Shotgun Spratling and Jack Smith return on the Dedeaux Download Podcast to break down a second strong week to open up the 2025 USC baseball season with the Trojans picking up four wins and improving to 7-1 overall, finding ways to win close games against Big West foes UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton, dominating Cal State Bakersfield and splitting a pair of hard-fought games on the road at Rice.

Shotgun and Jack break down all the action, comparing the Trojans' strong start to the opening of the 2024 season when USC couldn't seem to get over the hump in close games early in the season. They discuss the standouts of the 4-1 week, including relievers Grant Govel and Garren Rizzo, who each had impressive scoreless outings.

Fourth-year junior shortstop Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek then joins the show to talk about his hot start to the season as he's hitting .323 with seven RBIs and knocked his first homer on Tuesday. BMG talks about being able to get out on the new Dedeaux Field for the first time Wednesday and discusses the differences from last season when he dealt with a wrist injury ("it sucked") to this season's fast start for the Trojans through two weeks.

He also discusses why he decided to come back to USC after being drafted in the 20th round last year and what it took to get his mother, a former UCLA softball player, to finally put on some cardinal-and-gold attire.

After talking with Martin-Grudzielanek, Shotgun and Jack preview an upcoming 10-day stretch that could define the season for the Trojans as they take on Connecticut, No. 14 Vanderbilt and UCLA this weekend and a midweek matchup with No. 20 UC Santa Barbara before opening Big Ten play against No. 11 Oregon next weekend.

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