Grice did it all Sunday to help Clemson sweep the Hoosiers

Clemson’s baseball program begins its 2022 season with a sweep at home against the Indiana Hoosiers. This is the second year in a row that the Tigers have started their season off with a series sweep. Coming into Sunday the Tigers had plenty of …

Coming into Sunday the Tigers had plenty of momentum after two impressive wins. Friday the Tigers shutout the Hoosiers 9-0 and dominated Saturday winning 19-4. However, Sunday’s game went down to the wire with Hawkins hitting a line out to the right field in the bottom of the 10th to advance Blackwell home giving the Tigers the 5-4 win.

In the top of the 10th inning, Caden Grice came in to pitch for the Tigers.

Head Coach Monte Lee knows how to play to his player strengths which were most notably on display today in the 5-4 win. His choice to put Grice on the mound at the top of the 10th was no shock to the young sophomore, as he stays prepared for any time he could possibly be needed on the mound.

“Honestly I think it’s good for us not to let him know, I think it works better for him when he is just an athlete, and I think he will tell you that. The main thing is just making sure his arm is good and loose.”

Grice is always ready for any opportunity that he may get on the mound. It does not matter whether he is needed to start a game, close a game, or as relief in the middle- he is always prepared to be put in and do his job. He did just that today for the Tigers.

5 positions still up for grabs for Clemson baseball

The start of the college baseball season is quickly approaching. Friday marked three weeks until Clemson opens an important season in the Monte Lee era against Indiana on Feb. 18 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Tigers are trying to bounce back from …

The start of the college baseball season is quickly approaching.

Friday marked three weeks until Clemson opens an important season in the Monte Lee era against Indiana on Feb. 18 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Tigers are trying to bounce back from the program’s first losing season in more than six decades, which brought their streak of 11 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (not counting the COVID-impacted season of 2020) to an end.

The Tigers know what they have at some spots, including the pitching staff’s projected ace, Mack Anglin, and power-hitting first baseman Caden Grice. But there’s still plenty of evaluating for Lee to do before he fills out Clemson’s lineup card on Opening Day.

Here are five positions where the competition for starting jobs is still ongoing:

Catcher

Clemson platooned Adam Hackenberg and Jonathan French last season, but Hackenberg decided to get his professional career started early after being drafted by the Chicago White Sox over the summer.

That leaves the natural assumption that this is French’s job to lose, and it might be after he started 25 games behind the dish last season. But Lee recently said sophomore Cooper Ingle is making a push primarily because of his bat. Ingle was limited to 10 games last season primarily because of who was in front of him and injuries, but Lee referred to him as the best hitter on the roster based on how Ingle has performed the last two falls.

Lee also didn’t rule out another platoon situation if he feels like both deserve playing time.

Second base

The leader in the clubhouse here may be Tyler Corbitt, a transfer from The Citadel, but Blake Wright is making things interesting enough that Lee isn’t ready to declare a winner.

A three-year starter for the Bulldogs, Corbitt is known more for his offense. He hit at least .333 in all three of those seasons, including a .376 clip last season on his way to all-Southern Conference honors.

Meanwhile, Wright played in 12 games as a true freshman last season, including 10 starts at third base. But most of his playing time this season is likely to come at second.

“(Corbitt) can hit, and he’s tough as nails,” Lee said. “And he can do a whole lot of things to beat you. Blake Wright is a very good player, and he’s also tough as nails. So that battle is real and going to be a good one.”

Whoever wins this job will form Clemson’s middle infield tandem along with shortstop Ben Blackwell, a Dayton transfer.

Third base

Bryar Hawkins started 20 games at the hot corner a season ago. Max Wagner started 22 there.

Hawkins hit .315 with six doubles and 11 RBIs in 37 games last season and was even better in ACC play. He led the Tigers with a .343 average and posted a .425 on-base percentage in conference games.

Known more for his defense, Wagner hit .214 in 35 games as a true freshman and was frequently used as a defensive replacement late in games. His 13 appearances off the bench were the most on the team.

Center field

Clemson lost multiple starting outfielders off last year’s team, including arguably its best defensive one, Bryce Teodosio.

Lee mentioned J.D. Brock and Dylan Brewer as the primary candidates to replace Teodosio in center. Brock, a former two-way player, played in just 11 games last season as a redshirt freshman, hitting .182 with a .308 on-base percentage in those games.

Brewer was the Tigers’ everyday starter in right field last season but could make the move over. He hit just .207 last season but was one of the team’s top power threats. His 10 home runs were second only to Grice (15).

Sophomore speedster Spencer Rich and Chad Fairey, who hit six home runs in the fall, are also in the mix to start at a corner outfield spot if not in center, Lee said.

Designated hitter

This is a position that could see its share of shakeups throughout the season. But someone has to start the first game here, and Lee hasn’t yet decided who that will be with Grice set to take over at first base full-time.

Grice will likely still get some at-bats in this role when Lee wants to give him an off day in the field. Lee also didn’t rule out French or Ingle starting here depending on who wins the catcher’s job.

A couple of freshmen are also DH candidates. Billy Amick didn’t practice in the fall because of an injury, but Lee envisions Amick being a middle-of-the-order type of hitter at some point in his collegiate career. David Lewis earned MVP honors from Lee for his performance in the team’s Orange & Purple scrimmages in the fall.

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Clemson standout earns preseason All-America honors

One of the more dangerous hitters in the ACC has been named a preseason All-American by multiple outlets. Baseball America and D1Baseball.com have each put Caden Grice on its preseason All-America team. Baseball America tabbed Clemson’s sophomore …

One of the more dangerous hitters in the ACC has been named a preseason All-American by multiple outlets.

Baseball America and D1Baseball.com have each put Caden Grice on its preseason All-America team. Baseball America tabbed Clemson’s sophomore first baseman as a second-team All-American while Grice landed on D1Baseball’s third team.

Grice is coming off a standout freshman season in which he led Clemson in home runs (15), RBIs (53), slugging percentage (.618) and runs (40). His .317 average was second on the team.

A Greer native, Grice also pitched 10 innings last season as a two-way player. But the left-hander will begin the 2022 season strictly as a position player, though he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of pitching again at some point.

Grice and the rest of the Tigers are scheduled to open the season Feb. 18-20 when Indiana visits Doug Kingsmore Stadium for a three-game series.

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Grice looking to make even more of a splash in year 2

It is no secret that Clemson baseball had its fair share of struggles last spring, ultimately ending the 2021 season with the program’s first losing record (25-27 overall, 16-20 ACC) since 1957. While last season was hard to swallow, it’s time for …

It is no secret that Clemson baseball had its fair share of struggles last spring, ultimately ending the 2021 season with the program’s first losing record (25-27 overall, 16-20 ACC) since 1957.

While last season was hard to swallow, it’s time for this year’s squad to turn a new page and prepare for what this season may hold.

For Caden Grice, it’s an opportunity to take last season and build upon the foundation that the sophomore built in his first season as a Tiger. In his freshman campaign, Grice accounted for 15 homers and 53 RBIs through 51 games, batting .317 on the year as well as being Clemson’s top offensive player.

“Honestly there’s always places to make improvement,” Grice said. “I kept swinging it, trying to get to certain pitches that I wasn’t able to hit, but mainly, just my defense. I know my defense was my low point, so I worked a lot over the summer and over the fall when I could to get to where I need to be.”

The Greer (S.C.) native spent the summer on the Cape with the Chatham Anglers. And while he dealt with some nagging injuries through the summer and well into the fall, Grice feels that the time he spent honing in on his defensive skills at first base will pay dividends, once the Tiger’s season opens up next month.

“I feel like defensively it was night and day,” the first baseman said. “The fields aren’t as nice as here when you go up to summer ball, so I think playing on those tough fields and surfaces, it definitely helped me out a lot.”

In addition to his many accolades including first-team freshman All-America and second-team All-ACC honors that surround Grice coming into this season, the former two-way player has chosen to focus solely on his roles as a power hitter and first baseman in his sophomore campaign. Now with more time to dedicate to being a position player, Grice is confident in the potential for growth this spring.

“No doubt. Just focusing on my swing and focusing on my defense because there were times where I’d have to go throw a bullpen or do something else and I wouldn’t be able to work on ground balls or I wouldn’t be able to get extra swings in the cages,” Grice said. “I feel like there is a possibility that it’ll help me excel hitting wise and defensively.”

As for his own goals for the upcoming season, Grice just wants to put as many games in the win column for the Tigers as possible, keeping the rich winning tradition at Clemson alive.

“Just win,” Grice said. “We want to win every game we can and make it as far as we can.”

Clemson opens its 2022 season at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Friday, February 18, when they host Indiana for the first weekend series of the year. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.

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Lee, Tigers moving on from ‘absolute hell’

Monte Lee is getting tired of talking about it, and he’s not the only one within Clemson’s baseball program. The Tigers held their first team practice Friday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in preparation for the 2022 season. Once it starts, Clemson will …

Monte Lee is getting tired of talking about it, and he’s not the only one within Clemson’s baseball program.

The Tigers held their first team practice Friday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in preparation for the 2022 season. Once it starts, Clemson will begin working on what it hopes is a turnaround from the kind of season that’s rarely been a part of the Tigers’ tradition-rich history.

Clemson’s 25-27 overall record was far from the norm for Lee and certainly his predecessor. It was the first losing season for Lee in his 13 years as a head coach dating back to his seven-year stint at the College of Charleston. Before Lee took over as Clemson’s coach in 2016, Hall of Famer Jack Leggett won 955 games in 22 seasons at the helm, which included 21 NCAA Tournament berths, 11 Super Regional appearances and six trips to the College World Series.

Last season’s losing record was the program’s first since 1957, and Clemson missed out on the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008. The Tigers’ 16-20 record in conference play dropped them to fifth in the ACC’s Atlantic Division, their lowest finish since the league split its baseball teams into two divisions in 2006.

“Last year was absolute hell,” Lee said. “That’s just the truth, and we all know that. But I’ve moved on from last year, and hopefully I’ve learned from last year.”

Almost nothing went right a season ago for Clemson, which had the second-lowest batting average in the ACC and the highest earned run average among its pitching staff (5.00) of Lee’s tenure. Attrition was as big a reason for the dropoff as any for the Tigers, who had eight different pitchers make multiple starts and also dealt with some injuries to position players.

“To be honest, last year is the last thing we want to think about,” sophomore first baseman Caden Grice said. “We’re always looking ahead and just trying to play our best baseball each day. Trying to get 1% better every day we come out.”

But Lee and his players know nothing will talk louder than Clemson’s on-field performance this season. The Tigers have some key pieces back, including right-hander Mack Anglin and Grice, who led the team in home runs (15) and RBIs (53) a season ago. But there are still some positions that need to be solidified over the next three weeks and into the season.

That includes ongoing competition for starting jobs at catcher (Jonathan French and Cooper Ingle), third base (Bryar Hawkins and Max Wagner), second base (Blake Wright and transfer Tyler Corbitt) and center field (J.D. Brock and Dylan Brewer). Clemson also needs to find a third starter to join Anglin and Nick Hoffmann in the weekend rotation as well as a midweek starter and reliable bullpen arms.

As much as the Tigers want to forget about last season, it’s also a source of motivation as they go about their business this spring.

“It’s kind of closing that chapter I guess, but it’s always something I think that’s in the back of our mind that kind of fuels you as you go,” Anglin said.

Staying healthy would be a good place to start. Outside of freshman outfielder Will Taylor, who should be available to play at some point this season following reconstructive ACL surgery back in October, Lee said his team is in pretty good shape from an injury standpoint.

The past is where Clemson wants to leave everything about last season.

“Last year was not good. I know that,” Lee said. “I’ve taken responsibility for that. I didn’t make any excuses about it. I’m accountable for it. But now it’s time to move on and get this team ready. And that’s my focus right now is every day making sure I’m doing my job of making sure that as a coaching staff I’m leading our coaches and leading our players and getting them better and putting ourselves in position to be successful.”

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Clemson begins 2022 spring practice

The Tigers begin their 125th season of baseball with their first full-squad practice this weekend before they open the season with a three-game series against Indiana at Doug Kingsmore Stadium from Feb. 18-20. “Our players and coaches worked …

“Our players and coaches worked extremely hard in the offseason to improve in every aspect, and we believe we have a strong group of returning and new players that will get us back on track,” said Head Coach Monte Lee, who brought in the No. 11 recruiting class in the nation according to Perfect Game. “We were able to develop and evaluate most of our newcomers in the fall. I’m excited to see the competition between those new players and our returning players for many positions in the spring.”

Among the returnees is sophomore Caden Grice, who was the team’s top offensive player last year. In 2021, he batted .317 with 15 homers and 53 RBIs in 51 games on his way to earning first-team freshman All-America and Second-Team All-ACC honors.

Sophomore Mack Anglin returns after being drafted in the 13th round by the Nationals in 2021. The righthander was an All-ACC Freshman selection in 2021 who had a 3.99 ERA and team-high 75 strikeouts in 56.1 innings pitched over 13 appearances (eight starts).

Fellow sophomore righty Nick Hoffmann was one of the team’s most valuable pitchers in 2021 as a long reliever and starter. He is 6-2 with four saves and a 3.43 ERA in 60.1 innings pitched over 24 appearances (four starts) in his career.

The 2022 schedule features 33 home games and 25 games against 2021 NCAA Tournament teams. The Tigers play Michigan State and USC Upstate at Fluor Field in Greenville, and they face South Carolina and College of Charleston at Segra Park in Columbia. The ACC Tournament returns to Charlotte, N.C. for the second year in a row as well.

–Courtesy of Clemson Athletic Communications

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Clemson baseball counting mix of holdovers, newcomers for power supply

Caden Grice is expected to do most of the heavy lifting in the middle of Clemson’s lineup this season, and for good reason. As a freshman last season, Grice was the Tigers’ top overall hitter. His .317 average was best on the team while his 15 home …

Caden Grice is expected to do most of the heavy lifting in the middle of Clemson’s lineup this season, and for good reason.

As a freshman last season, Grice was the Tigers’ top overall hitter. His .317 average was best on the team while his 15 home runs were among the ACC leaders. Throw in nine doubles and a triple, and more than 42% of Grice’s hits went for extra bases (25 out of 59).

Grice also accounted for 22.3% of Clemson’s homers by himself. Another one of the Tigers’ top hitters, shortstop James Parker, is off playing professional baseball as an eighth-round pick of the Seattle Mariners after swatting eight homers in his final season at Clemson.

But Clemson has others it’s counting on to help with the power supply once it season starts Feb. 18 with a series against Indiana at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Right-fielder Dylan Brewer is back after being the only other player to drop double-digit dingers for the Tigers last season (10). Meanwhile, newcomer Billy Amick is someone Clemson coach Monte Lee is high on as a freshman whose bat may be able to play in the middle of the order sooner rather than later.

“Right-handed hitter. Super strong. Has power and can hit to all fields,” Lee said of Amick. “Feel like he’s going to be a big-time hitter at this level.”

Amick dealt with an arm injury in the fall that kept him from participating in practices then, but Lee said he has “looked really good” since returning for individual drills. Clemson will begin team practices for the new season Friday.

A Batesburg native, Amick was one of the top infield prospects in the South Carolina prep ranks before signing with Clemson. The 6-foot, 210-pounder’s primary position is third base, but Lee said Amick could also play either corner infield spot as well as some second base if needed.

Whether he’ll play in the field much in Year 1, though, will depend on his health, Lee said. Most of Amick’s early at-bats are likely to come as a designated hitter in the heart of Clemson’s lineup.

“He’s going to be an impact hitter,” Lee said. “He’s going to be a middle-of-the-order type of hitter, in my opinion, in the future and could be this year depending on how he progresses once he starts getting live at-bats.”

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Lee explains how plans have changed for Grice

Caden Grice did a little pitching and a lot of hitting for Clemson’s baseball team en route to freshman All-America honors last season. Is he still planning on doing both as part of an encore this spring? Not as of now, Clemson coach Monte Lee told …

Caden Grice did a little pitching and a lot of hitting for Clemson’s baseball team en route to freshman All-America honors last season.

Is he still planning on doing both as part of an encore this spring?

Not as of now, Clemson coach Monte Lee told The Clemson Insider on Thursday. The focus for Grice entering his sophomore season will be playing first base, where the 6-foot-6, 240-pounder got most of his 51 starts last season. Grice also started 22 games as the Tigers’ designated hitter, a role he could still fill on occasion as well.

Lee said shifting the focus primarily to his bat was a “personal decision” for Grice, who sustained a hand injury after last season that limited his pitching over the summer and kept him out of fall practice.

“The injury that he had was related to doing both, so just purely for his health, it may be best for us to concentrate on one for Caden,” Lee said. “So we’re going to concentrate on him playing first base and maybe sticking him in the outfield some, too.

“Pitching, right now, we’re going to put to the side because it’s more of a health-related situation for him. The injury that he had, if he continues to do both, the chance of him getting hurt again goes way up. My first responsibility for every player in the program is to keep them safe.”

Grice logged 10 innings on the mound last season over five appearances (three starts), but his most impactful contribution in his first season at Clemson came at the plate. The lefty led the Tigers in home runs (15), RBIs (53) and slugging percentage (.618). He finished with 25 extra-base hits.

Despite being Clemson’s primary power threat, his .317 average was the second-highest on the team. He also finished second on the team with 28 walks and posted a .427 on-base percentage, also tops on the teams. Grice was a second-team all-ACC selection as a first baseman while D1Baseball.com and Perfect Game pegged him as a first-team freshman All-American.

But Lee didn’t completely rule out the possibility of Grice taking the mound again at some point if he decides he’s up for it. Grice allowed 10 hits and had a 7.20 earned run average in the small sample size a season ago.

“As we get closer to the season or into the season, his arm is going to be in shape,” Lee said. “Physically if he feels OK and has no setbacks with the injury he suffered in the fall, there could be a chance we pitch him some. But I think right now our focus with Caden is primarily on the position-player side.”

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Clemson looking to veteran leadership with young team

Fall practice is officially underway for Clemson at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, but the field will look a lot different this time around. With key pieces of last season’s roster, including Davis Sharpe, Bryce Teodosio, Adam Hackenberg, James Parker, …

Fall practice is officially underway for Clemson at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, but the field will look a lot different this time around.

With key pieces of last season’s roster, including Davis Sharpe, Bryce Teodosio, Adam Hackenberg, James Parker, Kier Meredith, and many others having all since moved on from Clemson after last season, the Tigers have some big shoes to fill, but head coach Monte Lee is not worried. In fact, Lee has been pleased with what he has seen so far from this year’s young squad.

“We feel very good with where we’re at,” Lee told the media on Friday. “It’s a very selfless group and I just like the fact, quite honestly, it’s a very low maintenance group right now. It’s a very quiet group, methodical group. They just kinda go about their business and work and you kind of expect that.”

“We lost a lot of older guys that had a lot of personality on the team from last year, so these guys are kind of quietly going about their business and working really hard. It’s been a great pre-fall practice few weeks just with the individual skill work that we’ve been doing. It’s been a lot of fun and a lot of good quality sessions with the players.”

The Tigers are welcoming 19 newcomers this fall and with that comes a need for veteran leadership. With a lot of last year’s team moving onto their next chapters, Clemson will be looking to its veteran group to step up and lead right where they left off.

“Yeah, it’s going to be different,” freshman All-American Caden Grice said. “I’m more of a leader by example, but I’m looking forward to taking on that role as a vocal leader and try to push some of these guys so we can have the greatest season we can.”

Righthander Mack Anglin is also looking forward to taking on a new leadership role in his third season with the Tigers. The redshirt sophomore, who chose to return to Clemson after being drafted in the 13^th round of the MLB draft earlier this summer, is excited to take on his new leadership role this season alongside a very talented top-25 incoming recruiting class.

“I’m really glad that it’s finally my time to lead being a junior now,” Anglin said. This young class and even the freshmen from last year, they’re all extremely talented, so it’s been a lot of fun just being back together and taking some younger guys under my wing, kind of showing them the ropes and working to get better every single day.”

Lee not surprised by Taylor’s early success on the gridiron

Over the first two weeks of the football season, Clemson fans saw flashes of the moxie two-sport standout Will Taylor brings to the gridiron. For Clemson head baseball coach Monte Lee, seeing Taylor in action for the Tigers has been exciting but …

Over the first two weeks of the football season, Clemson fans saw flashes of the moxie two-sport standout Will Taylor brings to the gridiron.

For Clemson head baseball coach Monte Lee, seeing Taylor in action for the Tigers has been exciting but also anxiety inducing as he watches his top recruit take some hits.

“On that first punt return where he got smoked out of bounds, I was like, ‘C’mon now.’ I had to get up and walk around the couch to see if he was OK,” Lee joked before the start of fall practice on Friday. “I wanted to try and reach out to somebody on the sidelines, but I figured they don’t have their cell phones on the sidelines.”

Taylor turned down a potential slot in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft to enroll at Clemson as a two-sport athlete in football and baseball.

The freshman athlete showed off his speed this past Saturday with that 51-yard punt return against South Carolina State and did not shy away from contact in the game either. Taylor earned special teams player of the game honors against the Bulldogs and also ran the ball five times for 20 yards.

Taylor’s baseball teammates enjoy seeing one of their own run down the hill on Saturdays.

“I’m sitting there cheering on the Tigers, and then I see my teammate walk out on the field with them,” Caden Grice said. “And he goes out there and is tearing it up. It’s awesome and I love it.”

Redshirt sophomore Mack Anglin also relishes the opportunity to see his teammate on the football field. And Anglin is excited to see Taylor get more work on the diamond this spring.

“It’s been fun watching him over on the football field. He’s a freak athlete, and we are really excited to get him and see what he can do,” Anglin said.

Taylor said he wants to try and pop over to Doug Kingsmore Stadium and participate in fall practice when his football and school schedules allow. But Lee wants to give Taylor space to grow as a football player and student as well as an opportunity to refine his baseball skills.

As for Taylor’s success on the football field so far, Lee is not surprised at all and is excited to see the freshman’s impact in the outfield this spring.

“He is going to show you what he can do. He’s not a big talker,” Lee said. “He’s going to show you what he can do on the football field and baseball field. His early success with the football program does not surprise me one bit. This may develop some arguments among the Clemson fans, but he is an even better baseball prospect.”

Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!