Tag: Clemson Tigers

How far Clemson fell in new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll

NCAA Baseball: The Clemson Tigers fell to No. 6 in the new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll, released Monday, April 15.

A rough week by Clemson that featured the team’s first back-to-back losses of the season — and its first losing streak — dropped the Tigers several spots in the new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll, released Monday, April 15.

Clemson (29-6 overall) tumbled four spots to No. 6 in the coaches poll, compiled by 31 head coaches at Division I schools. The Tigers went just 1-3 last week after a midweek loss to USC Upstate and dropping two of three in a series against NC State at home.

Coach Erik Bakich’s club also fell to No. 6 in D1Baseball’s new Top 25 rankings and to No. 4 in the new Baseball America Top 25.

Texas A&M (32-4) climbed two spots to No. 1 after a 4-0 week that included a series sweep of No. 12 Vanderbilt. The Commodores had been ranked No. 6 in last week’s coaches poll.

Arkansas (30-5) fell to No. 2 after suffering its first series loss of the season. The Razorbacks, who had been No. 1 for five straight weeks, fell Saturday and Sunday to No. 14 Alabama, which rose three spots in Monday’s poll.

Oregon State (29-5) moved up one spot in to No. 4. Kentucky (30-5) rounded out the top five after its three-game sweep of Auburn over the weekend.

Right behind Clemson in the new poll are four ACC schools. Florida State (30-5) rose to No. 7, with Virginia (28-8) checking in at No. 8 and Duke (26-10) at No. 9. North Carolina (29-7) moved up one spot to No. 11. East Carolina (27-8) rounded out the Top 10.

Two other ACC schools — No. 13 Wake Forest and No. 22 Virginia Tech — placed in Monday’s Top 25 to give the conference seven teams ranked in the new poll.

The SEC had the most schools ranked per conference with eight.

Clemson returns to the diamond Tuesday when the Tigers host Charlotte in non-conference play. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. EDT at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The game will be streamed on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).

New No. 1 in D1Baseball, Baseball America Top 25 rankings

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

There’s a new No. 1 atop the rankings for both Baseball America and D1Baseball — and a new No. 2, as well.

Texas A&M (32-4 overall) climbed to the top spot in both rankings after a 4-0 week that included a three-game sweep of Vanderbilt over the weekend. The Aggies had been ranked No. 3 the past two weeks but took advantage of series losses by both Arkansas and Clemson to move up two spots.

Arkansas (30-5) fell to No. 2 after a five-week run at No. 1 in every major ranking. The Razorbacks lost two of three to Alabama in Tuscaloosa over the weekend, the first series loss of the season for coach Dave Van Horn’s team.

Clemson (29-6) fell in both polls after previously being ranked No. 2. The Tigers suffered a rare midweek loss to USC Update on Tuesday before dropping the first two games of their weekend series against NC State on Friday and Saturday.

Coach Erik Bakich’s team responded with a 7-0 shutout victory on Sunday behind eight scoreless innings of two-hit ball from freshman right-hander Aidan Knaak to salvage the series finale and snap a three-game losing streak that saw Clemson drop to No. 4 in Baseball America’s new Top 25 rankings. The Tigers fell four spots to No. 6 in D1Baseball’s rankings.

The Tigers also four fell spots to No. 6 in this week’s USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll.

As a reward for its series victory over Clemson, NC State (20-13) moved into the Top 25 at No. 22 in Baseball America’s rankings.

Kentucky (30-5) rose to No. 3 in D1Baseball’s rankings after sweeping Auburn. The Wildcats placed seventh in Baseball America’s rankings. Tennessee (30-6) stayed at No. 4 in D1Baseball’s rankings while moving up one spot to No. 3 in Baseball America’s rankings. The Volunteers swept reigning national champion LSU over the weekend.

Clemson returns to Doug Kingsmore Stadium Tuesday to face Charlotte in non-conference play. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. EDT. The game will be streamed by ACC Network Extra. The 49ers ended the Tigers’ season a year ago in the Clemson Regional of the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament with a 3-2 upset victory.

Duke finishes at No. 9 in final AP poll

Four ACC teams, including Duke, crack final AP poll of the 2023-2024 season.

While the season’s outcome was not what many expected when Duke took the floor to start the season, Jon Scheyer’s team was, in essence, just 12 minutes from a Final Four berth.

NC State made more plays down the stretch and ultimately ended Duke’s season before having their season ended by national runner-up Purdue. Connecticut was always the best team from beginning to end, and they proved it by doing what hadn’t been done since Billy Donovan’s Florida Gators teams in 2006–07: winning a second consecutive national title.

It should come as no surprise that the Huskies end the season as the No. 1 team in the final AP poll for the 2023-2024 season. Purdue was second, while Houston, whom Duke beat in the Sweet 16, tied with Alabama for the third-place spot. Tennessee checked in at number five.

Illinois was next at No. 6, followed by North Carolina, Iowa State, and Duke. NC State rounds out the top 10 despite never joining the poll during the regular season. Clemson, one of four ACC schools to make at least the Sweet 16, finished at No. 14.

The ACC had the same number of teams in the final AP poll as the Big 12, with four each.

USC Upstate halts Clemson’s winning streak

Clemson Baseball: Tigers fall to USC Upstate.

Koby Kropt hit a go-ahead grand slam off Rob Hughes in the eighth inning Tuesday, and USC Upstate stunned No. 2 Clemson, 9-5, at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

The Tigers fell to 28-4 overall.

The Spartans (22-12) loaded the bases off Hughes with no one out to begin the eighth inning before Kropt’s home run, his ninth of the season.

Clemson fell behind 5-2 in the sixth inning after Tyler Lang hit a three-run homer off Tigers starter Billy Barlow. For a moment, it looked like the Tigers would do what they’ve done most all season: rally.

Cam Cannarella and Jimmy Obertop hit back to back home runs to tie the game at 5-all in the seventh before Kropt’s eighth-inning blast over Cannarella’s head in straight-away center field landed the decisive blow.

Hughes (1-2) suffered the loss in his 11th appearance in relief. Jake Cubbler (2-1) earned the win in relief with four innings of work. After surrendering the home runs to Cannarella and Obertop, Cubbler retired the final six batters he faced to close out the game.

Barlow received a no-decision in his seventh start. The right-hander surrendered four runs and five hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked one.

Clemson’s offense was held to just six hits. Only Cannarella (2-for-5) had two hits against Spartans pitching. His two-run homer in the seventh was his sixth of the season. Obertop’s solo shot was eighth.

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Clemson will host NC State for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Wolfpack (18-12, 8-7) were swept by Louisville last weekend.

What Clemson, Alabama and Tennessee all have in common

NCAA Basketball: The Clemson Tigers finished the 2023-24 season ranked No. 15 in the final USA TODAY Sports Top 25 men’s basketball poll. The Tigers joined Alabama and Tennessee in some rare company with that ranking.

With the final men’s college basketball polls tallied for the 2023-24 season, Clemson is in some rather unique company among the three major men’s college sports.

Clemson finished at No. 14 in the final AP poll and No. 15 in the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll, both released Tuesday, April 9.

It is Clemson’s highest finish in the AP poll since 1997; the Tigers also finished 14th that year.

The Tigers’ run to the Elite Eight ended with the team finishing 24-12 overall. Among ACC teams, Clemson finished behind only North Carolina (29-8) and Final Four participants Duke (27-9) and NC State (26-15) in the polls.

National champion UConn finished its season 37-3 overall after a resounding 75-60 victory over Purdue on Monday night. UConn became the first school to repeat as national champions in men’s basketball since Florida in 2006 and 2007.

Clemson’s final ranking in the men’s basketball polls puts the Tigers in some pretty elite company.

As longtime Clemson Sports Information Director and broadcaster Tim Bourret noted in a social media post to X (formerly Twitter), only Clemson, Alabama, and Tennessee finished the 2023-24 seasons ranked in the final top 25 polls in both football and basketball — while currently ranked in the top 25 in baseball.

Clemson ranked No. 20 in the final AP and coaches football polls after last season’s Gator Bowl victory over Kentucky; Alabama was No. 5 with Tennessee at No. 17.

The Tigers are currently ranked No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll. Tennessee is No. 4 in the poll while Alabama is No. 17.

Where does Clemson baseball project in early Field of 64?

Things are rolling right along for coach Erik Bakich in his second season as Clemson head coach. For the second straight week, Bakich has the Tigers ranked No. 2 in the nation by every major poll, including the USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches …

Things are rolling right along for coach Erik Bakich in his second season as Clemson head coach.

For the second straight week, Bakich has the Tigers ranked No. 2 in the nation by every major poll, including the USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll.

With more than half of the regular season complete, Clemson enters the week of April 8 at 28-3 overall following a three-game sweep of Notre Dame in conference play. Only No. 1 Arkansas (27-3 overall) is ranked ahead of the Tigers in the polls.

Including this weekend’s scheduled three-game series against NC State at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, there are still six more weeks left in the regular season before the annual ACC Baseball Tournament, scheduled for May 21-26 at Charlotte’s Truist Field.

With a nod toward the future, On3 sports has taken a look around the college baseball landscape for an early projection of the field of 64 teams for the 2024 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. Given what they’ve accomplished thus far, Clemson being projected to host a Regional is a no-brainer.

Per On3:

“Clemson looks like the class of the ACC right now, though it won’t be easy down the stretch. The Tigers are currently 28-3, 10-2 in the ACC, and have the No. 1 RPI in the nation. Joining Clemson in their regional is Northeastern, Georgia Southern and Saint Thomas.”

Things can always change, but with how dominant the Tigers have been and their current position in the polls, Clemson would be in line to host a Super Regional, if it were to advance that far.

The Tigers haven’t advanced past the Regional round of the postseason since 2010 when they defeated Alabama to reach the College World Series under former coach Jack Leggett.

As a team, Clemson is batting .292 this season while averaging 8.3 runs per game. They have an OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of .916. On the mound, the Tigers have a collective 3.91 staff ERA, good for third best in the ACC. Opponents are batting .231 against Clemson pitching.

The team’s 28-3 start is its best since 2002, the same year the Tigers finished one win shy of reaching the College World Series championship game.

Clemson hosts USC Upstate at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.

Schedule changes for Clemson vs. NC State; contest with South Carolina won’t be made up

CLEMSON, S.C. – The NC State vs. Clemson game on Friday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium is now scheduled to start at 6 p.m. South Carolina and Clemson also announced that the March 1 contest at Founders Park in Columbia that was postponed due to rain will not be made up. A mutual date was unattainable based on remaining competition and academic schedules.

CLEMSON, S.C. – The NC State vs. Clemson game on Friday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium is now scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

South Carolina and Clemson also announced that the March 1 contest at Founders Park in Columbia that was postponed due to rain will not be made up. A mutual date was unattainable based on remaining competition and academic schedules.

The 2024 regular-season series ends with Clemson winning both games, a 5-4 victory at Segra Park in Columbia and a 5-4 win at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Fans who purchased tickets to the game at Founders Park can email gctix@mailbox.sc.edu for more information.

–via Clemson Athletic Communications

Where Clemson ranks in way-too-early men’s college basketball Top 25 for 2024-25

NCAA Basketball: The Clemson Tigers placed in the top 15 of USA TODAY Sports’ way-too-early rankings for the 2024-25 men’s basketball season.

It’s been less than 24 hours since UConn was crowned as national champions for the second straight year after a resounding 75-60 win over Purdue at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Who knows what the college basketball landscape will look like in a few weeks, let alone in a few months? The transfer portal changes by the day, if not by the hour. See: Arizona’s Oumar Ballo, Wisconsin’s AJ Storr and Florida Atlantic’s Johnell Davis, just to name a few.

The coaching carousel has also yet to stop after former Kentucky coach John Calipari took the college sports world by storm when he bolted the Bluegrass State for SEC rival Arkansas.

There’s also players that could turn pro, as well as those that could opt in for a fifth college season by using their COVID-19 waiver. That includes Clemson’s PJ Hall and Chase Hunter.

Lots of (basket)balls are still up in the air, but that never stops sports minds from thinking far in advance. To that end, USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, and Eddie Timanus have put together their way-too-early Top 25 rankings for the 2024-25 college basketball season.

In those rankings, Clemson checks in at No. 13 following the team’s run to the Elite Eight. The Tigers had their best season to date under coach Brad Brownell, beating New Mexico, Baylor and Arizona to reach the West Regional final of the NCAA Tournament against Alabama.

Per Myerberg, Smith and Timanus:

“A repeat of the Tigers’ journey to the Elite Eight will be a challenge, but a number of the key players could be back if they choose to use their extra year. That group includes standout postman P.J. Hall, as well as guard Chase Hunter and reserve forward Jack Clark. Joseph Girard III is gone, but Ian Schieffelin, voted the ACC’s most improved player in 2023-24, is also slated to return.”

Clark recently entered the transfer portal but could opt to return to Clemson if he doesn’t find a better fit to his liking.

The Tigers’ non-conference schedule is a long way from being set, but their ACC schedule was announced in late February. Clemson will host Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, and conference newcomers Cal and Stanford at Littlejohn Coliseum in 2024-25.

The Tigers will travel to NC State, Virginia, Miami, Louisville, Pitt, Boston College, and SMU for road games. They’ll also face three schools at both home and away: Florida State, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.

Clemson falls four spots in weekly softball poll

NCAA Softball: The Clemson Tigers fell four spots to No. 19 in the new D1Softball poll, released Tuesday, April 9.

Clemson fell four spots in the new D1Softball Top 25 poll, released Tuesday, April 9.

The Tigers (27-11 overall) swept Syracuse over the weekend after falling to Furman in non-conference play last week. John Rittman’s team is scheduled to face South Carolina in Columbia at 7 p.m. EDT Tuesday. The Tigers will then welcome Duke to town beginning Friday for a three-game series in ACC play. Friday’s series opener will be nationally televised by ESPN2.

With Oklahoma (35-3) losing its first Big 12 conference series since 2011, there’s a new No. 1 atop D1Softball’s poll. Texas (31-6) moved into the top spot after taking two of three games from the Sooners over the weekend in Austin. OU slipped to No. 2 in the new D1Softball poll.

Stanford (No. 3, 31-6), Oklahoma State (No. 4, 33-6), and Duke (No. 5, 33-3) rounded out the top five. The Blue Devils jumped to No. 1 in this week’s Softball America rankings. Duke went 4-0 last week after sweeping North Carolina in Durham. Clemson fell to No. 25 in Softball America’s rankings.

Aside from Duke and Clemson, only two other ACC programs placed in D1Softball’s top 25: No. 14 Virginia Tech and No. 18 Florida State.

The SEC had the most ranked teams by conference with nine, including No. 6 Tennessee

Clemson freshman named ACC Co-Pitcher of the Week

Clemson Baseball: Clemson Tigers freshman right-hander Aidan Knaak was named Co-Pitcher of the Week by the ACC on Monday.

CLEMSON, S.C. – Freshman righthander Aidan Knaak (Fort Myers, Fla.) was named ACC Co-Pitcher-of-the-Week, announced Monday by the league office. He joined Louisville’s Sebastian Gongora, who was named ACC Co-Pitcher-of-the-Week, and Wake Forest’s Nick Kurtz, who was named ACC Player-of-the-Week, in receiving conference accolades. ACC baseball weekly honors are determined by a vote of a select media panel and are announced on Mondays throughout the regular season.Knaak became the first Tiger freshman to earn ACC Pitcher-of-the-Week honors since 2016 (Alex Eubanks) and the first Tiger first-year freshman since 2013 (Matthew Crownover).

Knaak took a no-hitter into the seventh inning at Notre Dame on Sunday. He retired the side in order in five of his first six innings and did not allow a hit until he gave up an infield single in the seventh inning.

In 7.0 innings pitched, he allowed just three hits, one earned run and no walks with nine strikeouts in Clemson’s victory. He tied his career high for innings pitched, throwing just 81 pitches (64 strikes).

On the season, he is 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA, .218 opponents’ batting average and 57 strikeouts against 14 walks in 45.1 innings pitched over eight starts.

–via Clemson Athletic Communications