The Clemson baseball team appears to be on solid footing as it heads into the stretch run of the season.
The Tigers won their seventh of eight series in conference play over the past weekend when they took two of three from a hot-hitting Georgia Tech team. Coach Erik Bakich’s club followed that up with a wild 14-12 win over Charlotte in non-conference play Tuesday night.
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When both Texas A&M and Arkansas — previously ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively — dropped their weekend series, it allowed Clemson to vault past both teams to No. 2 in the new D1Baseball Top 25 poll this week. Tennessee moved to No. 1 in every major poll, including the USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll.
But the Volunteers weren’t the SEC team that jumped past the Tigers for a higher national seed in the new Field of 64 projections for the 2024 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament from both On3 and Baseball America. That was Kentucky, which took two of three against Arkansas on Sunday.
In Baseball America’s latest postseason outlook, the Wildcats are the new projected No. 1 national seed for the tournament. Clemson stayed as the No. 3 seed in BA’s projections, one spot behind Texas A&M. Baseball America forecasts the Tigers to host UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro and Army in a four-team, double-elimination Clemson Regional to kick off the tournament.
On3 kept the Tigers as a No. 3 seed in their projections as well. But like Baseball America, On3 also moved Kentucky past Clemson in its latest postseason outlook.
Still, On3’s Jonathan Wagner notes that Clemson is “in the driver’s seat” with two weekends remaining in the regular season.
Per Wagner:
“Clemson prevailed over the weekend in a series win over Georgia Tech, putting them at 17 ACC wins and tied at the top of the league standings. The Tigers are 36-10 overall and No. 4 in RPI, and have a legitimate chance to finish as one of the top three seeds. This weekend at Wake Forest is massive, but Clemson looks to be in the driver’s seat for a top four or five seed at the least. Also in the Clemson Regional is San Diego, Charleston and Presbyterian.”
The final field of 64 that will make up the NCAA Tournament and compete for a berth in the College World Series in Omaha will be unveiled on Selection Monday, May 27 at noon EDT.
The Tigers’ three-game weekend set in Winston-Salem begins Friday with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT. The game can be seen on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).