Tag: Clemson baseball recruiting

Baseball commit shares why Bakich’s program is ‘just the right place to be’

Ty Marshall is among the players joining Erik Bakich’s 2023 incoming freshman class. The catcher spoke to The Clemson Insider after signing with Clemson last week and shared why the program was the perfect fit for him. “Well Clemson has always stood …

Ty Marshall is among the players joining Erik Bakich’s 2023 incoming freshman class. The catcher spoke to The Clemson Insider after signing with Clemson last week and shared why the program was the perfect fit for him.

“Well Clemson has always stood out to me ever since I was young,” he said. “Every time me and my family would come to football games, I felt like nothing else in the world mattered because I was in Tiger Town and I would never want to leave. It’s like that today when I go up to Clemson. Also, as I got older, I told my parents I wanted a degree from Clemson University, and baseball came along, it just went together. And, the baseball program has been top tier from the get go.

“Clemson has always been a team in college baseball that people always look to as a team to beat. And, the rich history behind Clemson baseball, from the World Series teams to the Coach (Jack) Leggett era and the players they produce in the League. Now today, as Coach Bakich and his staff are the right fit for Clemson. They are amazing coaches, but also amazing people. It’s just the right place to be.”

The South Carolina native further emphasized why he loves the direction Bakich has the program going.

“That you have to earn everything you get and nothing is just going to be served on a platter for you,” he said. “When I saw the first practice post on Instagram over the summer, the team in blank shirts and hats, and I learned that everyone had to earn the Clemson paw and that iconic C, it fired me up, because it just makes you appreciate the little things but also the big things a lot more when you have to earn it. And it makes you appreciate the people around you doing it too, being your teammates. So, I love the direction the program is going and cannot wait to be a part of it.”

The 5-10, 165-pound senior shared what’s up next for him in his final season of high school baseball and what he plans to work on ahead of his freshman season with the Tigers.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “It’s my last go with my guys I have been playing with since I was 9-10 years old. We are looking forward to win state this year. It’s been on our radar ever since we got to high school and we’ve been so close, but I think this is the year we do it.”

“I’m looking to work on my field awareness and to mature through the game and being able to slow the game down and do not let it speed up on me,” he added, “because as soon as you have to second guess yourself, it’s already happened. So, being able to make those quick decisions with confidence and play free as I can and have fun while doing it.”

Marshall shared that while the class of 2023 recruits recently had their official visit, he plans to come back to Clemson to enjoy a football game as a fan in the near future.

“Me and the other guys in the ’23 class just had our official a couple of weeks ago,” he said, “but I might come up next weekend and watch the Carolina game.”

Clemson picks up new commitment

Erik Bakich and the Clemson baseball program picked up a new commitment on Tuesday. Jason Fultz, a class of 2025 infielder/righthanded pitcher from Cathedral Prep in Pennsylvania, announced his commitment to the Tigers. “Choosing Clemson was an easy …

Erik Bakich and the Clemson baseball program picked up a new commitment on Tuesday.

Jason Fultz, a class of 2025 infielder/righthanded pitcher from Cathedral Prep in Pennsylvania, announced his commitment to the Tigers.

“Choosing Clemson was an easy decision,” he said, via Cathedral Prep on Twitter. “Not only are they one of the top baseball programs in the nation, they offer top of the line academics to prepare me for after baseball. Clemson can help make me very successful on and off the field.”

You can check out some clips of Fultz below:

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Former Wolverine details transition to Clemson

It didn’t take long for Erik Bakich’s move from Michigan to Clemson to pay dividends on the recruiting trail. Infielder Riley Bertram elected to follow his head coach down to South Carolina. Bertram started each of the last two seasons in the …

It didn’t take long for Erik Bakich’s move from Michigan to Clemson to pay dividends on the recruiting trail.

Infielder Riley Bertram elected to follow his head coach down to South Carolina. Bertram started each of the last two seasons in the Wolverines’ middle infield, starting 31 of 37 games at second base in 2021 before moving to shortstop this season. He started all 62 games for Michigan this past year, hitting .298 with two home runs, 19 doubles and 40 RBIs.

He hit .271 in four years at Michigan and brings a .946 career fielding percentage to Clemson, which is starting over under Bakich

Bertram talked about his transition to the ACC school and life in the south in an exclusive interview with The Clemson Insider at a NIL event in Clemson last month.

“Clemson’s definitely different, a little smaller town and all, but the transition has been very smooth, especially with the teammates on this team,” Bertram said. “The upperclassmen, they’ve taken us in as a part of the team quickly. They’ve been very friendly and everything’s gone pretty smoothly.”

Bertram transferred to Clemson, to play again for coach Erik Backich, and in doing so he reunited with his roommate at Michigan, Willie Weiss. Nearly 700 miles from Ann Arbor, the pair are roommates again, which has made the transition that much easier.

“Having one of your good friends along with you when you’re making such a culture change, just an overall large change, it’s always good to have a familiar face with you,” Bertram added.

With that, are there any noticeable differences in how Bakich ran his program at the University of Michigan compared to now?

“Coach Bakich has the way that he coaches,” Bertram said. “He has his culture. He has his standards for a program. For the most part, it’s the same. There are obviously some tweaks here and there, but overall, that’s how he runs his program. He believes in it. A lot of our team believes in it as well. I’ve believed in it for five years. It’s a big reason why me and Willie came with him. It’s all the same and we’re gonna stick to that.”

Bertram has found that he’s meshed well with the new staff at Clemson, which he’s described as “phenomenal.”

“(Ben Paulsen) and Phil Phol — big leaguers,” Bertram said of the former Clemson players now on Bakich’s support staff. “Just to have them around the locker room, facility; it’s cool talking to big leaguers whenever they’re helping out for a college team because they might say something and it might seem small, but once that clicks, you’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, that’s a big piece of advice. Little things that they chip and they have their piece to say something about something. You really focus and listen to what they have to say.”

Another piece of that is former Clemson coach Jack Leggett being back in the facilities. Leggett, who led the Tigers to 21 postseason appearances and six trips to the College World Series, will be working for Bakich, though exactly what Leggett’s title will be on staff has still yet to be determined.

Bakich recently told The Clemson Insider he envisions the 68-year-old Leggett helping with “total program development” primarily in an off-field capacity.

“He’s been a great addition,” Bertram said of Leggett. “Him, Bakich and ( assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator Nick) Schnabel, they all attack the day. They have that high-energy attitude and (Leggett) coming in, it’s been no change. If anything, he’s picked it up too. He’s done a great job coming in and obviously, the buzz around Clesmon baseball is even better having him on the staff and his legacy here.

“For him to come back after everything he’s done in his career, to join back here and to come back to Clemson again, it means a lot to us. It means a lot to the players on this team, for him to still fully be bought in with Clemson and try to help us each day and get us back to Omaha.”

Just looking around at the talent that Clemson has not only in its middle infield but on the roster, makes Bertram excited about the prospect of his final season in Tiger Town. 

“Oh yeah, a whole lot of talent in the whole infield, even the first base position with some depth there as well,” he said. “It’s so early. We’re taking it day by day. I feel like everybody in the infield with Coach Schnabel, everybody’s getting better day by day. There’s a lot of talent there. When it all comes said and done and whoever’s there, it’s gonna be great. Everyone in that infield, they’re great dudes and some of my good friends. As a matter of fact, I’ve spent a lot of time with (Benjamin) Blackwell. He’s shown me the ropes a lot and he’s been a good influence on me.”

“There’s just so many good players around us,” Bertram continued. “That’s what you want. You want that depth. It might get you to Omaha, but it’s gonna get you that extra step and it’s gonna get you on top of that mountain.”

Despite a coaching change and some roster turnover, there’s a reason that Bertram followed Bakich to Clemson. He not only believes in his philosophy as a head coach but in his ability to run a program. Regardless of the outside perception, Bertram is ready to compete for a College World Series.

“When we got here and you see all the talent that’s around us and this whole team, there’s one goal in mind,” Bertram said. “There’s no sugarcoating it. It’s one goal. We’re gonna try to get better each day and our goal is to get to Omaha and then have success in Omaha. That’s our goal and we’re gonna keep nailing that in. That’s what we’re gonna believe and that’s what we’re gonna work for.”

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Clemson picks up new commitment

Erik Bakich and the Clemson baseball program picked up a new verbal pledge Tuesday. Briggs Sullivan, a class of 2024 middle infielder/utility player from Oceanside Collegiate Academy (Mount Pleasant, S.C.), announced his commitment to the Tigers via …

Erik Bakich and the Clemson baseball program picked up a new verbal pledge Tuesday.

Briggs Sullivan, a class of 2024 middle infielder/utility player from Oceanside Collegiate Academy (Mount Pleasant, S.C.), announced his commitment to the Tigers via social media.

“I am excited to announce that I have committed to further my academic and athletic career at Clemson University,” Sullivan wrote in a Twitter post. “I would like to thank Clemson baseball for giving me the opportunity to live out my dream of representing the tigers.”

You can check out some clips of Sullivan (6-2, 187) below:

Come out to support Clemson baseball at Dear Old Clemson’s event on September 30 at the Madren Conference Center.  New head coach Erik Bakich will speak and most of next year’s team will be on hand.  Get your tickets today or sign up for the Orange level or higher of the Tiger Club to get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events. Dear Old Clemson.

Clemson picks up new commitment

Erik Bakich and the Clemson baseball program picked up a new verbal commitment Friday. Jack Morris – a class of 2024 pitcher from Shakopee (Minnesota) – announced his commitment to the Tigers via social media. I am excited and grateful to announce …

Erik Bakich and the Clemson baseball program picked up a new verbal commitment Friday.

Jack Morris — a class of 2024 pitcher from Shakopee (Minnesota) — announced his commitment to the Tigers via social media.

I am excited and grateful to announce my commitment to continue my academic and athletic career playing baseball at Clemson University!” he wrote in a Twitter post. “I would like to thank my Mash Baseball, Tony Vocca, Brandon Peterson, Tom Schleper, Kelly Bruneau, and family for supporting me! Go Tigers!”

You can check out some clips of Morris below:

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

 

 

Clemson picks up new commitment

Erik Bakich and the Clemson baseball program picked up a new verbal commitment Tuesday. Devin Parks – a class of 2023 outfielder from Legion Collegiate Academy (Rock Hill, S.C.) – announced his commitment to the Tigers via social media. “I am …

Erik Bakich and the Clemson baseball program picked up a new verbal commitment Tuesday.

Devin Parks — a class of 2023 outfielder from Legion Collegiate Academy (Rock Hill, S.C.) — announced his commitment to the Tigers via social media.

“I am extremely excited and blessed to announce that I will be furthering my academic and athletic career at Clemson University,” he wrote in a Twitter post. “I just want to take a minute to thank God for giving me the ability to be the person and baseball player I am today, my family for all of the effort, love, and support, every one of my coaches for pushing me to be the person and baseball player I am today, and my teammates for grinding with me on such an amazing journey! #GoTigers”

You can check out some clips of Parks below:

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Decision to be a Tiger was ‘pretty easy’ for former FSU commit

Chance Fitzgerald became the first former Florida State commit to follow Jimmy Belanger to Clemson. The right-handed pitcher and class of 2023 prospect out of Sanford’s (Fla.) Lake Howell High School announced his verbal commitment to the Tigers via …

Chance Fitzgerald became the first former Florida State commit to follow Jimmy Belanger to Clemson.

The right-handed pitcher and class of 2023 prospect out of Sanford’s (Fla.) Lake Howell High School announced his verbal commitment to the Tigers via social media last Saturday .

“With all the coaching staff stuff happening at Florida State, I’ve had a relationship with Coach Belanger for going on almost two and a half years now,” Fitzgerald told The Clemson Insider in a phone interview Friday. “It’s kind of hard to throw that out the window and try to build a new one with the new coaching staff in only a certain amount of time.”

Fitzgerald walked around Clemson and absolutely fell in love with the program as soon as he got there.

“With all that kind of piling into one, it made the decision pretty easy,” he added.

Fitzgerald heard from Belanger almost instantly. 

Belanger called Fitzgerald to let him know — before it was in the press — that he wasn’t going to be kept at Florida State. Belanger had the idea right there and then that he was going to be Clemson’s next pitching coach. 

This was Fitzgerald’s second time committing to Belanger as a prospect, so there are a lot of values that intersect, as well as their philosophies on the mound.

“It coincides to a T,” Fitzgerald said regarding his relationship with Belanger. “We both believe in the same stuff. He has some things that he wants me to work on that I also want to work on. All of his beliefs and teachings go along with everything that I’ve known as a pitcher growing up. I fell in love with him super fast, just hearing him talk about how he coaches…it’s hard not to bite on that.”

With the relationship already there, it was just a matter of Fitzgerald getting a chance to visit campus before he decided to follow Belanger to Tiger Town.

“Oh man, it’s crazy,” Fitzgerald said when asked about his unofficial visit to Clemson’s campus. “Everything’s brand new. It’s beautiful. Getting around campus isn’t this mind-numbing, confusing thing — it’s really nice. And then the baseball facilities, I mean I couldn’t ask for much more regarding those.”

He also couldn’t ask for much more out of a head coach either.

“He’s a great guy,” Fitzgerald said of Erik Bakich. “He’s the same way. He was on the phone with me for probably 45-minutes, just talking about beliefs, and expectations and they all lined up with everything I believed in. Bakich, he made it very easy to feel comfortable with being a part of the Clemson family.”

While Florida State’s new staff made an effort to keep in contact with Fitzgerald, he quietly decommitted from Link Jarrett’s program a little over two weeks ago. He didn’t publically announce his decision to do so, but he didn’t want there to be any false premises that his recruitment was now reopened.

Fitzgerald was going to Clemson.

“I was pretty set on where I wanted to go,” he said.

Fitzgerald isn’t the only prospect that was previously committed elsewhere that Bakich and Co. have been able to flip to Clemson. He feels like that says a lot about not only the coaching staff’s ability to recruit but the direction of the program.

“Clemson might be a sleeper program here in the next couple of years,” Fitzgerald added. “I personally love being the underdog and surprising people. I think we’re 100% going to do with some of the guys that we’ve recruited there recently. I think we might be a powerhouse program and nobody’s gonna know it.”

As far as his pitching repertoire is concerned, Fitzgerald has four working in his arsenal — fastball, slurve, changeup and cutter. Fitzgerald says that his fastball, which sits around 91-92 mph, will forever be his go-to pitch because it’s probably the easiest one to locate and it’s the hardest pitch to hit in baseball if you can locate it well.

Fitzgerald admitted that his breaker is his put-away pitch, but if he wants to go with a fastball up in the zone to try and get a bad swing off, he’ll do that if he needs to.

“I believe in pitching not throwing,” he said. “I want to be able to put a ball where I want it with strategy behind it, rather than just throw the hell out of it and hope it gets by him. I’m a big pitcher.”

What can Clemson fans expect out of Fitzgerald when he arrives on campus a little under a year from now?

“I’m a dawg,” he said. “I’m gonna do everything I can to help the program win because I want it as much as the fans want it, and as much as my teammates and coaches want it. I think everybody there wants to win. That’s gonna be my goal, to freakin’ work my butt off and do everything I can to win some baseball games.”

— Photo courtesy of  Chance Fitzgerald.

Bakich, Clemson land big-time commit after camp

The Clemson baseball program has picked up another verbal pledge. Class of 2025 outfielder Logan Struk of Oceanside Collegiate Academy (Charleston, S.C.) announced his commitment to the Tigers via social media Monday afternoon. Struk, who will play …

The Clemson baseball program has picked up another verbal pledge.

Class of 2025 outfielder Logan Struk of Oceanside Collegiate Academy (Charleston, S.C.) announced his commitment to the Tigers via social media Monday afternoon.

Struk, who will play for Team Elite Platinum in the fall, was offered by Clemson after a strong camp performance, in which he was said to hit a home run that went nearly 430-plus feet.

The 6-foot-5, 195-pound outfielder is a Connecticut native, who just recently moved to the Palmetto State. He’s just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential.

Tigers pick up another commitment from in-state prospect

The Clemson baseball program has picked up another verbal pledge. Class of 2023 left-handed pitcher Jackson Cole of Boiling Springs (S.C.) High School announced his commitment to the Tigers via social media Monday afternoon. I am excited to announce …

The Clemson baseball program has picked up another verbal pledge.

Class of 2023 left-handed pitcher Jackson Cole of Boiling Springs (S.C.) High School announced his commitment to the Tigers via social media Monday afternoon.

I am excited to announce that I have committed to Clemson University to further my baseball and academic career,” Cole wrote in a Twitter post. “I would like to thank God, my parents, family, coaches, and friends for helping me get to this point. Go Tigers!!”

You can watch some clips of Cole below:

 

‘It was kind of a no-brainer’: Michigan transfer talks decision to join Bakich at Clemson

It didn’t take long for Erik Bakich’s move from Michigan to Clemson to pay dividends on the recruiting trail. Infielder Riley Bertram, who played for Bakich at Michigan, intends to follow his coach to Clemson. Bertram announced via social media on …

It didn’t take long for Erik Bakich’s move from Michigan to Clemson to pay dividends on the recruiting trail. Infielder Riley Bertram, who played for Bakich at Michigan, intends to follow his coach to Clemson.

Bertram announced via social media on Tuesday, June 21, that he will use his final season of eligibility to transfer to Clemson.

Bertram started each of the last two seasons in the Wolverines’ middle infield, starting 31 of 37 games at second base in 2021 before moving to shortstop this season. He started all 62 games for Michigan this year, hitting .298 with two home runs, 19 doubles and 40 RBIs.

He hit .271 in four years at Michigan and brings a .946 career fielding percentage to Clemson, which is starting over under Bakich.

“When Coach Bakich and his staff decided to go to Clemson and that was their decision — that was awesome — I was really happy for them and still happy for them, Bertram told The Clemson Insider in a phone interview earlier this week. It was a great opportunity for them.”

Bertram decided to enter the transfer portal since he already finished four years at the University of Michigan and got his degree. He admitted that being a graduate transfer is a little bit of a smoother process.

“When Coach Bakich reached out and wanted me to be a Tiger, I thought it was kind of a no-brainer,” Bertram continued. “I played with him for four years and I loved him. To go play a fifth-year in the ACC around some really good baseball players, I couldn’t turn that offer down.”

About a couple of weeks ago after Bertram elected to follow Bakich down to Tiger Town, he took an unofficial visit to Clemson. Bertram drove down with his mother and they spent two days checking out his new home.

“It was beautiful,” he said. “It was everything. You can’t not enjoy being in Clemson and being around that atmosphere.”

Ideally, Bertram would like to be down in Clemson as soon as possible, but he won’t be able to move into his new apartment until mid-August. Right now, he’s living out the remainder of his lease in Ann Arbor through July and he’ll have a two-week gap where he’ll be able to go home to Indiana before he starts his final season of collegiate baseball.

Bertram got some “awesome” news when he found out that Willie Weiss would also be joining him at Clemson. Weiss announced his decision shortly after Bertram did and believe it or not, the two were roommates up at Michigan.

“Having Willie come down with me and me going with him, we’re gonna share a lease next year as well at Clemson,” Bertram said. “It’s a little bit more exciting. Having the coaching staff there is good too, but their coaches and it’s a lot better going in knowing that I have a friend going in too.”

It also makes life a little easier now that Bertram doesn’t have to worry about finding a roommate.

First and foremost, Bertram is excited to be going to a program where winning is in the fabric of the culture. He’s excited for the opportunity that lies ahead and added that it’s obviously his goal to play shortstop for Clemson this season. At the same time, he also said that in Baskich’s system nothing is given and everything is earned.

“I know there’s a lot of great players that are going to be there,” he said. “Ideally, I’d like to go in there and earn that position or earn a starting position. Everything under his watch is mainly, who’s going to earn it? He’s not just going to hand out positions.”

Bertram doesn’t believe that Bakich or Nick Schnabel have ever entered a season with the word “rebuild” in the back of their minds. He says that there are multiple ways to find a way to the NCAA tournament and find a way to the main goal, which is making it to Ohama and hosting up a trophy at the end.

“They want to win, which is always something that I think is the most important thing,” Bertram said. “You got to want to win. You have to do everything that you can to find a way to have more runs at the end of the game. That’s their main goal is to find any way to win.

“And at the same time, they’re personable people. You can talk to them about anything. They know a lot about you. They invest in you, not only as one of their players but as a friend that you talk to.The connection, in my four years, even coming in as a freshman, they always made me feel at home. I have a lot of respect for that staff and I love them.”

Photo courtesy of Matt Stone/Courier Journal/USA Today Network