Tag: acc baseball

How far did Clemson fall in new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll?

A look at where the Clemson Tigers fell in the new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll, released Monday, May 13.

The Clemson Tigers are coming off their worst weekend series of the year.

The Tigers (37-13 overall, 17-10 ACC) were swept at Wake Forest on Sunday to cap a 1-3 week that also saw them need a four-run ninth-inning rally to get past Charlotte in midweek play on Tuesday.

Because of that, Clemson fell three spots to No. 7 in the new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll, released Monday, May 13.

The Tigers also fell two spots to No. 4 in the new D1Baseball Top 25 rankings and six spots to No. 10 in Baseball America’s new rankings.

RELATED: Clemson plummets in new Top 25 baseball rankings after weekend sweep

For the first time since conference play began in March, someone other than Clemson is the highest-ranked ACC team in the coaches poll. North Carolina (39-11) climbed six spots to No. 5 after finishing off a three-game sweep of Louisville in Chapel Hill on Sunday.

The Tar Heels, who have won nine of their last 10 contests, lead the Tigers by three games in the ACC standings with one weekend series remaining in conference play.

Wake Forest (36-16) moved into the Top 10 in the coaches poll after its sweep of Clemson, climbing to No. 9. The Demon Deacons were the pre-season No. 1 team in the poll.

Tennessee (42-10) stayed at No. 1 for the second straight week Monday. Kentucky (37-11) moved up two spots to No. 3 after winning two of three at Florida over the weekend.

Arkansas (42-10) moved up one spot to No. 2 while Texas A&M (42-10) fell two spots to No. 4.

UP NEXT

Clemson visits Coastal Carolina in midweek play Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT. The game can be seen on ESPN+. The Tigers will close the regular season when they welcome Boston College to Doug Kingsmore Stadium for a three-game conference series beginning Thursday.

Clemson bullpen can’t close out Wake Forest, drops ACC series

Clemson Tigers Baseball: The Tigers’ bullpen woes continued Saturday.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Seaver King’s two-run double in the eighth inning propelled Wake Forest to an 8-5 victory over No. 2 Clemson at David F. Couch Ballpark on Saturday. The Demon Deacons, who took a 2-0 lead in the series and won their eighth game in a row, improved to 35-16 overall and 14-12 in the ACC. The Tigers dropped to 37-12 overall and 17-9 in ACC play. With the loss, Clemson’s streak of eight consecutive ACC road series wins dating to 2023 came to an end.

Jimmy Obertop grounded a two-out, two-run single in the first inning, then Clemson doubled its lead in the top of the third inning on Tristan Bissetta’s two-run homer, his fifth of the season. Nick Kurtz led off the bottom of the third inning with a homer, then Jack Winnay belted a two-run homer later in the frame.

After the Demon Deacons evened the score in the fifth inning on pinch-hitter Cameron Nelson’s two-out bloop single, Jacob Jarrell led off the seventh inning with a homer, his fifth of the year, to put Clemson ahead 5-4. In the eighth inning, King laced a two-run double to give Wake Forest the lead. Winnay added a two-run single later in the frame.

Joe Ariola (1-0) earned the win, while Cole Roland pitched the ninth inning to record his sixth save of the year. Lucas Mahlstedt (4-1) suffered the loss.

The series concludes Sunday at noon on ESPN2.

–via Clemson Athletic Communications

Series preview ahead of No. 2 Clemson baseball visiting No. 12 Wake Forest

A complete series preview as No. 2 Clemson heads to No. 12 Wake Forest in ACC baseball action.

Two of the ACC’s best baseball teams will square off this weekend in Winston-Salem when Clemson heads to Wake Forest.

Wake Forest Outlook

The Tigers (37-10 overall, 17-7 conference) will face a Demon Deacons (33-16, 12-12) team that entered the year as a preseason No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll and other various Top 25 rankings — the first time in school history that had happened.

Things didn’t go quite as according to plan for coach Tom Walter’s team early on. Wake Forest struggled right out of the gate in conference play, losing three of their first four weekend series, including a three-game sweep to North Carolina that dropped them to 2-7 in ACC play. They’ve since turned things around, losing only one conference series (at Notre Dame two weeks earlier).

Wake Forest enters this weekend having won six straight games to climb to No. 12 in D1Baseball’s Top 25 poll. They scored a season-high 24 runs in a 24-7 midweek victory over North Carolina A&T on Wednesday.

Seaver King (.332) and Jake Reinisch (.326) are a big reason for the team’s recent turnaround. They lead Wake Forest in hitting and have combined for 31 home runs and 123 RBIs. After missing a few games due to injury, first baseman Nick Kurtz has shown no drop in production, batting .319 with a team-high 19 home runs. As a team, the Demon Deacons have averaged 8.6 runs per game.

Clemson Outlook

Despite a few hiccups, Clemson has (generally) kept rolling along in ACC play. The Tigers have won all but one of eight series in conference action. The bullpen has been a concern of late with the team coughing up big leads in recent contests against Georgia Tech and Charlotte.

The bullpen squandered a pair of five-run leads last Friday in the second game of a doubleheader split against Georgia Tech that spoiled a seven-RBI game for senior slugger Blake Wright. On Tuesday against Charlotte, the Tigers blew a 9-2 lead and needed a four-run ninth inning rally to down the 49ers in midweek play, 14-12.

Clemson’s 4.24 ERA as a pitching staff is third in the ACC behind North Carolina and Duke. Freshman right-hander Aidan Knaak has yet to lose a game, going 4-0 with a team-best 2.57 ERA through 11 starts.

Left-hander Tristan Smith has struggled since returning to the rotation after being out a month with an ankle injury. He has allowed 10 runs (six earned) in eight innings in his three starts since the injury. Fellow southpaw Ethan Darden had an impressive bounce-back against Georgia Tech, going six innings and allowing three runs for a quality start his last time out.

At the plate, Wright has played in all 47 games and leads the Tigers in hitting with a .332/.367/.673 slash line. The senior second baseman and reigning ACC Player of the Week also leads the team with 19 home runs and 65 RBIs. Jimmy Obertop has 16 homers and 38 RBIs while batting .301, and Jacob Hinderleider recently became the third Tigers player to reach double figures in home runs with 11 for the season.

Alden Mathes (.332) and Hinderleider (.331) are practically tied with Wright for the team lead in hitting. Center fielder Cam Cannarella has come on strong of late and is up to .328 with a team-high 15 doubles. Clemson is batting .298 as a team while averaging 8.3 runs per game.

Pitching Matchups

Darden will start Friday’s opener against Wake Forest’s Chase Burns. A transfer from Tennessee, Burns has been one of the top pitchers in the nation this season. He is 9-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 12 starts. Burns leads all of Division I baseball with 140 strikeouts in 75 innings pitched.

In his last start (against Western Carolina on May 4), Burns tossed six no-hit innings and struck out 13 of the 20 batters he faced to earn ACC Pitcher of the Week honors for the fourth time this season. The right-hander has struck out 10 or more batters in nine of his 12 starts this season and is the No. 7 overall 2024 MLB Draft prospect as ranked by MLB.com.

Smith will face Wake Forest right-hander David Falco (2-2, 4.85 ERA) in Game 2 Saturday with Knaak starting Sunday’s finale against left-hander Josh Hartle (6-2, 5.40).

Series History

Clemson leads the all-time head to head series, 142-63-1. The Tigers were swept by Wake Forest a season ago when the two teams met at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Where to Watch/Stream/Listen

Here’s how Clemsons fans can watch, stream, and listen to this weekend’s series against Wake Forest.

When: May 10-12

Where: David F. Couch Ballpark

Start Times (ET)

Friday, 6 p.m.

Saturday, 4 p.m.

Sunday, 12 p.m.

Broadcast Info

Live Video Stream: ACC Network Extra (Friday), ESPN+

TV: ACC Network (Saturday), ESPN2 (Sunday)

Radio: Clemson Athletic Network | TuneIn App

Clemson Radio

Broadcast Teams

ACC Network Extra (Friday): Stan Cotten, Lary Sorensen

ACC Network (Saturday), ESPN2 (Sunday): Clay Matvick, Kyle Peterson

Clemson Radio: Don Munson, Bob Mahony

Clemson’s Blake Wright earns ACC Player of the Week honors

Clemson Baseball: Blake Wright was 6-for-11 (.545) with three homers, a double, 11 RBIs, six runs, a 1.455 slugging percentage, walk, two hit-by-pitches, a .600 on-base percentage and no errors in eight chances at third base.

CLEMSON, S.C. – Senior infielder Blake Wright (Belleair, Fla.) was named ACC Player-of-the-Week, announced Monday by the league office. He joined Wake Forest’s Chase Burns, who was named ACC Pitcher-of-the-Week, in receiving conference accolades. ACC baseball weekly honors are determined by a vote of a select media panel and are announced on Mondays throughout the regular season.

It marked his second ACC Player-of-the-Week honor in 2024, as he received the accolade on March 25.

In only three games on the week, all in a series win against Georgia Tech, Wright was 6-for-11 (.545) with three homers, a double, 11 RBIs, six runs, a 1.455 slugging percentage, walk, two hit-by-pitches, a .600 on-base percentage and no errors in eight chances at third base.

He went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday, then went 4-for-5 with two homers and a career-high seven RBIs in the second game of a doubleheader on Friday. Nine of his 10 RBIs on the day were two-out RBIs.

On the season, he is hitting .335 with 55 runs, eight doubles, two triples, 19 homers and 65 RBIs in 46 games.

–via Clemson Athletic Communications

Duke baseball clinches a spot in the ACC Baseball Championship

The No. 9 Blue Devils officially cemented a spot in the conference tournament on Friday after 14-10 record to start ACC play.

The No. 9 Duke Blue Devils clinched a spot in the ACC Baseball Championship on Friday afternoon.

Duke sits 30-14 for the season after winning 14 of its first 24 conference games on the schedule. With a sweep of Miami and series wins over Virginia, Pittsburgh, and Virginia Tech over the past five weeks, the Blue Devils have an 11-5 record in their last 16 ACC games.

The 14-10 ACC record puts Duke tied for second in the Coastal Division, three games behind North Carolina (17-7). The Blue Devils are tied for the fourth-best conference record in the ACC, and their 30-14 overall record is the fifth-best in the league.

The Blue Devils take the diamond again in a Sunday doubleheader against Longwood at home before a top-10 battle against East Carolina on Tuesday.

The ACC Baseball Championship takes place from May 21-26 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Clemson baseball coach Erik Bakich visits ACC PM

Clemson Tigers baseball coach Erik Bakich made a special appearance on ACC Network’s ACC PM Wednesday to discuss his team as the regular season heads into its stretch run.

With the calendar having turned to May and only three weekend series remaining in the regular season for most conferences, the 2024 college baseball regular season has entered into its stretch run.

For Clemson, that means trying to lock up a top national seed for the 2024 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. The Tigers are ranked No. 4 in every major poll this week and are a projected No. 3 national seed according to both On3 and Baseball America’s Field of 64 predictions. Coach Erik Bakich’s team is 15-6 in conference play, two full games ahead of Florida State.

Clemson will host Georgia Tech this weekend before traveling to Winston-Salem to face No. 15 Wake Forest. The Tigers will close the regular season at home against Boston College before the ACC Tournament gets underway on Tuesday, March 21 at Charlotte’s Truist Field.

Bakich joined ACC PM’s Mark Packer and Taylor Tannebaum on ACC Network Wednesday to discuss his team’s 34-9 overall record entering May.

Among the topics Bakich touched on are the Tigers having overcome injuries at key positions this season, the emergence of freshman sensation and star right-hander Aidan Knaak, and the overall strength of the ACC.

Clemson Athletic Communications shared a video of Bakich’s full appearance on ACC PM. Here’s everything the coach had to say in Wednesday’s interview.

Diamond Heels rack up 19 runs in last game before 6-day break

Can the Diamond Heels’ offense carry them to their first College World Series title?

The North Carolina Tar Heels sport one of college baseball’s best offenses, with their bats carrying them through a historic season.

UNC is mashing .307 as a team, which ranks 30th in the nation. Infielder Gavin Gallagher leads the charge with a .374 average, Vance Honeycutt’s 18 home runs make him one of four Diamond Heels in double-digits, while Casey Cook’s 60 RBIs lead nine players in double-digits.

North Carolina had a midweek game against William and Mary on Wednesday, May 1.

If you haven’t guessed it by the way this story started, UNC’s offense carried them against the Tribe.

Jackson Van De Brake was one of three Diamond Heels to hit a home run on Wednesday, a fourth-inning grand slam that drove in North Carolina’s final four runs, as part of a 19-2 domination in seven innings before a 6-day break for exams.

UNC (35-11, 17-7) tied UVA atop the ACC with its 35th win, which is one off its 2023 total.

The Diamond Heels started their offensive barrage with a 9-run first inning, which started with a 3-run round-tripper from Georgia transfer Parks Harber. Coincidentally, Harber drove in Casey Cook for North Carolina’s ninth and final run of the opening frame.

Gallagher brought Alex Madera across home plate with his second-inning single, making it 10-0, then UNC extended its advantage to 15 in the third inning with a Honeycutt home run, Cook scoring on a wild pitch, Luke Stevenson walking and Colby Wilkerson doubling to left field.

The Diamond Heels’ pitching staff deserves a lot of credit for the victory, too, as starter Ben Peterson struck out five batters – and allowed just three hits – in five innings. William and Mary’s only two runs came in garbage time, on a seventh-inning single from center fielder Ben Parker.

North Carolina does not play again until Tuesday, May 7 against Campbell, which kicks off its final homestand of the season. UNC scored four ninth-inning runs to down the Camels (27-16, 8-10 CAA), 7-3, back on March 5 in Buies Creek.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Diamond Heels tie UVA atop the ACC in wins

Just how many wins will the UNC baseball team end its season with?

Can you believe there are only three more weeks in the college baseball regular season?

Some teams already know they’ll be playing in their conference tournaments, such as our North Carolina Tar Heels, while others (Miami (FL)) are fighting for postseason spots.

UNC (35-11, 17-7) is playing significantly better baseball already in 2024, just one victories off its 2023 win total, in large part due to its team batting average (.307) that ranks 30th in Division-I. Starting infielder Gavin Gallagher is leading the charge with a .371 average,

With the Diamond Heels’ 19-2 victory over William and Mary on Wednesday, their 35 wins tie them atop the ACC with UVA.

William and Mary (26-19, 9-9 Coastal Athletic Association) is no slouch, as it’s one of eight teams in the CAA with 20 wins, but W&M has lost seven of its last eight.

North Carolina will take a rare weekend off after today’s game, then host another CAA school in Campbell on Tuesday, May 7. The last time UNC matched up with the Camels (March 5 in Buies Creek,), UNC scored four runs in the ninth inning for a 7-3 victory.

Just how many win can the Diamond Heels rack up this season?

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Is Clemson up or down in new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll?

Clemson Baseball: Here’s a look at where the Clemson Tigers are ranked in this week’s USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll for the week of April 29.

Coach Erik Bakich’s Clemson Tigers are coming off a 2-2 week that included tough losses at No. 18 Georgia and at unranked Louisville.

Where do those two losses leave the Tigers in the new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll? The same spot as last week, it turns out.

Clemson (34-9 overall) stayed at No. 4 in the new coaches poll, released Monday, April 29. It’s the same ranking the team holds in Baseball America’s new Top 25 and D1Baseball’s new poll. The Tigers moved up one spot in D1Baseball’s poll this week from No. 5.

The top four of the coaches poll, compiled by 31 head coaches at Division I schools, remained the same as last week. For the third consecutive week, Texas A&M (38-6 overall) stayed at No. 1, Arkansas (37-7) held at No. 2, and Tennessee (37-7) remained at No. 3.

The only change in the top five was at No. 5, where East Carolina (35-8) jumped two spots after outscoring Memphis 36-6 over the weekend in a three-game sweep in the American Athletic Conference. East Carolina leads the AAC standings by two games over UTSA.

Other ACC schools ranked in the top 10 of this week’s coaches poll are No. 6 Florida State, No. 9 Duke, and No. 10 Virginia. The ACC has seven total teams ranked in the Top 25, which also includes No. 12 North Carolina, No. 15 Wake Forest, and No. 20 NC State.

The SEC has the most schools ranked of any conference with nine.

To that end, some big movers in this week’s coaches poll are South Carolina, which jumped seven spots to No. 14 after taking two of three from previously fifth-ranked Kentucky. Mississippi State also jumped seven spots to go from unranked last week to No. 21 this week following a clutch series win at Vanderbilt, which had been ranked No. 8.

Oklahoma State roses six spots to No. 16 after a 4-0 week that included a sweep of BYU in the Big 12. The Cowboys’ bats awoke for 40 runs in the three games against BYU.

Vanderbilt and Oklahoma saw the furthest drops among ranked teams this week. The Commodores slid five spots to No. 13 while the Sooners fell five spots to land at No. 23.

Clemson is back in action Friday when the Tigers welcome Georgia Tech to Doug Kingsmore Stadium in ACC play.

Fourth-ranked Tigers trounce Louisville to win another ACC series

NCAA Baseball: The fourth-ranked Clemson Tigers tallied a season-high 18 hits in Sunday’s 17-7 victory over the Louisville Cardinals.

LOUISVILLE, KY. – Every Tiger starter had a hit and scored a run in No. 4 Clemson’s 17-7 victory over Louisville in seven innings at Jim Patterson Stadium on Sunday. The Tigers, who won the series 2-1, improved to 34-9 overall and 15-6 in the ACC. The Cardinals fell to 25-18 overall and 10-11 in ACC play.

The Tigers, who totaled a season-high 18 hits in the game, jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, scoring all four runs with two outs. After Blake Wright singled to extend his hitting streak to 13 games, Cam Cannarella and Jimmy Obertop hit run-scoring doubles, then Tristan Bissetta belted a two-run homer, his fourth of the year.

In the top of the second inning, Jacob Hinderleider, who had six RBIs, crushed a two-run homer, his ninth of the year, then Cannarella laced a solo homer, his eighth of the year, two batters later on a 3-0 pitch. Louisville dented the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning thanks to three two-out singles.

Clemson plated five runs in the third inning. Jarren Purify and Alden Mathes hit run-scoring singles, then Hinderleider ripped a three-run double. Hinderleider’s two-out single brought home another run in the top of the fourth inning to build a 13-1 lead.

Louisville scored an unearned run in the bottom of fourth inning and Isaac Humphrey laced a solo homer in the fifth inning. In the sixth inning, Louisville scored four runs on two hits.

Wright lofted a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, then Cannarella belted a run-scoring double. Obertop followed with a two-run homer, his 15th of the year.

Drew Titsworth (4-0) pitched 1.2 hitless innings in relief to earn the win, while Cardinal starter Will Koger (1-3) suffered the loss.

The Tigers take four days off for final exams before hosting Georgia Tech in a three-game series, beginning Friday at 6 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.

–via Clemson Athletic Communications