Tag: Caden Grice

Bakich says teams tried to poach Cannarella by tampering

Teams tried to poach the ACC Freshman of the Year, Clemson head coach Erik Bakich said on Thursday.

The Clemson baseball team was in jeopardy of losing one of its brightest stars this offseason. 

Speaking to the media on Thursday for the first time since the end of the Tigers’ season, head coach Erik Bakich discussed how opposing programs were trying to convince Cam Cannarella to transfer to their team through third-party groups.

“I love Cam, I love his family and I appreciate the loyalty because there was tampering going on with him,” Bakich said. “There were third parties, and that’s how it’s done. It’s never done from direct coach to player; it’s the third-party stuff. But he held his ground and stuck his feet in, and their family realized that he’s not only grown as a baseball player but as a person. And his friends are here, and he’s thriving here. You don’t want to mess with success, and he’s very successful here.”

Cannarella was an instrumental piece of Clemson’s 2023 team. Winning ACC Freshman of the Year, the center fielder hit .388 with 72 runs, 16 doubles, three triples, seven homers and 47 RBIs.

“It’s really exciting to think about his trajectory and about the career that he can build for himself on that trajectory and being able to play this great game for a long, long time,” Bakick said. “I love his fire, I love his competitiveness, and I don’t want to lose that for one second because it’s what makes him great. He’s awesome, and we love having him. I’m glad he’s on our team and staying on our team.”

Clemson lost multiple key players from last year’s team, both to the MLB draft and the transfer portal. But, for now, Cannarella remains an integral and versatile member of Team 127.

“He can play anywhere,” Bakich added. “Cam Cannarella can play infield, outfield, pitch and catch. He’s a ballplayer. He’s just got that ‘it’ factor. But it sure looks like he’s found a home at center field.”

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The Victory Lap: Episode 6

We are excited to release the next episode of The Victory Lap. Chad Fairey and Tyler Corbitt both signed NIL deal(s) with The Clemson Insider and Dear Old Clemson to do this weekly show. In this week’s episode Caden Grice joins the show. Grice goes …

We are excited to release the next episode of The Victory Lap.

Chad Fairey and Tyler Corbitt both signed NIL deal(s) with The Clemson Insider and Dear Old Clemson to do this weekly show.

In this week’s episode Caden Grice joins the show.  Grice goes in-depth on why he became a Tiger, his favorite restaurant in Clemson and much more.  Learn more from all three about how the program has changed under the new leadership of coach Bakich.

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Caden Grice earns All-Star selection in summer league

Clemson’s Caden Grice just earned another honor to add to his resume, this time in summer league play.

Clemson baseball’s Caden Grice has received another honor to add to his resume.

Playing in the Cape Cod Baseball League this summer, Grice was selected to be an All-Star for the Chatham Anglers.

In 30 games this summer, Grice has batted .223, hitting a team-high four home runs in the process. He is also tied for second on the Anglers in RBIs and hits, with 11 and 10, respectively.

Grice finished the 2022 season with Clemson batting .244, slightly down from his freshman season in 2021 when he batted .317.

As Clemson baseball begins a new era with newly-hired head coach Erik Bakich, Grice’s work in the summer is a good sign for the Tigers.

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Twitter reacts: Clemson baseball hires Erik Bakich as new head coach

Check out how Twitter reacted to Clemson hiring Michigan’s Erik Bakich as the Tigers’ 28th baseball head coach in program history.

After missing the NCAA Tournament for consecutive seasons for the first time since 1986, Clemson baseball has hired a new head coach in Erik Bakich.

Although the media had broken the news days before it was official, Clemson’s Board of Trustees Compensation Committee officially approved a six-year contract with Bakich on Thursday that will pay Bakich $850,000 in the first year and will progressively increase by $50,000 until the salary reaches $1.1 million in year six.

Spending the last 10 seasons as Michigan’s head coach Bakich was the runner-up in the 2019 College World Series and led the Wolverines to five of the last seven NCAA Tournaments. Although he had success at Michigan, his coaching career began in Clemson in 2002 when he was a volunteer assistant for Jack Leggett.

Athletic director Graham Neff said during the hiring process that he viewed Clemson baseball as a top-15 job in the nation. Still, despite Neff’s expectations and the program’s past successes, Bakich isn’t shying away from what he expects from himself and his new team.

“I see that as a great challenge,” Bakich said. “I look at 2010; that program was in Omaha. Coach Lee’s first three years, we were hosting regionals. I just don’t see any reason why Clemson baseball can’t compete for national championships, trips to Omaha, ACC Championships and host the postseason right here at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.”

With Clemson letting go of Monte Lee in May, Bakich will serve as the Tigers’ 28th baseball head coach with the hope of winning the program’s first national championship.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the hire.

Clemson players, fans react to Monte Lee firing

Clemson’s decision to fire baseball head coach Monte Lee was met with mixed reactions on Twitter among fans and a couple of players.

Coming off back-to-back seasons of missing the NCAA Tournament, Clemson baseball head coach Monte Lee was let go by Clemson Athletics on Tuesday.

Lee completed his seventh season as head coach finishing 11th in the ACC with a 35-23 record in 2022. Last season, Lee led the Tigers to their first losing record (25-27) since 1957. With the lack of postseason success over the past two seasons, Clemson athletic director Graham Neff decided it was time for a change.

“The expectations for Clemson Baseball are very high, and the team’s recent on-field performance has not met those of our administration, our coaching staff, our student-athletes or our loyal fanbase,” said Neff in Tuesday’s press release.

Overall, Lee went 242-136 in his seven seasons as head coach, leading Clemson to an ACC Championship title in 2016 and four NCAA Tournament appearances from 2016 to 2019.

“It’s certainly a time of grieving,” Lee told WCIV’s Scott Eisberg. “Certainly sad that my time here at Clemson is over. You know, I feel like I failed.”

As for the program’s future, Neff and his team will immediately begin the head coaching search for what he considers to be a top-15 job.

With the change in leadership, however, some other changes will occur for Clemson’s roster next season. According to The Clemson Insider, catcher Jonathan French and outfielder Dylan Brewer have entered the transfer portal.

With the abundance of change within the program, here are the mixed reactions on Twitter from a couple of current players and many fans.

Lee, Anglin, Grice talk 15-1 win over Boston College

Clemson left no doubt in a much needed 15-1 win over Boston College Thursday night at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Following the win Lee, Anglin and Grice discussed the win and what the Tigers need to do the rest of the way.

Clemson left no doubt in a much needed 15-1 win over Boston College Thursday night at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Following the win Lee, Anglin and Grice discussed the win and what the Tigers need to do the rest of the way.

For Clemson, ‘every game is a playoff game’

Clemson’s baseball team began the weekend on the outside looking in when it comes to the postseason picture. That could change by the end of today. The Tigers (30-17, 8-14 ACC) will go for their first ACC sweep of the season when they host Georgia …

Clemson’s baseball team began the weekend on the outside looking in when it comes to the postseason picture.

That could change by the end of today.

The Tigers (30-17, 8-14 ACC) will go for their first ACC sweep of the season when they host Georgia Tech at 1 p.m. in the teams’ series finale at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Clemson has put itself in position for a perfect weekend by outscoring the Yellow Jackets 21-12 so far, something Clemson coach Monte Lee said the Tigers need at this point.

“Every game is a playoff game for us. That’s the bottom line,” Lee said. “It’s great to win the series, but winning a series doesn’t matter for us right now. Every game counts for us. Hopefully we can put together a good game (Sunday).”

Now would be a good time for Clemson to pull off its first sweep of an ACC foe since beating Louisville in three games at home April 30-May 2 of last year. The Tigers began the weekend trailing Duke and North Carolina for the 12th and final spot in the ACC Tournament, but Clemson could move up depending on today’s results.

Clemson and Duke begin the day with identical records in the league. Duke is scheduled to play a doubleheader against Pittsburgh beginning at 11 a.m. after Friday’s game was postponed. UNC, one game ahead of both teams for the time being at 9-13 in league play, will also play a twinbill against North Carolina State starting at the same time.

Since the 12 teams for the conference tournament are determined by the highest conference winning percentages, a Clemson win coupled with a Pitt sweep would move the Tigers ahead of Duke for the final spot in the tournament. If Clemson wins and Duke and UNC both get swept, the Tigers would jump both in the pecking order since their league winning percentage would also be higher than the Tar Heels’ (Clemson would be 9-14 in league play in that scenario, UNC 9-15).

Clemson could still move ahead of Duke with a loss today if the Blue Devils were to drop both games to Pitt. Otherwise, the best the Tigers could do if they fall to Georgia Tech is stay half a game back of the Blue Devils for the final tournament spot. 

And time to make a move is running out. The Tigers have just six conference games left after today (series against Virginia and Boston College), so they would rather keep handling its business.

“Every game is big,” said sophomore Caden Grice, who launched a pair of home runs in Clemson’s 12-9 win Saturday. “Like coach said, every game is a playoff game. We’ve just got to keep fighting and come out every single day ready to compete.”

Clemson will send freshman right-hander Billy Barlow (1-2, 5.18 earned run average) to the mound today for his third straight weekend start. He will be opposed by Tech right-hander Chance Huff (3-3, 6.88).

“I don’t think we take any pressure on ourselves,” pitcher Geoffrey Gilbert said. “We just have to win a baseball game. We’ve done a lot of that this year. It’s nothing that’s anything new to us.”

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Grice, Gilbert talk about 12-9 win over Georgia Tech

Geoffrey Gilbert pitched four impressive innings to start the game and Caden Grice hit two home runs and a double to lead Clemson to a 12-9 win over Georgia Tech. Following the win Grice and Gilbert talked about the series win and the challenges …

Geoffrey Gilbert pitched four impressive innings to start the game and Caden Grice hit two home runs and a double to lead Clemson to a 12-9 win over Georgia Tech.

Following the win Grice and Gilbert talked about the series win and the challenges still ahead for Clemson.

Grice’s production picking up amid trying season

To say Caden Grice hasn’t had the kind of season he expected of himself would be an understatement. Clemson’s second-year utility player burst onto the scene as a true freshman last year as one of the ACC’s top hitters. Grice led the Tigers in home …

To say Caden Grice hasn’t had the kind of season he expected of himself would be an understatement.

Clemson’s second-year utility player burst onto the scene as a true freshman last year as one of the ACC’s top hitters. Grice led the Tigers in home runs (15) and RBIs (53) while finishing second on the team with a .317 average, earning a spot on the all-ACC freshman team.

Grice was pegged as a preseason All-American by multiple media outlets leading into this season, but adjusting to opposing teams’ scouting reports the second time around has made for a challenging season at the plate. Grice is hitting .241 with just 14 extra-base hits in 42 games (nine home runs, five doubles), and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is nearly 3-to-1 (73 strikeouts, 28 walks).

But Grice, who’s spent most of the season hitting out of the 5 and 6 holes after starting it in the cleanup spot, has seen his production pick up during the Tigers’ current hot streak, particularly in the power department.

Before Clemson’s series finale at Wake Forest two weekends ago, Grice had just four homers on the season. He hit a pair in that game and has hit three in the seven games since, helping the Tigers (28-14, 6-11 ACC) win nine of their last 11 games heading into a critical series at Louisville (28-12, 11-7) this weekend.

“Obviously hitting a home run feels really good,” Grice said after launching a three-run homer to the opposite field in Sunday’s series-clinching win over Florida State. “Honestly I’ll take any hit I can get. But to see the stuff that I’ve kind of been working on off the scenes and being able to apply it in a game is just really big for me.”

Specifically, Grice said he’s worked on seeing the ball deeper and not being so quick to chase offspeed pitches out of the strike zone. That’s still a work in progress as Grice struck out two more times in Clemson’s most recent win Wednesday against Wofford, but “I feel like I’m getting better at it,” he said.

Grice had three hits with no punchouts a day earlier in the Tigers’ win over Presbyterian, which included his most recent long ball – a no-doubter that cleared the right-field seats at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. He’s driven in 10 runs in the last eight games.

“Caden had another great day,” Clemson coach Monte Lee said after the 12-3 win. “We got some good days from some guys that we need to be good for us so that we can have a complete offense and not have to rely on a guy like (Max) Wagner, (Cooper) Ingle and the middle of the order to be (our offense).”

Wagner has done most of the heavy lifting for Clemson’s offense of late as perhaps the hottest hitter going in the sport, but Grice has provided more consistent help. Grice and the rest of the offense, which combined to score 31 runs in the Tigers’ midweek victories, will try to keep that momentum going Friday in the series opener against the Cardinals, who began the week tied with Notre Dame atop the ACC’s Atlantic Division standings.

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Clemson baseball keeps momentum going

On Sunday, Clemson faced off in ACC play against No. 9 Florida State. The Tigers won the series two games to one. The win of this series put the Tigers at a record of 26-14 overall and 6-11 in ACC play. Statistics as these keep the Tigers in …

On Sunday, Clemson faced off in ACC play against No. 9 Florida State. The Tigers won the series two games to one.

The win of this series put the Tigers at a record of 26-14 overall and 6-11 in ACC play. Statistics as these keep the Tigers in contention to secure a place in the ACC Tournament in late May. The Clemson Insider was able to catch up with second baseman Blake Wright afterward.

Wright had huge plays at the plate with two doubles contributing to one-third of Clemson’s hits Sunday. Wright gave insight, saying, “We’re just going to have to keep that rolling. Have some good opponents coming up.”

The Tigers have come up victorious in their past couple of weekends by winning the Wake Forest series the previous weekend and then beating Georgia and East Tennessee State. Wright cites these as huge wins for the team and the best way to move forward is to just keep
playing baseball.

A team can’t win without having good appearances at bat, and recently the Tigers have been struggling at the plate. Caden Grice commented on the batting, saying, “It’s nice to see all the things I have been working on behind the scenes finally coming together.”

This season, Grice has struggled at the plate being prone to strikeouts but was able to turn a new leaf against FSU by hitting a crucial home run bringing in three runs to tie the series finale in the second inning. Clemson ultimately rallied for the win, its seventh in its last nine games.

Going off of this, Blake Wright discussed his crucial spot in the lineup. This past Sunday, Wright batted behind 2-hole hitter Cooper Ingle and in front of cleanup hitter Max Wagner. Ingle and Wagner have had strong presences at the plate this season.

Wagner was named national player of the week and ACC player of the week. Wright gave insight disclosing that the trio of Ingle, Wright, and Wagner all live together and often discuss the batting order.

The general conclusion was for each individual to focus on their job, and if one guy does his job, then the only step going forward is to move on to the next.

Looking forward, the Tigers take on Presbyterian College on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

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