UCLA 2B Sean Bouchard awaits the throw while Reggie Southall steals second base. (Shotgun Spratling)

SoCal Mega-Notebook: USC Steals The Show

LOS ANGELES — Regular-season college baseball weekends don’t get any better than this.

I’ve covered plenty of marquee early-season tournaments over the years, featuring premier teams and first-round talent. The 2007 Houston College Classic stands out for the matchup between Vanderbilt’s David Price and preseason No. 1 Rice; a loaded Arizona State also played in that event. In 2008, a tournament in San Diego featured four ranked teams (including eventual national champion Fresno State) and marquee arms like USD’s Brian Matusz, Fresno State’s Tanner Scheppers, Missouri’s Aaron Crow and San Diego State’s Stephen Strasburg.