The USC baseball team advanced to the NCAA super regional for the first time in 21 years by defeating Texas A&M 7-1 in the College Station Regional Final at Blue Bell Park on Monday night.
Designated hitter Augie Lopez secured the victory with a three-run home run to right field, silencing a sellout crowd of 7,042 spectators.
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The Trojans, now holding a 47-16 record, will face North Carolina in the Chapel Hill Super Regional.
USC had previously won three consecutive elimination games out of the losers' bracket, scoring 48 combined runs.
That stretch included a 14-run performance on Sunday night against Texas A&M to force the winner-take-all final.
On the mound, right-hander Grant Govel retired the first seven Aggies batters before Bear Harrison hit a solo home run in the third inning.
Govel had thrown 89 pitches over 5⅓ innings on Friday.
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Texas A&M threatened in the fourth inning when Chris Hacopian drew a leadoff walk and Ben Royo hit a two-out single.
Jorian Wilson followed with a single, but a defensive play ended the inning.
Trojans second baseman Abbrie Covarrubias fielded the ball in the outfield, and Adrian Lopez threw home to retire Hacopian.
USC tied the game 1-1 in the fifth inning on an RBI single by Covarrubias, who then stole second base.
Augie Lopez broke the tie with an RBI single to right-center before hitting his three-run homer two innings later.
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After the final out, Lopez was named the regional's most outstanding player, with fans chanting his name.
