Drew Titsworth became the latest former University of Michigan commit to follow Erik Bakich and Nick Schnabel to Clemson.
The dominant right-handed pitcher and class of 2023 prospect out of Michigan’s Frankenmuth High School, announced his verbal commitment to Clemson on Monday evening via social media.
Once Titsworth got on campus, he knew he wanted to be a Tiger. It was pretty automatic.
“When Bakich and Schnabel announced that they were leaving Michigan to come to Clemson, one of the first thoughts in my head was that I wanted to follow those guys,” Titsworth told The Clemson Insider Monday night in a phone interview. “I just got the opportunity to come down here and stop at Clemson on the way to Atlanta. Once I saw the campus, the field and all the facilities, it was a pretty easy decision for me.”
Titsworth’s hometown is only an hour and a half outside Ann Arbor, so the distance was something he considered, but after talking with his family, it just seemed like the right thing for him to do.
“Those guys have always believed in me since Day 1,” Titsowrth said. “They were kind of the first coaches to truly recruit me. We built a tight relationship and I kind of like the way they go about things. They’re always going to compete no matter what, no matter the score or the inning…obviously, they’ve had success, so I like that too.”
Titsworth decommitted from Michigan on July 3. Bakich and Schnaebel got in contact with him that same day. They wanted him to follow them down to Tiger Town, but first they needed to get him on campus. That happened on Monday.
“It was ridiculous, there’s nothing like that up north,” he said. “It was like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
Monday marked the first time that Titsworth got to meet his future pitching coach, Jimmy Belanger.
“Right off the bat I could just tell that he was a good guy,” Titsworth said. “Talking with him and what he’s done at other programs and the stuff he’s done, I could just tell that he’s gonna be a good fit.”
As far as his pitching repertoire is concerned, Titsworth has four working pitches in his arsenal — fastball, slider, changeup, and a sinker, a pitch he’s still mastering. His velocity sits between 89-94 mph.
What can Clemson fans expect from him once he arrives on campus around this time next year?
“I’m gonna compete,” he said. “I’m gonna do whatever I can as a pitcher to get outs and then, as a teammate, I’m gonna try to encourage everybody to be the best they can and I’m just gonna try to win.”
— Photo for this article courtesy of Drew Titsworth.
Dear Old Clemson’s first event is July 24. Now there is a new way to support Clemson student-athletes. Come out and meet the freshmen football players at this meet and greet autograph session. If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events. Purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.
