Clemson baseball coach Monte Lee is once again trying something different on the mound this weekend.
With a series win on the line against No. 9 Florida State on Saturday, the Tigers (25-13, 5-10 ACC) will hand the ball to Geoffrey Gilbert for his first career start. First pitch from Doug Kingsmore Stadium is set for 3 p.m.
It’s the second straight weekend Lee has shaken up the rotation, which has struggled throughout the season to find any semblance of consistency on the final two days of the weekend. Right-hander Mack Anglin (3.24 earned run average) kept Clemson close with another solid start Friday before Max Wagner hit a go-ahead grand slam for the Tigers in the eighth inning of their 6-4 win, but Nick Hoffman (5.19) and Nick Clayton (5.65) both have ERAs north of 5 as the Tigers’ usual Saturday and Sunday starters.
Last week against Wake Forest, freshman right-hander Jay Dill got his first career start in place of Hoffman on Saturday, but he yielded seven runs in his only inning of work. Clayton also lasted just an inning Sunday, allowing three runs in his third straight start that failed to extend past 3 1/3 innings.
Gilbert has been one of the Tigers’ top relievers the last couple of seasons, posting a 2.70 ERA in 48 career appearances so far. The left-hander has a 4.71 ERA in 13 appearances this season with 33 strikeouts in 21 innings.
Gilbert, who hasn’t pitched more than three innings in any outing this season, hasn’t allowed a hit in his last 6 1/3 innings of work. He threw 1 1/3 frames with one strikeout his last time out Wednesday against East Tennessee State.
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