Erik Bakich – Syndication Server

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

Clemson “locked up” as top five national seed in new Field of 64 projection

Clemson Baseball: On3 Sports says the Tigers, ranked No. 4 in the latest USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll, are all but locked in as a top five national seed.

A 3-1 week that included a non-conference victory over Charlotte and a series win over Pitt in ACC play saw the Clemson Tigers climb two spots to No. 4 in the latest USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll for Week 12.

The Tigers (32-7 overall, 13-5 ACC) also stayed at No. 4 in the NCAA’s RPI rankings. Similar to NET rankings in men’s and women’s basketball, RPI measures not just a team’s won/loss record but its strength of schedule and other factors.

Only Texas A&M, Arkansas, and Kentucky have higher RPI rankings than Clemson. The Aggies and Razorbacks are ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in every major poll.

In On3’s latest Field of 64 projections for the NCAA Division I men’s baseball tournament, Clemson is ranked the third-highest national seed among projected host sites.

Finishing with a top eight national seed would ensure the Tigers of hosting a Super Regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, provided the team wins its four-team, double-elimination host site Regional. According to On3’s latest projections, Clemson is a cinch for a top five national seed.

Per On3’s Jonathan Wagner:

“Clemson is in a great position to host as a top three overall seed right now. The Tigers are 32-7 overall, 13-5 in the ACC and sit at No. 4 in RPI. At Wake Forest is their toughest weekend remaining, with Georgia Tech, Boston College and Louisville to round out the year. Clemson is essentially locked up as a top five seed as things currently stand, and they are joined by Mississippi State, Lamar and North Dakota State.”

Clemson resumes conference play Friday when the Tigers travel to Louisville.

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.

Erik Bakich shares injury update on Will Taylor

Bakich updates on Will Taylor’s injury status.

Clemson baseball head coach Erik Bakich met with the media after the Tigers’ 6-4 win over Pittsburgh Friday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium and updated the injury status of one of the team’s top players.

According to Bakich, Taylor will miss the remainder of the Tigers’ regular season, which is a big loss for the program. There is a chance Taylor will be ready to get back to action by the end of May, but there are no guarantees.

It’s a broken bone in Taylor’s wrist that requires a procedure to hand the injury, which will happen on Tuesday. Hopefully, the procedure will be a clean success, and Taylor will return to the field sooner rather than later.

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).

Clemson to celebrate the life of Doug Kingsmore on Saturday

Clemson Baseball: The Tigers will celebrate the life of the late Doug Kingsmore ahead of Saturday’s game against Pitt.

CLEMSON, S.C. – The Clemson baseball program will celebrate the life of Doug Kingsmore prior to Saturday’s game against Pittsburgh, scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, in a pregame ceremony with surviving family members. Kingsmore passed away on Dec. 5, 2023 at the age of 90.

The All-ACC Tiger and successful businessman was a co-captain of the Tigers’ first ACC championship team in any sport when Clemson won the 1954 ACC title.

Kingsmore was a student-athlete at Clemson from 1951-54. He had a breakout season as a senior in 1954, when he batted .371 and became the first Tiger to hit 10 home runs in a season. His 10 long balls led the ACC, and he also led the conference in runs (25) in just 24 games. He totaled 27 RBIs as well.

Kingsmore came to Clemson from Union, S.C., where he earned 10 letters at Union High School. He lettered four times in baseball, three times in football and three times in basketball.

Kingsmore signed a professional contract (there was no MLB draft until 1965) with the Baltimore Orioles after the 1954 season and played professional baseball for three years in the Tri-State, Carolina and Texas Leagues.

He went into the business world after his playing career and also served on the Clemson University Board of Trustees for 12 years. He was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 1985 as well.

Following a $1 million donation to the athletic department and in recognition of his significant contributions to the baseball program, both on and off the field, Clemson’s baseball stadium, formerly known as Tiger Field, was renamed to Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

–via Clemson Athletic Communications

WATCH: Erik Bakich and players discuss Clemson’s 7-0 shutout win over NC State

Clemson Baseball: Watch Tigers head coach Erik Bakich and freshmen Aidan Knaak and Jarren Purify talk about the team’s 7-0 victory over NC State on Sunday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Clemson is coming off its worst week of the 2024 season.

The Tigers (29-6 overall) dropped three of their four contests this past week, including two of three to ACC rival NC State over the weekend. Even so, coach Erik Bakich’s team managed to salvage the final game of its series against the Wolfpack with a 7-0 shutout victory on Sunday.

Clemson was backed by eight scoreless innings of two-hit ball from freshman right-hander Aidan Knaak, who has slowly developed into the team’s most reliable starter. Knaak struck out 10 batters and threw 97 pitches against NC State to improve to 3-0 on the season.

Through nine starts, Knaak now has a 2.87 ERA with a strikeout to walk ratio that’s just over 4-to-1 (67 strikeouts to 15 walks in 53 1/3 innings). He was named ACC Pitcher of the Week by the conference on Monday, marking the second consecutive week Knaak has earned that honor.

Jarren Purify was also responsible for helping the Tigers end their three-game losing streak in Sunday’s win. The freshman from Detroit went 2-for-4 and had two run-scoring hits, including an RBI double as part of a five-run seventh inning that broke a scoreless tie and put Clemson ahead for good. Purify raised his average to .266 through 29 games.

Here’s Bakich, Knaak and Purify talking to reporters after Sunday’s victory.