USC's National Championship Odds Come Into Focus Ahead of NCAA Tournament
The USC Trojans baseball team, with a 43-15 overall record, enters the NCAA Tournament primed to make a run at the College World Series in Omaha for the first time since 2001. USC, after falling 7-5 in a heartbreaking loss to the top-seeded UCLA Bruins on a walk-off three-run home run in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, was placed in the College Station Regional with the No. 12 overall seed, the Texas A&M Aggies, the Lamar Cardinals, and the Texas State Bobcats.
As one of the select few teams in college baseball to post over 40 wins this season, USC is among the best teams in the tournament that isn't hosting a regional. In addition to reaching the College World Series for the first time in 25 years, the Trojans also look to win their 13th national championship, with their last coming in 1998.
With the Trojans scheduled to open up the NCAA Tournament on Friday against Texas State, here's a look at USC's odds of winning the national championship.
USC Trojans Baseball's National Championship Odds
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the USC Trojans have +5500 odds to win the national championship. The Trojans odds to win the national championship are fourth-best in the Big Ten behind the UCLA Bruins (+500), Nebraska Cornhuskers (+4500), and the Oregon Ducks (+5500).
This is the second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament for coach Andy Stankiewicz's USC group after an impressive showing in 2025. Last season in the Corvallis Regional, the Trojans won their first two games against the TCU Horned Frogs and the Saint Mary's Gaels, before falling to the Oregon State Beavers twice, who went on to reach the College World Series.
How USC Trojans Can Make Run to College World Series
To reach the College World Series for the first time since 2001, the Trojans will first need to get past the College Station Regional. At most, the Trojans can lose one game to advance to the Super Regionals, where they'll face the winner of the Chapel Hill Regional, which includes the No. 5 overall seed North Carolina Tar Heels, VCU Rams, Tennessee Volunteers, and East Carolina Pirates.
If they advance to the Super Regionals, USC hopes to avoid the Tar Heels and potentially host the Super Regionals at Dedeaux Field in Los Angeles. The Super Regionals are best-of-three series, with the winner advancing to the CWS.
While the Trojans and Aggies are expected to face off with the right to advance to the Super Regionals, Texas State and Lamar are both talented teams that could present a challenge to the Trojans.
To make a run at the College World Series, the Trojans will rely on the hitting of senior outfielder Jack Basseer and junior infielder Kevin Takeuchi. Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Mason Edwards looks to play a pivotal role in the Trojans' making a run. As the Trojans ace, Edwards is considered one of the best pitchers in college baseball with 150 strikeouts and a 1.29 ERA.
USC will open up the NCAA Tournament on Friday against Texas State. The first pitch between the Bobcats and Aggies is scheduled for 6 p.m. PT at Blue Bell Park in College Station, Texas, with the game broadcast on ESPN+.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as USC's National Championship Odds Come Into Focus Ahead of NCAA Tournament .
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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 12:00 PM.