebb ranks fifth in the Big West in opposing batting average (.100).Alex Ramos is tied for second in the conference with one walk allowed, giving the Dirtbags multiple pitchers represented among the league’s early top-10 statistical marks.

SCOUTING THE TROJANS

•USC enters the midweek matchup undefeated at 15-0 and ranked No. 20 nationally, including a three-game weekend sweep of Illinois at Dedeaux Field. The Trojans held the Illini to just three total runs across the series, winning 4-0, 4-0 and 5-3 while showcasing one of the nation’s most dominant pitching staffs.

•Offensively, USC is hitting .277 as a team with 134 hits, 102 runs and 13 home runs through its first 15 games. Kevin Takeuchi leads the lineup with a .370 batting average and 20 hits, while Adrian Lopez (.310, 10 RBI) and Jack Basseer (.353, four home runs, 11 RBI) provide additional run production in the middle of the order. The Trojans have also shown speed on the bases with 19 stolen bases this season. 

•On the mound, USC has been especially dominant with a team ERA of 1.47 and 171 strikeouts across 135 innings. Mason Edwards (3-0) has yet to allow an earned run and has struck out 42 in 24 innings, while Grant Govel (4-0, 0.35 ERA) has allowed just one earned run over 26 innings. The pitching depth has been a major strength, with multiple relievers contributing to the Trojans allowing only 22 earned runs through their first 15 games. 

•USC also defeated UC Irvine earlier in the week 6-4 behind multi-hit performances from Kevin Takeuchi, Jack Basseer and Andrew Lamb, continuing a strong early-season stretch that has included consistent pitching and timely offense. 

•Historically, USC leads the all-time series against Long Beach State 88-48. The teams have met three times over the last two seasons, including a 12-2 USC victory on April 22, 2025 at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field. During the 2024 season, the Trojans earned a 7-3 win on March 19 at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field before the Dirtbags responded with a 7-6 victory in 12 innings on May 7 at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.

LAST TIME OUT

•Long Beach State opened Big West play last weekend with a three-game series at UC Santa Barbara after a high-scoring midweek matchup at San Diego State earlier in the week.

•The Dirtbags and Aztecs combined for 23 runs and 29 hits in a 13-10 midweek battle that went to the Aztecs, at Tony Gwynn Stadium. Dylan Lina led the offensive surge with three hits, two home runs and seven RBI, while Reid Montgomery added three hits including a home run. 

•Jake Evans and Damon Valdez each recorded two hits. Out of the bullpen, Joey Iglesias provided a steady outing with four strikeouts over three innings, while Caleb Anderson added two scoreless innings with two strikeouts to help stabilize the game after an early deficit.

•The Dirtbags then traveled to Santa Barbara to open conference play, falling 4-3 in the series opener despite collecting 10 hits offensively. Dylan Lina drove in three runs, while Reid Montgomery and Camden Gasser each recorded two hits. On the mound, Jake Fields worked five innings allowing three runs, and Tyler Gebb delivered two scoreless innings in relief to keep the game within reach.

•In game two, Long Beach State took an early lead before ultimately falling 7-4. Trevor Goldenetz led the offense with two hits, a run and an RBI, while Jake Evans added an RBI single and sacrifice fly. Luke Howe turned in a strong start, tossing six innings with seven strikeouts to keep the Dirtbags competitive into the late innings.

•The series finale saw the Dirtbags tally eight hits but come up short in a 6-2 decision. Trevor Goldenetz anchored the offense with three hits, while Aaron Perez added two hits including a home run. Freshman Jason Gerfers struck out four over 3.2 innings, and the bullpen continued to shine as Tyler Gebb recorded two strikeouts in an inning and Alex Ramos added three strikeouts across two frames.

PLAYER NOTES

•Trevor Goldenetz – Goldenetz has been one of the Dirtbags’ most consistent offensive threats, leading the team with a .389 batting average through 15 games. The center fielder has collected 21 hits, scored 10 runs and drawn 12 walks while posting a .521 on-base percentage. Goldenetz has also added a triple and seven stolen bases.

•Jake Evans – Evans is hitting .372 with 16 hits, including four doubles, while driving in five runs and scoring eight times. He has posted a .491 on-base percentage with eight walks and four hit-by-pitches.

•Trotter Enright – Enright has started all 15 games and ranks among the team leaders with 17 hits and a team-high seven doubles. He leads the Dirtbags with 14 RBI while posting a .407 slugging percentage.

•Dylan Lina – Lina has delivered the team’s most power production with three home runs and 19 RBI while totaling 11 hits and two doubles. He has also drawn six walks and been hit by a pitch seven times. 

•Camden Gasser – Gasser continues to be one of the Dirtbags’ toughest outs, reaching base at a .516 clip, 14 runs scored, and a conference-high 24 walks. 

•Aaron Perez – Perez has appeared in 13 games and recorded 10 hits, including two doubles and a home run, while driving in five runs.

•Matt Toomey – Toomey has collected 10 hits with four doubles and a triple while scoring seven runs. He has also been aggressive on the bases, going a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts.

•Smith Chandler – Chandler is hitting .320 in 10 appearances with eight hits and five RBI while posting a .469 on-base percentage. 

•Reid Montgomery – Montgomery has hit .348 in limited action with eight hits, including a home run and a double, while adding three RBI and four runs scored with a .423 on-base percentage.

•Luke Howe – Howe has been the Dirtbags’ most reliable starter, posting a 3.33 ERA with a 2-0 record across four starts. He has worked a team-high 24.1 innings while striking out 16 and holding opponents to a .230 batting average.

•Jake Fields – Fields owns a 1-2 record across four appearances, including three starts, while striking out 17 batters in 19.2 innings. Opponents are hitting just .156 against him, the lowest average among the Dirtbags’ starters.

•Jason Gerfers – The freshman right-hander has made five appearances with four starts, logging 17.2 innings while striking out 15 batters. Gerfers continues to gain experience as part of the weekend rotation.

•Tyler Gebb – Gebb has been effective out of the bullpen with a 3.52 ERA across seven appearances. In 7.2 innings he has struck out nine hitters while holding opponents to a .214 batting average.

•Alex Ramos – Ramos has made seven relief appearances, posting 11 strikeouts across 8.2 innings while limiting opponents to a .226 batting average.

•Joey Iglesias – Iglesias has worked 8.2 innings out of the bullpen with eight strikeouts across five appearances, providing depth in the Dirtbags’ relief corps.