Hedges having huge season for Trojans

Friday, April 4, Corvallis, Ore. – A move from the old Pacific-12 Conference to the Big Ten has ignited the bat of 2023 Corvallis Knights alum Ethan Hedges.

The University of Southern California junior tore through Indiana University like a spring tornado on March 28-30, leaving the Hoosier pitching staff in his wake. Hedges blasted four homers and two doubles, drove in nine runs and hit .692 (9-13) in the three-game series.

Add in a 1-for-4 performance against CSU-Fullerton on March 25 and the 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior from Fountain Valley, Calif., by way of Mater Dei High School, hit .588 (10-17) with 10 RBI for the week.

Hedges also earned his seventh save of the spring with a scoreless ninth inning to preserve a 13-12 win in the rubber game, giving the Trojans a 2-1 series victory on their weekend foray to the Heartland. He’s hit a home run and recorded the save in four games this season.

The big weekend raised his season average to an astounding .413 (43-104) in 27 games, heading into this weekend’s Big Ten series with Ohio State at Great Park in Irvine, USC’s temporary home while on-campus Dedeaux Field is being renovated.

“His impact has been pretty obvious,” USC head coach Andy Stankewicz said of Hedges. “What did he have, 10 hits during the week?

“That’s a heck of an offensive performance. He’s just steady, he just stays the course, doesn’t get too high or too low, he’s just a really complete player and person.

“I’m excited for him, proud for him. He has really worked hard to become a better baseball player.”

That dedication and commitment has paid off big-time this spring. His 2025 season has been a major upgrade from 2024, when he hit .270 with two homers and 34 RBIs.

Customarily an infielder/outfielder, Hedges has added pitching to his arsenal this season. He has seven saves in nine appearances, with a 4.00 ERA and nine strikeouts in nine innings.

Hedges earned first-team all-West Coast League honors for the Knights as a utility player in 2023, when he helped lead them to their seventh consecutive league championship following his freshman season at USC. Playing in 49 games, he hit .267, with two homers, 34 RBIs and 17 stolen bases.

“Hedgie always showed big upside and he was an absolute pleasure to have on our club,” Knights skipper Brooke Knight said. “He battled through a couple of injuries that summer, but he also had some special moments.

“His coachability, coupled with some exciting tools, were always going to give him every chance to develop and find his way.  I’ve been following along and it’s been really rewarding to see his results.

“And two-waying it like a dude to help his team win … fires me up!”

The Knights open the 2025 season on May 22nd with their annual Science, Engineering & Art Day game presented by Paventy & Brown Orthodontics at Goss Stadium. Their WCL opener is May 30th in Salem against the Marion Berries, the WCL’s newest expansion team. Their WCL home opener is June 11th against Springfield.