Tag: Cammy Pereira

Clemson senior makes prediction about next year’s softball team

Cammy Pereira won’t still be on the roster whenever it happens, but Clemson’s senior infielder believes the softball program will pull off a first sooner rather than later. Pereira played her final game for the Tigers on Friday when Oklahoma State …

Cammy Pereira won’t still be on the roster whenever it happens, but Clemson’s senior infielder believes the softball program will pull off a first sooner rather than later.

Pereira played her final game for the Tigers on Friday when Oklahoma State ended Clemson’s season in the Stillwater Super Regional. Pereira played the last three seasons at Clemson after transferring from Furman, meaning she has seen the entirety of the program’s progress since its inaugural season in 2020.

Since then, Clemson has made a quick ascension among the nation’s best, winning the ACC’s regular-season title last year and making consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Clemson earned its first-ever super regional appearance this year by winning its own regional, also firsts for the program.

Pereira believes the Tigers are just a year away from taking the next step in their postseason progression.

“The first year obviously ended short with COVID, and that was disappointing. But I think that year would’ve been kind of our ACC tournament run when that may have felt a little too big,” Pereira said of Clemson’s debut season. “I think last year, regionals felt a little too big, and this year we kind of blew through it. This year, supers may have felt a little too big, and next year they’re going to blow through that and head to the World Series.”

Pereira explained her prediction has a lot to do with not only the experience Clemson’s younger players have acquired over the last couple of seasons but also how quickly that talent has developed. Sophomores Valerie Cagle, Millie Thompson, McKenzie Clark and Alia Logoleo earned all-ACC honors this season while catcher Aby Vieira was named to the all-freshman team.

“Just seeing young kids grow up,” Pereira said. “Seeing Val come into her own, Kenz come into her own, Millie come into her own and just to play on these big stages. That wasn’t things they were doing their freshmen year. They had raw talent, but they didn’t have the experience.”

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‘This place is only going up from here’

Amid the somber reality of their historic season prematurely reaching its conclusion, Clemson softball coach John Rittman and his players spent a lot of time pondering aloud where they’ve been and where they hope to be going sooner rather than …

Amid the somber reality of their historic season prematurely reaching its conclusion, Clemson softball coach John Rittman and his players spent a lot of time pondering aloud where they’ve been and where they hope to be going sooner rather than later.

The Tigers’ bid for their first-ever Women’s College World Series appearance fell short in Oklahoma late last week. Oklahoma State became the first team to clinch its spot in this year’s WCWS by sweeping Clemson in the Stillwater Super Regional, stopping the music on Clemson’s postseason party, one highlighted by the program’s first regional championship and a super regional debut.

“It’s never easy when you win your last game, but this season has been so special,” Rittman told reporters following the Tigers’ final loss late Friday night.

Rittman couldn’t help but think back to what his program has accomplished in such a short period of time. Clemson has only played two full seasons of softball after its inaugural 2020 campaign was canceled in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet the Tigers already have 105 wins, an ACC regular-season title and a pair of conference tournament title game appearances.

As for the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers have just two goals they have yet to reach outside of hosting their own super regional: Getting to the WCWS and winning it. Senior infielder Cammy Pereira looked to the team that kept Clemson from potentially accomplishing that this year as a reference for the kind of staying power the Tigers could have as they grow older as a program.

Oklahoma State, which has been playing softball since the 1970s, has made all four of its WCWS appearances since 2011. The Cowgirls are making their third consecutive trip this year.

“That’s really a testament to a team like Oklahoma State,” Pereira said. “You see their wall covered with all the accolades since back in the ‘90s. We’ve been around for two and a half years, so that will be something that I’m looking forward to seeing in the future is our wall covered like that as well because this place is only going up from here.”

Clemson has a young nucleus that should keep the Tigers among the ACC’s elite should it return intact next season, most notably two-way star and all-conference first-teamer Valerie Cagle. All of the Tigers’ other all-ACC performers this season – pitcher Millie Thompson, shortstop Alia Logoleo, outfielder McKenzie Clark and catcher Aby Vieira – were also sophomores or freshmen.

Clark made a point to thank the upperclassmen who helped show the younger players the ropes, including five outgoing seniors who all transferred into the program during its infancy. Rittman said his first group of seniors will be missed.

“They kind of set the standard for this program for years to come,” Rittman said. “They’ve left a legacy.”

With the help of their guidance, Clark said the program is in solid position to get where it ultimately wants to be this time of year.

“(The seniors) have given us opportunities. They’ve given us wisdom,” Clark said. “They’ve given us all the tools that we need for the next few years to come.”

Congratulations! You did it! You graduated! Now is the time to preserve your diploma in a custom frame. Here at Clemson Variety & Frame, we build all our frames in-house – from the frame to the mats and etchings to the installation – to guarantee the quality. You worked hard for your degree. Trust us to show your diploma in the best light possible.

Pereira, Clark: Tigers plan ‘to keep doing what we’ve been doing’ in supers

Clemson’s softball team is heading to its first Super Regional in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Before heading there, infielder Cammy Pereira and outfielder McKenzie Clark took time to preview the challenge that awaits against No. 7 seed Oklahoma State. …

Clemson’s softball team is heading to its first Super Regional in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Before heading there, infielder Cammy Pereira and outfielder McKenzie Clark took time to preview the challenge that awaits against No. 7 seed Oklahoma State.

Following a weekend in McWhorter Stadium allowing no runs for all three games, the Tigers (42-15) are looking ahead at their Super Regional opponent this weekend. Although this is the team’s first-ever time appearing in a Super Regional, Clemson is going into this weekend just like they have every other game and ready to take it one game at a time.

“We took regionals one step at a time,” Pereira stated before departing to Oklahoma on Tuesday. “We talked about that over and over again, just one step at a time, and that’s really what you have to do because there is no one that we can look at and see as an easy opponent. So, right now, focusing on Super Regionals, obviously we know that two wins gets us through, but nobody has ever been here before. Nobody knows what to expect, so we just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing.” 

Even though the team is staying focused on the task at hand, it does not mean that they are not taking in the moment ahead of them and realizing just how exciting it is being in the Super Regional, especially for a program only in its third year.

“Just to think about winning it all or just going there in general, it just brings goosebumps to me,” Clark said. “It’s super exciting, but you can’t look too far ahead. You have to kind of play where your feet are at, but it’s just all excitement from me.”

While using their excitement as momentum heading into this weekend, the Tigers also understand the strong opponent they are facing while also balancing how to handle the nerves that come along with playing at such high stakes.  

“No matter who your opponent is, it is just all about the heart and the fight to get through it,” Pereira said. “It is not always about the name on your jersey. It’s just about the heart that your team has, so we try not to focus too much on the specifics of the team. We know what we need to know.”

The Tigers are set to face Oklahoma State beginning Thursday at 9:30 p.m. Game 2 will be Friday at 6 p.m. with an if-necessary game slated for Saturday.

The champs talk about the historic regional win

Clemson, S.C. – Head coach John Rittman, Valerie Cagle, Millie Thompson and Cammy Periera couldn’t have been happier talking about the 8-0 win over Louisiana to win the regional Sunday. Watch the postgame press conference on TCITV:

Clemson, S.C. — Head coach John Rittman, Valerie Cagle, Millie Thompson and Cammy Periera couldn’t have been happier talking about the 8-0 win over Louisiana to win the regional Sunday.

Watch the postgame press conference on TCITV:

Twitter reacts: Clemson shuts out Louisiana, advances to super regionals

Clemson softball is headed to super regionals for the first time in program history, and here’s how Twitter reacted to the news.

Clemson softball is headed to super regionals for the first time in program history following an 8-0 shutout against Louisiana at McWhorter Stadium on Sunday

After getting out to an early 1-0 lead, Clemson’s bats came alive in the fourth inning. Highlighted by Valerie Cagle’s three-RBI homer, the Tigers scored seven runs in the fourth off six hits and two home runs, ultimately making a Louisiana comeback insurmountable and ending the game in five.

Batting first in the order, Clemson second baseman Cammy Pereira finished the game 3-for-3 at the plate. Meanwhile, Millie Thompson delivered another impressive performance in the circle, throwing a five-inning shutout with five strikeouts while allowing just one hit.

“There’s just so much to be proud of,” said head coach John Rittman. “To win a regional championship in our third year of existence is just mind-blowing. It’s just a credit to our administration, President Clements, our athletic director Graham Neff, everybody who’s been involved in our program.”

In Clemson’s three games in regionals, the Tigers didn’t allow a single run, outscoring their opponents 18-0.

With the victory, Clemson will either travel to No. 7 seed Oklahoma State or host North Texas in super regionals.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to Clemson softball making history.

‘Can’t overlook anybody’: Tigers taking one-track mind into Clemson Regional

Clemson’s softball team is taking a normal approach to being the favorite this week. And by normal, coaches and players said the Tigers don’t plan on switching up anything because of the number beside their name. That includes their mental focus. …

Clemson’s softball team is taking a normal approach to being the favorite this week.

And by normal, coaches and players said the Tigers don’t plan on switching up anything because of the number beside their name. That includes their mental focus.

“We have expectations and a target on our back, and we’re not sneaking up on anybody,” Clemson coach John Rittman said.

When it comes to advancing in the NCAA Tournament, Clemson has about as good a draw as a team could hope for on opening weekend. The Tigers will get to sleep in their own beds and play at a stadium they’re all too familiar with while playing in their own regional for the first time in program history. The No. 10 national seed, Clemson is the 1 seed in the Clemson Regional and will open tournament play against No. 4 seed UNC Wilmington on Friday at McWhorter Stadium.

Senior infielder Cammy Pereira still vividly remembers the raucous atmosphere the Tigers stepped into this time last year when Clemson traveled to Alabama to play in its first-ever regional in Tuscaloosa, which the host Crimson Tide won with a 3-0 record. The Tigers are counting on a similar type of environment at their stadium that they believe should help their cause this time.

“(The atmosphere) is 10 times stronger when you’re in someone else’s environment, so I think being able to have that on our side this time is going to be something that’s really helpful for us,” Periera said. “I think our environment is unmatched, and I think we’re pretty close up there with the big stadiums, big fans and big moments. So it’s definitely going to play to our advantage.”

Said pitcher Valerie Cagle, “I think our own fans have wanted this for a while. They really wanted it last year and got really disappointed (when Clemson wasn’t chosen as a regional host), so I think they’re going to bring that energy that’s kind of been building for a while.”

That doesn’t mean Clemson is already thinking super regionals. The Tigers know they have to take care of business in a regional that will hardly be a cakewalk. Auburn, the 2 seed, has one of the top hitting-pitching duos around in SEC Freshman of the Year Bri Ellis (18 home runs) and right-hander Maddie Penta (1.77 earned run average in 40 appearances).

Louisiana, at least on paper, may be even stiffer competition. The Ragin’ Cajuns, who’ve already won 40 games in back-to-back seasons, have won 22 of their past 23 games and bring a season-best 13-game winning streak into regional play. And then there’s UNC Wilmington, which showed what it’s capable of by running the table in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament last week to earn the conference’s automatic bid.

Wilmington has the fewest wins (32) of any team in the regional and easily the lowest RPI ranking, sitting at triple digits in that metric (No. 110). The Seahawks have also yet to beat an ACC team this season with losses to North Carolina and North Carolina State, but Clemson’s coaches and players don’t care what the numbers say. They’re well aware this isn’t the time of year to be taking anyone lightly in between the white lines.

“I know they’re a respectable program,” Periera said of Wilmington. “I know any team that’s good enough to make it to a regional has got to be somebody that’s good competition, so we just can’t overlook anybody at this point. Just have to respect any team that’s made it to this point because that means they deserved it.”

Should Clemson win Friday, the Tigers will face the winner of the second opening-round game between Auburn and Louisiana. The winner of that would advance to Sunday’s regional final, but anything after Friday can wait. Clemson is taking things one game at a time.

“As Coach Rittman always says, (the game) doesn’t know who’s supposed to win or lose,” shortstop Alia Logoleo said. “So we’re just going to go out and give it everything we’ve got just like any other game.”

Congratulations! You did it! You graduated! Now is the time to preserve your diploma in a custom frame. Here at Clemson Variety & Frame, we build all our frames in-house – from the frame to the mats and etchings to the installation – to guarantee the quality. You worked hard for your degree. Trust us to show your diploma in the best light possible.

Pitching igniting Clemson softball’s late-season surge

With a 19-9 record that included just one ACC win, Clemson’s softball team was struggling to live up to its billing as a preseason top-15 team heading into the last week of March. Things have changed for the Tigers since then. Fresh off a series win …

With a 19-9 record that included just one ACC win, Clemson’s softball team was struggling to live up to its billing as a preseason top-15 team heading into the last week of March.

Things have changed for the Tigers since then.

Fresh off a series win over No. 21 Notre Dame, Clemson has won 14 of its last 16 games. That stretch has included 11 consecutive wins that began with a victory over South Carolina on March 30, and Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Fighting Irish gave Clemson its third straight ACC series win. 

It has helped vault the Tigers (33-11, 11-7 ACC) to fifth place in the ACC standings, just two games back in the loss column of third-place Florida State ahead of the teams’ series in Tallahassee next weekend. It may be difficult for the Tigers to catch Virginia Tech and Duke – teams that are a combined 5-1 against Clemson this season – atop the standings with just two series left before next month’s ACC Tournament, but their hot streak has given them a shot at a second straight top-3 finish after winning their first-ever regular-season conference title a season ago.

It’s been the work in the circle that’s ignited Clemson’s late-season resurgence.

With two-way All-American candidate Valerie Cagle (1.96 earned run average), Millie Thompson (1.61) and Regan Spencer (1.03) pitching most of the innings, Clemson has limited teams to just 2.06 runs per game since a 5-2 win over Louisville on March 25. The Tigers haven’t yielded more than five runs in a game since, and four of the Tigers’ wins during that stretch have been shutouts.

That’s dropped the team’s ERA to 1.80 on the season, second-lowest in the ACC. 

“I can’t say enough about our pitching staff,” Clemson coach John Rittman said.

Cagle didn’t have her sharpest outing Saturday in the series clincher against Notre Dame, but the sophomore right-hander still limited the Fighting Irish to just one run on nine hits in 4 ⅓ innings. Spencer polished off the victory with 2 ⅔ innings of three-hit relief.

“Certainly we didn’t hit the ball like we’re capable of, but credit goes to their pitching staff,” Rittman said. “They kept us off balance all weekend, but we found ways to win two out of three games.”

Cagle went the distance in the Tigers’ 3-2 victory to start the series Thursday, and Thompson was saddled with the tough-luck loss Friday after yielding just two earned runs in six innings. The Tigers failed to muster a hit in the 4-0 loss and needed Cammy Pereira’s walk-off single to squeak out Saturday’s win, but the pitching is keeping Clemson in games as the Tigers wait for more consistent offense to come around.

“(Notre Dame) put a lot of pressure on us and on our defense,” Rittman said. “Valerie gave us all she had, and then Regan stepped in and just did a tremendous job to keep it at 1-1. Got out of some tough situations. Just really proud of Regan and how she’s grown and developed as a pitcher.”

Clemson’s series at Florida State will begin Thursday. The Tigers will close out the regular season with four games the following week, including a weekend home series against Georgia Tech.

Pereira, Taylor Homer as Tigers Sweep Pitt

The No. 17 Clemson Tigers completed the sweep over Pitt at Vartabedian Field with an 11-3 run-rule victory in five innings. This is Clemson’s second sweep and 12th run-rule win of the 2022 season. Following this weekend, the Tigers improve to 30-10 …

The No. 17 Clemson Tigers completed the sweep over Pitt at Vartabedian Field with an 11-3 run-rule victory in five innings. This is Clemson’s second sweep and 12th run-rule win of the 2022 season. Following this weekend, the Tigers improve to 30-10 (9-6 ACC), while the Panthers drop to 13-19 (1-12 ACC).

The Clemson offense exploded for 11 runs off 11 hits led by graduate Bailey Taylor going 2-for-2 with a solo home run, Valerie Cagle going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Sam Russ going 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Pitt was the first to bring a runner home, hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning. Clemson’s bats responded in the top of the third tallying five hits after Bailey Taylor, who Carlee Shannon pinch ran for, led off with a single into left field. Shannon stole second and freshman Maddie Moore drew a walk to put two on base for Cammy Pereira. Pereira drove the second ball of her at bat out of left field to put the Tigers up, 3-1.
Action didn’t stop there in the third as Valerie Cagle was walked and Sam Russ hit a single to put two on for Alia Logoleo. Logoleo came up with a huge single into right field to bring both Cagle and Russ home and then advanced to second on a throwing error. Freshman Aby Vieira followed with an RBI single up the middle to extend Clemson’s lead to 6-1.
The Panthers got runs back in the bottom of the third and fourth off solo home runs, but Clemson kept things at bay with Cagle hitting a double down the left-field line and being brought home by Russ hitting a double into left center.
The Tigers struck again in the fifth inning with Taylor hitting a home run, her first of the 2022 season, out of left field to begin the inning. Moore followed with a single into right field and stole second before Pereira reached on an error. McKenzie Clark brought home Moore with a double into right field, and Cagle scored Pereira off a single through the left side. Russ brought home Clark with a hard-hit ball to Pitt’s second baseman but was ruled out on the play at first.
Freshman Brooke McCubbin got her fifth start of the season and pitched 3.0 innings with one strikeout. Sophomore Regan Spencer came in in the fourth inning and pitched two innings with a single strikeout.
Up Next

Clemson continues the road stretch on Tuesday traveling to Columbia, S.C. to complete the home-and-home series with South Carolina.