USC Trojans baseball


The USC Trojans baseball program represents the University of Southern California in college baseball. Established in 1888, the team is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Pac-12 Conference. USC home's field is Dedeaux Field, which is named in honor of former head coach and National College Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Rod Dedeaux.
The USC Trojans are one of the most successful programs in the history of college baseball. The Trojans have won more baseball national championships than any other program across all divisions of college baseball. With 12 national championships, USC is far and away the leader in that category; no other Division I school has more than six. As of June 30, 2018, USC also ranked fifth in all-time College World Series appearances with 21, trailing only Texas, Miami , and Arizona State, and Florida State. The Trojans have won more individual CWS games than any program but Texas. USC also ranked fourth in all-time NCAA Tournament wins with 173—trailing only Texas, Miami, and Florida State —and eighth in total NCAA Tournament appearances with 37.
The Trojans have compiled an all-time record of 2,884–1,685–28 —ranking fifth in all-time wins and 18th in all-time win percentage—and have captured outright or tied for 38 conference championships, as of the end of the 2018 season. USC's most notable baseball coach was Rod Dedeaux, who coached from 1942 from 1986 and led the school to 11 of its NCAA championships, including five straight from 1970 to 1974. The first Trojan national championship came in 1948. The 12th and most recent NCAA championship came in 1998.

History

The early years

The Trojans began recognizing baseball as a school sport in 1889. As with many programs during the late 19th century and early 20th century, the Trojans lacked a consistent head coach, when they even had one at all. It was not until 1908 that the Trojans had an official head coach, Harvey Holmes, but Holmes only coached the team for one year. Holmes also coached other sports at USC including football and track. The team would get another coach during the 1911 season, Curtiss Bernard. Bernard also only coached for a year, and in 1912 the Trojans once again had a one-year coach in Len Burrell.
During the World War I years, the USC baseball team was made up mostly of law school students, but the team opened up to all students for the 1916 and 1917 seasons. Following the conclusion of the war, the baseball team was coached by "Gloomy Gus" Henderson in 1920. Henderson would join forces with Willis Hunter as co-coaches for the 1921 season, but the team was left without a coach for the 1922 season. In 1923 the team was coached by George Wheeler, who also coached the law students during the 1914 season. Wheeler coached the team for a year, and would mark the last time the Trojan baseball team has lacked consistency at the coaching position.

Sam Crawford era

Long-time Major League Baseball player and multiple MLB record-holder Sam Crawford took over as head coach of USC baseball in 1924. Crawford would mark the end of inconsistency at the coaching ranks for the baseball program. During his tenure, the program slowly began to rise to national prominence, and Crawford helped to create the California Intercollegiate Baseball Association in 1927. Crawford coached the Trojans for six years before turning the reigns over to Sam Barry. Crawford compiled an overall record of 59-46-3, including a second-place finish during the initial campaign for the CIBA.

Sam Barry era

In 1930, Sam Barry took over the USC baseball program and immediately built off of the success his predecessor had. On his arrival at USC in 1929, he was named head basketball coach and was made an assistant for the USC football team under his friend and colleague, Howard Jones. When Jones died suddenly in 1941, Barry was named his successor, and served as head coach for all three major USC sports teams simultaneously. Barry won the CIBA title in his first year, finishing 11–2 and 25–5–1 overall. During the next decade, Barry would claim four more CIBA titles. Barry coached the Trojans from 1930–1941 before joining the Navy during World War II. As he left, he recommended that Jeff Cravath become the head football coach, Julie Bescos become the head basketball coach, and Rod Dedeaux, the captain of his 1935 team, become the head baseball coach. Upon his return, Barry would resume coaching the Trojans alongside Dedeaux. Barry finished with a career mark of 219–89–3. He remains one of only three coaches to coach a Final Four game and in a College World Series. Barry was elected to the inaugural class of the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1966.

Barry-Dedeaux years

When Sam Barry returned from World War II in 1946, Barry and Dedeaux served as co-coaches, with Dedeaux running the team each year until Barry finished the basketball season. The arrangement was so successful that USC won the College World Series in 1948.

1948 National Championship

After finishing the season 40–12–1, USC met Yale for the 1948 NCAA Division I baseball championship at the second College World Series. The CWS in 1948 was a best 2-out-of-3 format. The games were played on June 25 and June 26, with June 26 being a doubleheader if necessary. USC won the first game, 3–1 to take a 1–0 series lead, but lost game 2 by a score of 8–3. The third and final game immediately followed game 2. USC scored a run in the first inning to claim a lead it would not surrender. USC claimed their first national championship with a game 3 victory, 9–2. Although USC won, they were unable to prevent future President of the United States of America, George Bush, from collecting a double in the final game.

Rod Dedeaux era

After being co-head coach in 1942 with his former college coach Sam Barry, Dedeaux took over the USC program in 1943. Barry recommended Dedeaux to coach the team when Sam Barry joined the Navy. Dedeaux coached the Trojans by himself for the next three years, until once again joining forces with Barry as co-head coaches. After Barry's death in September 1950, Dedeaux became the sole coach of USC baseball.
After taking over in 1951, Dedeaux became the sole coach and proceeded to build on the early success to establish the strongest program in collegiate baseball. The Trojans claimed 11 straight CIBA championships in Dedeaux's first 11 years. The Trojans claimed nine outright titles and tied for first in 1953 and 1957. Following the 1957 campaign, Dedeaux's team finished the season 36–8 overall and earned the first of his 10 national championships as sole coach.

1958 National Championship

1961 National Championship

1963 National Championship

1968 National Championship

1970 National Championship

1971 National Championship

1972 National Championship

1973 National Championship

1974 National Championship

1978 National Championship

Retirement and Legacy

After a total of 45 years as head coach of USC, Dedeaux decided to retire following the 1986 campaign. Dedeaux drastically changed college baseball and left historic marks on the sport that might never be touched. Dedeaux won a total of 11 national championships, 10 by himself and one with Sam Barry, compiled a record of 1,332–571–11, and completed a stretch of 37 years without a losing season. He retired as the winningest coach in college baseball history and held that distinction until 1994 when Texas head coach Cliff Gustafson broke it.
While he was at USC, Dedeaux also served as coach of the United States national baseball team at both the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, and the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, with baseball being a demonstration sport prior to its elevation to full medal status in 1988.
Following his retirement, Dedeaux became the Director of Baseball for USC, and for the rest of his life remained a beloved annual presence at the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. The field the Trojans currently play their games at is named after him. He was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame in 1970, and in 1999 was named the Coach of the Century by Collegiate Baseball magazine.
Dedeaux died at age 91 in Glendale, California, of complications from a December 2, 2005, stroke. He was survived by his wife of 66 years, the former Helen Jones, and their four children. On July 4, 2006, Dedeaux was inducted as a member of the first class of inductees into the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Post Rod Dedeaux

Mike Gillespie

USC reached out to Mike Gillespie, one of Rod Dedeaux's former players, to replace the recently retired coach. Gillespie played under Dedeaux from 1960–1962, and after a successful coaching stint at the College of the Canyons, he was named just the fourth head coach of USC baseball since 1924.
1998 National Championship
Gillespie was named National Coach of the Year in 1998.
Retirement and legacy
After 20 years as the head coach of the Trojans, Gillespie decided to retire following the 2006 season. During his career, Gillespie kept Trojan baseball in the spotlight, especially in the years leading up to and following the 1998 championship. He finished with an overall record of 763–471–2 during his tenure as coach of the Trojans. As a result of his success, Gillespie earned the honor to coach the 2000 USA National Team. During his tenure he was named Pac-10 coach of the year four times, while his teams produced 44 All-America selections, 94 draft picks, and 25 Major League players.
After sitting out the 2007 season, Gillespie was named coach of the UC Irvine Anteaters in September 2007. Gillespie replaced Dave Serrano, who had just guided the Anteaters to their first CWS appearance but left to take over at Cal State Fullerton, his alma mater, after George Horton left Fullerton to head the new program at Oregon.

Chad Kreuter

In June 2006, Chad Kreuter became only the fifth man to earn the title of head baseball coach at USC since 1924. Kreuter replaced his father-in-law, Mike Gillespie, after Gillespie retired.
Kreuter failed to reach the postseason in each of his four years as head coach. He produced an overall record of 111–117 during this time, never posting a winning record. During his tenure, the Trojans twice finished in last place in the Pac-10, and never higher than fifth in the conference. Although his players flourished in the classroom, he came under heavy criticism late in his tenure. He was relieved of his duties in August 2010 and replaced by assistant coach and former Loyola Marymount head coach Frank Cruz.

2010s

On May 30, 2019, Dan Hubbs was informed that his contract would not be renewed by the university.
On June 14, 2019, former Loyola Marymount head coach Jason Gill was hired to be the head coach for the Trojans.

Jason Gill

On June 14, 2019, Former Loyola Marymount head coach Jason Gill was hired to be the new head coach of the USC Trojans baseball program.

Current Coaching Staff

Ball Parks

Bovard Field

Bovard Field was the former home of USC baseball until Dedeaux Field opened in 1974.
The baseball field was aligned similar to Dedeaux Field, but a few degrees clockwise, nearly true north, but just slightly west. Home plate was located in today's E.F. Hutton Park and left field was bounded by Watt Way. Beyond first base, a large eucalyptus tree came into play; while its trunk was in foul territory, some of its branches crossed into fair territory and guarded the foul line in shallow right field.

Dedeaux Field

Dedeaux Field is the home field for the USC Trojans baseball team. It is named after the former legendary USC coach Rod Dedeaux, who coached from 1942 to 1986. The Trojans moved into the ballpark in 1974, the same year that they won their fifth consecutive national championship. After many renovations, the current capacity is 2,500 people.

Head coaches

1Rod Dedeaux1,332
2Mike Gillespie763
3Sam Barry219

1Sam Barry.934
2Barry-Dedeaux.706
3Rod Dedeaux.699

Year-by-Year Results

Through the end of the 2013 season.
Final Rankings are from Collegiate Baseball Division I Final Polls

National Championships

USC in the NCAA Tournament

Individual records

Team records

Player awards

All-Americans

The following is a listing of first team selections. Other selections are available at USC's official website.
Legend
Legend