Clemson Tigers Baseball – Page 3

Four-run ninth inning gives No. 4 Clemson wild series-opening win at Louisville

Clemson Baseball: The Clemson Tigers rallied for a wild 12-11 come-from-behind victory over Louisville Friday.

LOUISVILLE, KY. – No. 4 Clemson scored four runs in the ninth inning, capped by Cam Cannarella’s two-out, run-scoring single, in its 12-11 victory over Louisville at Jim Patterson Stadium on Friday night. The Tigers, who took a 1-0 lead in the series, improved to 33-8 overall and 14-5 in the ACC. The Cardinals fell to 24-17 overall and 9-10 in ACC play.

Isaac Humphrey started the scoring with a run-scoring triple in the third inning, then Clemson responded with four runs in the top of the fourth inning. Jack Crighton, Tristan Bissetta and Alden Mathes all hit run-scoring singles, then an error plated the fourth run.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Louisville took advantage of a walk to the second batter of the frame to ignite a 10-run frame on five hits and a costly error to build an 11-4 lead. Bissetta, who had four RBIs in the game, hit a two-out, two-run single in the fifth inning and added an RBI fielder’s choice in the seventh inning. Cannarella laced a two-out, run-scoring single in the eighth inning.

In the ninth inning, Jacob Hinderleider hit a run-scoring single and Blake Wright, who earlier extended his hitting streak to 11 games, lofted a sacrifice fly. Then with two outs, Jimmy Obertop ripped a single to score the tying run. Cannarella followed with a single to score the go-ahead run.

Matthew Marchal (5-0) earned the win, while Austin Gordon recorded his seventh save of the year. Tucker Biden (3-1) suffered the loss.

The series continues Saturday at 1 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.

–via Clemson Athletic Communications

Series Preview and How to Watch/Stream/Listen: No. 4 Clemson at Louisville

Clemson Tigers Baseball: A series preview, plus how Clemson fans can watch, stream and listen to the Tigers’ weekend series at Louisville.

With four weekends left in the regular season, Clemson heads to Louisville with the hope of continuing its dominant tear through the ACC.

The Tigers (32-8 overall, 13-5 ACC) are ranked No. 4 in the latest USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll and are also No. 4 in the NCAA’s RPI rankings.

Coach Erik Bakich’s team has lost only one series in conference play — two weeks earlier against NC State — and has a chance to secure a top five national seed for the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Baseball Tournament over the course of the next month.

Clemson enters the weekend as the No. 3 overall seed in the latest Field of 64 projections from both D1Baseball and Baseball America. In keeping with this week’s Top 25 polls, only No. 1 Texas A&M and No. 2 Arkansas have higher projected seeds than Clemson.

The Tigers will try to keep rolling against a Louisville team that’s 24-16 overall and 9-9 in conference play, good for fifth in the ACC. The Cardinals’ .325 average as a club is the third highest tally in the league behind only Virginia (.347) and Florida State (.328). Louisville’s 6.16 ERA is 10th out of the 14 ACC baseball programs.

Shortstop Gavin Kilen has a .368/.402/.651 slash line, including seven home runs and 30 RBIs. Zion Rose (.391/.460/.591) has played in 29 games and is the team’s top hitter for average.

Coach Dan McDonnell’s team won two of three in its last weekend series against Miami. Two weeks before that, they swept then-No. 19 NC State in a weekend series. Those have been the only ACC series victories by the Cardinals this season.

Most recently, Louisville tallied 13 runs in the first inning of a 16-5 win over Western Kentucky in midweek play Tuesday. The Cardinals are averaging 8.7 runs per game.

Clemson is coming off a grueling, 15-inning loss at No. 17 Georgia on Tuesday. The Tigers won two of three in their ACC series against Pitt last week.

Clemson will start left-handers Tristan Smith and Ethan Darden on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Louisville will counter with Sebastian Gongora (4-3, 5.23) Friday and Ryan Webster (3-1, 3.23) Saturday.

Sunday’s probable starters have yet to be announced for either team.

The Tigers’ .286 average as a team ranks ninth in the ACC. Clemson leads the conference in pitching with a combined 3.83 ERA.

Second baseman Blake Wright is the only Clemson player to have started all 40 games this season. The senior from Clearwater, Fla. has a .322/.355/.655 slash line with a team-best 16 home runs and 52 RBIs.

Catcher Jimmy Obertop (.290/.450/.623) has 14 home runs to go with 31 driven in. Obertop had five home runs in two games in the Tigers’ series victory over Pitt.

Clemson is averaging 7.7 runs per game this season.

SERIES HISTORY

Clemson leads the all-time head to head series, 20-14. The two schools first met on the diamond in 1970. Clemson swept Louisville at Doug Kingsmore Stadium a year ago during the Tigers’ 17-game winning streak.

Where to Watch/Stream/Listen

Here’s a look at when, where, and how Clemsons fans can watch, stream, and listen to this weekend’s series against Louisville.

When: April 26-28

Where: John Patterson Stadium (Louisville)

Start Times (ET)

Friday, 6 p.m.

Saturday, 1 p.m.

Sunday, 4 p.m.

Broadcast Info

TV: ESPN2 (Sunday only)

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

Radio: Clemson Athletic Network | TuneIn App

Broadcast Teams

ACC Network Extra: Joey Lindstrom, Jack Kizer, Jeff Milby

ESPN2: Kevin Fitzgerald, Devon Travis

No. 17 Georgia edges No. 4 Clemson 15-inning marathon

Clemson Baseball: Fourth-ranked Tigers fall in 15-inning marathon at No. 17 Georgia.

ATHENS, GA. – Paul Toetz scored on a wild pitch with one out in the 15th inning in No. 17 Georgia’s 4-3 win over No. 4 Clemson at Foley Field on Tuesday night. In a game that lasted five hours and 30 minutes, the Bulldogs improved to 30-10, while the Tigers dropped to 32-8.

The Bulldogs scored an unearned run in the second inning on Toetz’s two-out single, then Blake Wright extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a two-out, two-run triple in the third inning. Cannarella led off the fourth inning with his seventh homer of the year.

In the seventh inning, Corey Collins hit a run-scoring single to cut Clemson’s lead in half, then Collins blooped a one-out single in the ninth inning to tie the score. Alden Mathes’ throw to the plate on the play retired Charlie Condon to extend the game.

In the 15th inning, the Bulldogs took advantage of two walks and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases with one out. Then an errant pitch allowed Toetz to score the walkoff run.

Chandler Marsh (1-0) earned the win, while Chance Fitzgerald (0-1) suffered the loss. Ten Tiger pitchers combined to allow just three earned runs and eight hits, all singles.

The Tigers travel to Louisville for a three-game series, beginning Friday at 6 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.

–via Clemson Athletic Communications

Clemson moves two spots in new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll

Clemson Baseball: Here’s a look at where the Clemson Tigers are ranked in this week’s USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll for the week of April 22.

The Clemson Tigers are back on the move in the USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll, released Monday, April 22.

The Tigers (32-7 overall, 13-5 ACC) moved up two spots to land at No. 6 in this week’s poll after a 3-1 week that included victories in non-conference play against Charlotte and Pitt in ACC action.

Coach Erik Bakich’s club also moved up one spot to No. 5 in this week’s D1Baseball poll and stayed at No. 4 in Baseball America’s Top 25 rankings.

The top three spots in the coaches poll remained the same as last week. Texas A&M (35-5 overall) remained No. 1 with Arkansas (34-6) at No. 2 and Tennessee (33-7) at No. 3.

After Clemson at No. 4, Kentucky (32-7) rounded out the top five.

Other ACC schools ranked in the top 10 of this week’s coaches poll were No. 6 Duke and No. 9 Florida State. The ACC had seven teams ranked in the Top 25, including No. 11 Wake Forest, No. 12 Virginia, No. 14 North Carolina, and No. 23 NC State.

Other big movers in the coaches poll were Coastal Carolina, which climbed five spots to No. 15, and Oklahoma, who jumped into the Top 25 to land at No. 18. The Sooners have won seven straight games after a weekend sweep of BYU.

Georgia (29-10) moved up six spots from last week to land at No. 17. The Tigers will travel to Athens for a midweek game against the Bulldogs on Tuesday. First pitch from Foley Field is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

Where Clemson Tigers rank in new D1Baseball, Baseball America Top 25 rankings

Clemson Baseball: Here’s a look at where the Clemson Tigers fans are ranked in this week’s D1Baseball and Baseball America Top 25 rankings for the week of April 22.

A 3-1 week by coach Erik Bakich’s Clemson Tigers saw the team move up one spot in the new D1Baseball Top 25 poll, released Monday, April 22.

Clemson moved up to No. 5 in D1Baseball’s poll after defeating Charlotte in non-conference play and winning two of three from Pitt in its ACC weekend series.

The Tigers (32-7 overall, 13-5 ACC) stayed at No. 4 in Baseball America’s weekly Top 25 rankings. They also moved up two spots to No. 4 in the USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll.

Texas A&M remained No. 1 in both rankings after its 3-1 week. The Aggies (35-5 overall) won two of three at Alabama, which ranked 20th in Baseball America’s Top 25 and No. 23 in D1Baseball’s poll.

It’s the second straight week that Texas A&M has been ranked No. 1.

Arkansas (34-6) stayed at No. 2 in both polls after sweeping a midweek series with Texas Tech and winning two of three at South Carolina (27-13). The Gamecocks placed 22nd in Baseball America’s new rankings and are No. 24 in D1Baseball’s new poll.

Tennessee (33-7) moved up to No. 3 in both rankings after a clutch series win in the Bluegrass State against Kentucky (32-7), which fell to No. 4 in D1Baseball’s poll and stayed at No. 7 in Baseball America’s rankings. The Volunteers scored 22 runs over the last two games of the top 5 matchup, beating the Wildcats 9-4 and 13-11 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Duke (29-11) moved up one spot to No. 5 in Baseball America’s rankings.

Clemson travels to Athens for a Top 25 matchup against Georgia in non-conference play Tuesday. The Bulldogs (29-10) are ranked 20th in D1Baseball’s new poll. They moved up four spots this week after winning two of three against Ole Miss. First pitch from Foley Field is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT Tuesday. The game will be televised by ESPNU.

No. 4 Clemson Tops Panthers 9-2 In Second Game of Doubleheader To Win Series

Aidan Knaak pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings and Jimmy Obertop tied a school record with three home runs in No. 4 Clemson’s 9-2 victory over Pittsburgh in the second game of a doubleheader at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Saturday.

CLEMSON, S.C. – Freshman righthander Aidan Knaak pitched 5.2 scoreless innings and Jimmy Obertop tied a school record with three home runs in No. 4 Clemson’s 9-2 victory over Pittsburgh in the second game of a doubleheader at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Saturday. The Tigers, who won the series 2-1, improved to 32-7 overall and 13-5 in the ACC. The Panthers fell to 16-21 overall and 5-16 in ACC play.

Knaak (4-0) earned the win by pitching 5.2 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. He did not allow a baserunner to advance past second base. Pittsburgh starter Ryan Reed (0-5) suffered the loss, as he surrendered eight hits, five runs (three earned) and one walk with three strikeouts in 4.0 innings pitched.

Obertop belted a two-run homer in the first inning and Jacob Hinderleider grounded a two-out, run-scoring double in the third inning. Obertop hit another two-run homer, his second of the game, in the fifth inning. Two batters later, Hinderleider belted a solo homer, his eighth of the year. Jarren Purify’s sacrifice fly in the sixth inning added a run.

The Panthers dented the scoreboard for the first time in the top of the eighth inning, as two baserunners scored on wild pitches. Blake Wright responded with a solo homer, his 16th of the year, in the bottom of the eighth inning. Obertop followed with a solo homer, his third of the game and 14th of the season.

Obertop became the 18th Tiger in history and third this season (Will Taylor, Blake Wright) to hit three long balls in a game.

The Tigers travel to Athens, Ga. to take on Georgia on Tuesday at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.

–via Clemson Athletic Communications

Pitt downs No. 4 Clemson in, 8-4, in first game of doubleheader

No. 4 Clemson fell to Pitt in the opener of a doubleheader Saturday.

CLEMSON, S.C. – Jack Sokol pitched 6.0 scoreless innings to lead Pittsburgh to an 8-4 victory over No. 4 Clemson in the first game of a doubleheader at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers, who evened the series 1-1, improved to 16-20 overall and 5-15 in the ACC. The Tigers dropped to 31-7 overall and 12-5 in ACC play.

Sokol (4-2) earned the win by allowing just five hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Tiger starter Ethan Darden (5-2) suffered the loss.

Dom Popa grounded a two-out, two-run single in the first inning, then Luke Cantwell lined a run-scoring single in the second inning. In the third inning, C.J. Funk belted a run-scoring double, then Josh Spiegel crushed a three-run homer. Pittsburgh added to its lead in the fourth inning with a bases-loaded walk to build an 8-0 lead.

The Tigers scored a run in the seventh inning on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Cam Cannarella. Blake Wright lined a three-run homer, his 15th of the year, in the ninth inning.

The series concludes with the second game of the doubleheader at approximately 4:45 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.

–via Clemson Athletic Communications

Clemson rallies from 4-0 deficit to down Pitt

Clemson Baseball: The sixth-ranked Tigers rallied from a 4-0 deficit to down Pitt on Friday in ACC play at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

No. 6 Clemson used a pair of home runs from Jimmy Overtop to overcome a 4-0 deficit for a 6-4 victory over Pitt in ACC play Friday night at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Obertop smacked his 10th and 11th home runs of the season. His first round-tripper of the night came in the fourth inning with two outs and the bases empty against Pitt starter Ryan Andrade. An inning later, the Tigers’ bats awoke for three runs to tie the game.

After Jacob Jarrell lifted a run-scoring sac fly to left to make it 4-2, Cam Cannarella followed with an RBI double to make it a one-run game. The Tigers tied it up when Alden Mathes’ single to center scored Cannarella.

Clemson took the lead in the sixth inning when Obertop launched his second homer of the night, a no-doubt shot to deep right. Later that inning, Jarren Purify reached on an error that was ruled a bunt sacrifice RBI, putting the Tigers on top 6-4.

Pitt threatened in the seventh off Lucas Mahlstedt before Reid Garris entered and proceeded to sit down all six batters he faced over the next two innings. Garris struck out three batters.

Austin Gordon worked the ninth inning and struck out the side for his sixth save. Mahlstedt (3-1) earned the win with 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Clemson pitchers finished with 13 strikeouts.

Friday marked the return of Tigers starter Tristan Smith. Smith threw 61 pitches in his first start since suffering an ankle injury just over a month ago. He pitched 2 2/3 innings and surrendered all four Pitt runs on four hits. The left-hander walked two and struck out four in a no-decision.

The Panthers (15-20 overall, 4-15 conference) touched Smith for three runs in the third, the highlight being a two-run single down the third base line from hot-hitting outfielder Dom Popa. Popa had three of the Panthers’ six hits in a 3-for-4 performance.

Clemson (31-6, 12-4) totaled 10 hits with all but one starter finishing with a hit.

The series resumes Saturday at 1 p.m. EDT.

Series Preview and Where to Watch/Stream/Listen: No. 6 Clemson vs. Pitt

Clemson Tigers Baseball: A full series preview of Clemson vs. the Pittsburgh Panthers in this weekend’s key ACC series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

After a rough weekend in ACC play that saw Clemson drop its first conference series of the season, the Tigers are hoping to rebound when Pitt visits Doug Kingsmore Stadium for a weekend series beginning Friday.

Clemson (30-6 overall, 11-4 conference) fell four spots after a three-game losing streak last week and are ranked No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll. D1Baseball currently projects the Tigers as a No. 3 national seed in the Field of 64 for the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Baseball Tournament.

Securing a top eight national seed would ensure Doug Kingsmore Stadium of hosting a Super Regional, if the Tigers advance past the four-team, double-elimination Clemson Regional to begin the tournament.

First things first, the Tigers will face a struggling Pitt (15-19, 4-14) team that has yet to win a conference series this season. The Panthers dropped two of three to No. 8 Duke last weekend.

Clemson dropped two games to NC State before rallying for a 7-0 shutout victory behind eight innings of two-hit ball from freshman sensation Aidan Knaak. For the second week in a row, Knaak earned ACC Pitcher of the Week honors for his 10-strikeout performance against the Wolfpack.

As a team, Clemson is batting .281 with an OPS of .892. Tigers pitchers have a staff ERA of 3.93, good for second best in the ACC.

Friday’s series opener will mark the return of left-handed starter Tristan Smith, who missed the past month with an ankle injury. Smith hasn’t pitched since March 16 in the Tigers’ ACC opener at Duke. He is 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA in five starts. Smith has 36 strikeouts to 11 walks this season and has limited opponents to a .179 average.

Since Smith’s injury, Ethan Darden (5-1, 3.19 ERA) has been Clemson’s Saturday starter. Darden will make his fifth mid-series start after pitching a complete-game loss last weekend vs. NC State. Darden lowered his ERA to 3.19 after holding the Wolfpack to one earned run and seven hits in nine innings. He struck out five batters without allowing a walk.

Knaak (3-0, 2.87 ERA) is scheduled to make his 10th start this weekend. The right-hander has 67 strikeouts on the season to just 15 walks in 53 1/3 innings — the most innings thrown by anyone on the Tigers’ staff.

Pitt will counter with right-hander Ryan Andrade (0-3, 9.96) in Friday’s opener and Jack Sokol (3-2, 5.63) as part of a doubleheader Saturday. Ryan Reed (0-4, 7.34) is also scheduled to start Saturday.

Pitt is batting .287 as a team with an OPS of 8.60. Luke Cantwell has started all 34 games for the Panthers and leads the club in hitting with a .330 average. Pitt’s 6.20 ERA as a pitching staff ranks fourth to last in the ACC.

CIUFO OUT FOR SEASON

Clemson coach Erik Bakich confirmed earlier this week that shortstop Andrew Ciufo would miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. The injury occurred on April 6 in the Tigers’ victory at Notre Dame. Bakich’s club has some depth at middle infield with a few options to step in for Ciufo.

One of those is senior Jacob Hinderleider, who has spent most of the season at first base. The Davidson transfer has started all six games at shortstop since the injury to Ciufo. Hinderleider is tied with second baseman Blake Wright for the team lead in batting average (.320). The Tigers also have options in infielders Cooper Blauser and Jack Crighton.

HONORING DOUG KINGSMORE

Prior to Saturday’s games, Clemson will celebrate the life of the late Doug Kingsmore, who passed away in December at the age of 90. Kingsmore was a co-captain on the university’s first ACC championship team in any sport when the Tigers won the 1954 ACC baseball title. The Tigers’ home ballpark was renamed to honor Kingsmore in 2003.

SERIES HISTORY

Clemson leads the all-time head to head series with Pitt, 7-4. The two teams first began play in 2014 after the Panthers joined the ACC.

Where to Watch/Stream/Listen

Here’s a look at when, where, and how Clemsons fans can watch, stream, and listen to this weekend’s series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Start Times (ET)

Friday, 6 p.m.

Saturday (Game 1), 1 p.m.

Saturday (Game 2), approximately 45 minutes after conclusion of Game 1

Broadcast Info

Live Video Stream: ACC Network Extra, ESPN+

Radio: Clemson Athletic Network | TuneIn App

Broadcast Teams

Video: Pete Yanity, Ron Smith, Tim Bourret

Radio: Don Munson, Bob Mahony

Where Clemson baseball ranks in new Field of 64 projections

NCAA Baseball: Here’s where the Clemson Tigers rank in D1Baseball’s new Field of 64 projections for the postseason NCAA Division I baseball tournament.

How good a season is Erik Bakich’s Clemson Tigers having?

Good enough that the Tigers (30-6 overall) figure to host one of the top eight national seeds in D1Baseball’s latest Field of 64 projections for the 2024 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.

Clemson is the No. 3 national seed in those projections, trailing only Texas A&M and Arkansas for the top seed. The Aggies and Razorbacks are ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in this week’s USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll. The Tigers are ranked No. 6 after having spent the previous two weeks at No. 2 in the coaches poll.

Kentucky, Tennessee, Oregon State, Duke and Florida State are the other projected top eight national seeds in D1Baseball’s projections.

Securing a top eight national seed would ensure Doug Kingsmore Stadium of hosting a Super Regional, provided the Tigers advance past the four-team, double-elimination Clemson regional to begin the tournament.

D1Baseball projects that Clemson would welcome Sacred Heart, Kennesaw State, and Mississippi State to the upstate for the Tigers’ on-campus regional. Clemson faced Kennesaw State in its second weekend series of the season back in February, winning two of three.

To put it simply, Bakich’s club finds itself in a very enviable position past the midway point of the regular season.

Still, Clemson is not infallible and has a lot of work ahead of them. Five weekend series remain in the regular season before the ACC Tournament in Charlotte, and no team is ever without imperfection. The Tigers reminded everyone of that when they dropped three in a row last week to USC Upstate and NC State.

Clemson has been down one of its best arms in left-hander Tristan Smith, who has missed the past month with an ankle injury. Bakich said after Sunday’s win over NC State that Smith would start one of the Tigers’ upcoming games against Pitt this weekend.

If the weekend rotation of Smith, left-hander Ethan Darden, and freshman right-hander Aidan Knaak holds, Clemson figures to have one of the most formidable trio of starters in the nation.

At the plate and in the field, one of the Tigers’ best hitters and infielders was recently lost for the season in shortstop Andrew Ciufo. Bakich recently confirmed that Ciufo had torn his ACL in the series against Notre Dame back on April 6. Ciufo’s injury opens a hole on the left side of the infield — and in the batting order — that Clemson will have to plug.

The Tigers welcome Pitt to town beginning Friday for a three-game weekend series in ACC play. Friday’s first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT and can be seen on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).