With back-to-back seasons of 30-plus wins, coach Andy Stankiewicz has delivered the USC baseball program its best results since 2015, but the Trojans' wait for a return to the NCAA postseason field remains ongoing.

In his second season at the helm last year, Stankiewicz led the Trojans to a 31-28 overall record and 17-12 mark in their final season of Pac-12 play, good for fourth in the conference.

But USC still hasn't made the NCAA tournament since 2015 and has only that one NCAA regionals appearance in the last 19 seasons.

A new season starts Friday afternoon -- the program's first as a member of the Big Ten -- and if it's going to be the year the Trojans get over the hump and back into the national spotlight in any way, it will likely comes from the strength of a veteran infield that returns all of its starters.

"We've got some returners, we've some kids that played last year quite a bit, so we feel that experience will help," Stankiewicz said. "... Now, we lost some guys obviously, but we feel there's some returners that had a pretty good impact last year and I think they're ready to step up. ... The foundation of that infield is returning, so that's always a good thing."

The Trojans will be pushing toward their postseason goals amidst a now-familiar obstacle, as they open with a three-game series this weekend at Great Park in Irvine, with construction continuing on their home field while displacing them for another season.

The hope is to at least be able to practice on campus at some point this spring, but for now, the Trojans are still bussing off-site each day.

"The field's actually almost playable, the grass and the dirt, so now it's just a matter of building on the outside. So I'm pretty confident we'll be ready next spring," Stankiewicz said. "... The goal here this spring is to be able to be on campus and not have to bus out for practice. I'm meeting here with some of the folks on construction and saying, 'Can we figure out a way to be on the field for practice?' We're trying to figure out a solution to that."

That's not the only challenge the squad will be working through, as it returns minimal experience on the mound.

That doesn't mean a lack of talent or potential, though.

Here's a closer look at what to expect from the Trojans across the diamond ...

USC was hoping to return star outfielder Austin Overn (.270 average, 8 home runs, 12 doubles, 5 triples, 32 RBI and a team-high 17 steals and 57 runs scored) and catcher Jacob Galloway (.286 average, 6 HRs, 17 doubles, 40 RBI, 42 runs), but Overn was drafted in third round by the Baltimore Orioles and signed with the club while Galloway transferred to Texas A&M.

Despite those losses, the Trojans have a lot of pieces back offensively and in the field -- starting in that infield with sophomore first baseman Dean Carpentier (.287 average, 4 HRs, 26 RBI, 31 runs), redshirt junior shortstop Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek (.284 while limited to 20 games due to injury), junior third baseman Ethan Hedges (.270, 2 HRs, 34 RBI, 38 runs) and the tandem of sophomores Kevin Takeuchi (.289, 4 HRs, 17 doubles, 40 RBI, 28 runs) and Abbrie Covarrubias (.232) at second base.

"We need Grudzielanek and Hedges, Takeuchi, Carpentier, the guys that played a lot last year, we need to them to really continue to develop," Stankiewicz said. "As well as they played last year, continue to develop and get better. Hedges is kind of a difference-maker. He's a big, strong, athletic third baseman, so he's a guy we think is primed to come out and do well and have a nice season for us."

At catcher, USC will turn to a JUCO transfer Richard Tejeda (.326, 4 HRs, 23 RBIs for Riverside CC last year) and freshman John Elliott from local Mater Dei HS. They're expected to share the catching duties, at least to start the season.

In the outfield, sophomore Brayden Dowd returns after a strong debut season in which he hit a team-leading .324 with a .401 on-base percentage, 26 RBI and 26 runs while tying for second on the squad with 8 stolen bases. He'll make the move from right field to centerfield this season.

"He's a catalyst kid -- good runner -- and I think he's ready to make a move his sophomore year," Stankiewicz said.

In left field, the Trojans will use Takeuchi when he's not playing second base while otherwise taking a long look at sophomore transfer Adrian Lopez, who hit .225 at Long Beach State last season but with 8 HRs, 38 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 14 attempts.

In right field, USC turns to perhaps its most intriguing transfer addition in graduate transfer Kade Higgins, who hit .320 (.425 on-base percentage) with 7 HRs, 15 doubles, 31 RBI and 52 runs in his second season for the Rebels after starting his college career at Arizona State.

"We lost Galloway and Overn, two left-handed hitters, we lost them late so you kind of scramble a little bit. We were trying to find a left-handed bat and we found him," Stankiewicz said of Higgins. "Je's just got an older presence about him. Slow heartbeat, he doesn't get rattled. I think he's a good fit for where we're at right now. ... That was a nice get for us."

Things change over the course of a season, but that's the 11 guys the Trojans figure to lean on most at the plate and in the field to start.

USC loses three of its top four pitchers in terms of innings pitched from last year, returning one main starter in senior right-hander Caden Aoki, who went 2-3 with a 3.91 ERA, 50 strikeouts and 10 walks in 53 innings and 11 starts.

Aoki will open up as the No. 2 starter on Saturdays.

The rest of the initial weekend rotation is filled out with two intriguing transfers.

Junior lefty Caden Hunter takes over as the Friday starter after posting a 2.23 ERA and a 108-27 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 80 2/3 innings for Sierra College at the JUCO level.

"We like his stuff. He's a big arm, lefty, and it's mid-90s, good breaking ball, change. We just feel like that's going to be a nice, hey man, right out the gate we've got this physical [pitcher], arm strength coming at you," Stankiewicz said.

Meanwhile, Alabama transfer Jackson Baker, a sophomore righty, will get the start on Sunday. He threw just 1 inning last season.

Junior righty Michael Ebner is another option for the weekend rotation when he recovers from a broken hand.

"We were hoping Ebner would be our 3 on a Sunday, but with a broken hand, we'll bring Jackson Baker in," Stankiewicz said. "He's interesting, he's a transfer from Alabama. He didn't pitch much last year, but he was kind of banged-up. He's a lower three-quarters, lanky, skinny kid with a really good sinker, so we're hoping he can be that guy on a Sunday that can eat up some innings for us."

Ebner, meanwhile, will have a major role one way or another after throwing 39 innings (20 relief appearances, 3 starts) last season. He posted a 5.08 ERA with an unideal 38-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio, but he's a guy the Trojans think could be ready to make a leap this season.

"Michael Ebner had a great summer in the Cape Cod [League]. I think he's ready to turn the corner and be a dude," Stankiewicz said. "He broke his hand so he'll be out probably the first two weekends -- he's healing up -- but I think he's in a good spot to make a good [impact]."

The bigger question is the bullpen, after the Trojans lost trusted late-game relievers Josh Blum (1.87 ERA, 10 saves in 33 2/3 innings) and Xavier Martinez (2.61 ERA over 48 1/3 innings). USC also lost versatile pitcher William Watson (3.93 ERA over 9 starts and 7 relief appearances), a seventh-round draft pick by the New York Mets.

Among the options the Trojans are hoping can solidify roles are sophomore lefty Mason Edwards, sophomore righty Garren Rizzo, sophomore righty Brodie Purcell and freshman righty Grant Govel.

"There's pieces. There's not great experience with guys that have already done it like Aoki, but certainly we're optimistic," Stankiewicz said. "We feel good about these guys being ready to jump on the mound and compete."

Who | George Washington vs. USC

Where | Great Park, Irvine

When | Friday 6 p.m., Saturday 2 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m.

Stream | BIG+