Clemson true freshman outfielder Camden Troyer had seen the field just one time prior to Sunday’s series finale against Georgia Tech, but his performance showed otherwise. With a 2-2 count in his third plate appearance of the game, Troyer belted a solo homer to right center, the first of his Clemson career.
“I went into the at-bat, coaches had me prepared, I knew the guy had a good fastball, and so the message was be ready for that,” Troyer said. “I knew he couldn’t land a slider during that at-bat; he gave me a fastball over the plate, and I was able to put a good swing on it. It was definitely a good feeling for sure.”
The Greenville native was not the first to join Clemson’s deep ball club either. Troyer was the fifth and final Tiger of the day to hit a ball out the park on Sunday afternoon, giving Clemson the eventual 12-run edge and sweep over the Yellow Jackets.
Clemson coach Monte Lee was more than impressed with the freshman’s performance, something the seventh-year head coach was not shy about following Sunday’s win.
“I thought the at-bat of the game quite honestly was Camden Troyer’s at-bat,” Lee said. “True freshman, guy is throwing 98-99 (miles per hour), and we told the guys, ‘You’ve got to win the front of the plate when a guy’s throwing this hard. You’ve got to show that you’re going to catch up to his fastball.’ The first fastball he saw, he fouled off straight back and he made contact with it out front.”
“I knew right then and there that he’s ready for this at-bat. … I didn’t know he was going to hit a home run but felt like he had the proper timing and mindset to hit against a guy throwing that hard and you could tell by the swings that he was taking that he was going to win the front of the plate. What an unbelievable at-bat with two-strikes, a true freshman that hadn’t played a lot for us. Very high on him and he hit a ball out of the ballpark. I thought it was just really impressive.”
Although Troyer had seen little action thus far in his freshman campaign, he was patiently waiting and preparing for his moment. The outfielder knew his team needed production in the bottom part of the order and boy did he produce. Troyer, along with catcher Cooper Ingle, led the Tigers offensively in Sunday’s sweep going 2-for-5 at the plate with a home run and three RBIs.
“Bottom of the order has really stepped up,” Troyer said. “We know that we need more production from the bottom of the order and everyone on the bench has been ready. A lot of practice and preparation has been involved in that, so it’s nice to see us get going in the bottom of the order right now.”
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