New baseball coach Andy Stankiewicz sees only opportunity ahead for Trojans
The reality is that the USC baseball program has made just one NCAA postseason appearance in the last 17 years, but reality and expectation are two very different perspectives with regard to the Trojans.
This is also a program that has won more national titles (12) than any other in the sport, and it's that past standard that gets renewed by fans every time a new coach is hired and another reset is initiated.
Andy Stankiewicz says not only does he understand that -- he embraces it.
Stankiewicz, USC's new baseball coach hired last week, joined the Trojan Talk podcast for an in-depth conversation about taking on the task of restoring -- his word -- this proud program and what all that entails.
RELATED: Listen to the full Trojan Talk podcast interview with Andy Stankiewicz here
He was asked about those 12 national championships -- the last coming in 1998 but the rest all pre-1980 -- and whether it's possible for this program to return to that level at some point in the future or if that's setting the bar too high.
"No, no question, it is [possible]. That's not setting the bar high. That's where the bar needs to be," Stankiewicz said without hesitation.
Stankiewicz comes to USC after 11 seasons as the head coach at Grand Canyon, helping that program transition from Division II to Division I, while making two NCAA regionals in the first four seasons it was eligible (excluding the pandemic year when there was no postseason tournament). He was named the Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year four times.
He spent seven seasons as a Major Leaguer, playing with the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Montreal Expos and Arizona Diamondbacks. In transitioning to coaching, he's also been a minor league manager, an assistant coach at Arizona State for three seasons and worked with several USA Baseball national teams.
You must be a member to read the full article. Subscribe now for instant access to all premium content.
-
Members-only forums
-
Predict prospect commits with FanFutureCast
-
Exclusive highlights and interviews
-
Exclusive coverage of Rivals Camp Series
-
Breaking recruiting news