Tag: Geoffrey Gilbert

Former Tiger signs with Yankees

Congrats to this former Tiger on officially becoming a New York Yankee.

A former Clemson pitcher has officially inked his name into the MLB. Left-handed pitcher Geoffrey Gilbert announced via social media on Monday that he had officially signed with the New York Yankees.

Gilbert was drafted in the 13th round (No. 400 overall pick) by the New York Yankees on the third and final day of the 2022 MLB Draft last week, becoming one of three Tigers to be drafted following the 2022 season. The Charleston, S.C. native was the first Clemson player drafted by the Yankees since Brody Koerner in 2015.

Gilbert, who primarily served as a closer for the Tigers, recorded a 3.35 ERA with a 9-8 record, 122 strikeouts, three saves, a .242 opponents’ batting average, and 39 walks in 55 game appearances (5 starts) in his three seasons with the Tigers.

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Former Tiger inks with MLB team

A former Clemson standout has put pen to paper with the Major League Baseball team that drafted him last week. Geoffrey Gilbert announced via social media Monday that he has signed with the New York Yankees. “Pen to paper. ✍ Very excited to …

A former Clemson standout has put pen to paper with the Major League Baseball team that drafted him last week.

Geoffrey Gilbert announced via social media Monday that he has signed with the New York Yankees.

“Pen to paper. ✍🏼
Very excited to officially be a @Yankees!” Gilbert wrote in a Twitter post with a picture of him signing.

The Charleston, S.C., native was selected in the 13th round (No. 400 overall) by the Yankees on the third and final day of the MLB draft on Tuesday, July 19, making him the first Tiger drafted by the Yankees since Brody Koerner in 2015.

Gilbert was an NSCA Strength & Conditioning All-American and had a 5-2 record, 5.20 ERA, .249 opponents’ batting average and 56 strikeouts against 17 walks in 45.0 innings pitched over 19 appearances (five starts) in 2022.

In his career, Gilbert was a three-time ACC Academic Honor Roll member and has a 9-8 record, three saves, a 3.35 ERA, .242 opponents’ batting average and 122 strikeouts against 39 walks in 102.0 innings pitched over 55 appearances (five starts). He is also fourth in Tiger history in strikeouts per nine innings pitched (10.76).

–Information from Clemson Athletic Communications contributed to this article

Clemson players, fans react to Monte Lee firing

Clemson’s decision to fire baseball head coach Monte Lee was met with mixed reactions on Twitter among fans and a couple of players.

Coming off back-to-back seasons of missing the NCAA Tournament, Clemson baseball head coach Monte Lee was let go by Clemson Athletics on Tuesday.

Lee completed his seventh season as head coach finishing 11th in the ACC with a 35-23 record in 2022. Last season, Lee led the Tigers to their first losing record (25-27) since 1957. With the lack of postseason success over the past two seasons, Clemson athletic director Graham Neff decided it was time for a change.

“The expectations for Clemson Baseball are very high, and the team’s recent on-field performance has not met those of our administration, our coaching staff, our student-athletes or our loyal fanbase,” said Neff in Tuesday’s press release.

Overall, Lee went 242-136 in his seven seasons as head coach, leading Clemson to an ACC Championship title in 2016 and four NCAA Tournament appearances from 2016 to 2019.

“It’s certainly a time of grieving,” Lee told WCIV’s Scott Eisberg. “Certainly sad that my time here at Clemson is over. You know, I feel like I failed.”

As for the program’s future, Neff and his team will immediately begin the head coaching search for what he considers to be a top-15 job.

With the change in leadership, however, some other changes will occur for Clemson’s roster next season. According to The Clemson Insider, catcher Jonathan French and outfielder Dylan Brewer have entered the transfer portal.

With the abundance of change within the program, here are the mixed reactions on Twitter from a couple of current players and many fans.

Clemson’s season teetering following another loss

CHARLOTTE – The wait begins. And it will be a nerve-wracking one for Clemson’s baseball team. The Tigers’ postseason chances clashed with a virtual must-win scenario Thursday after Clemson dropped its ACC Tournament opener to North Carolina two days …

CHARLOTTE – The wait begins.

And it will be a nerve-wracking one for Clemson’s baseball team.

The Tigers’ postseason chances clashed with a virtual must-win scenario Thursday after Clemson dropped its ACC Tournament opener to North Carolina two days earlier. But top-seeded Virginia Tech made sure the Tigers left the Queen City empty-handed in their bid to enhance a bubbly resume for the NCAA Tournament.

Max Wagner tied a program record with his 27th home run of the season, but it was one of the few highlights for Clemson (35-23) in a tournament finale in which the Tigers trailed from the start. Tech (41-11) swatted six homers against five Tiger pitchers, including four as part of a seven-run third, in handing Clemson an 18-6 loss Thursday at Truist Field. Beginning the week with an RPI ranking in the high 30s but just 13 ACC victories, the Tigers were outscored 27-8 in its tournament losses.

Now they’ll be sweating and hoping their body of work is good enough for a regional berth when the 64-team field is announced Monday. Clemson is in danger of missing consecutive NCAA Tournaments for the first time since the Reagan administration.

Tech finished with 15 hits and had 10 runs less than three frames in against a Clemson pitching staff with an earned run average north of 4.6 coming into the tournament. The Hokies scored in each of the first three innings against freshman right-hander Billy Barlow (2-4), who allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits and walked three in his 13th start of the season.

Carson Jones ended Barlow’s night with a no-doubter to right with two outs in the third. Clemson coach Monte Lee brought on another freshman, Austin Gordon, but Tech kept the long balls coming, hitting back-to-back-to-back jacks off the right-hander in the inning to push its lead to 10-2.

Wagner brought Will Taylor home in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run homer to left-center, tying the record set by Khalil Greene in 2002 for the most home runs in a single season. Freshman outfielder Camden Troyer got the Tigers a little closer with another two-run shot in the fourth, but the Hokies blanked Clemson over the final five innings while the Tigers’ pitching continued to struggle.

Senior Jackson Lindley walked three of the four batters he faced in the fourth as Clemson issued 10 free passes on the night. Geoffrey Gilbert, who started each of the previous five games he pitched, came on with one out in the inning for his first relief appearance since April 20. His 2 2/3 innings of work tied the longest outing of the night for a Clemson pitcher, though he yielded two more runs on three hits, including Nick Biddison’s solo shot in the seventh.

Jones tagged Tech’s final homer off Ryan Ammons as part of a four-run ninth for the Hokies. Ammons allowed four hits and walked one over the final two innings.

Troyer finished with two of Clemson’s six hits. Biddison went 3-for-3 with five RBIs for Tech.

This story will be updated.

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Clemson clinches ACC Tournament bid with win over Boston College

Clemson, S.C. – Max Wagner continued his home run barrage and Geoffrey Gilbert had a strong start as the Tigers defeated Boston College 6-2 Friday afternoon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. With the win the Tigers clinched a spot in the ACC Baseball …

Clemson, S.C. —  Max Wagner continued his home run barrage and Geoffrey Gilbert had a strong start as the Tigers defeated Boston College 6-2 Friday afternoon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.  With the win the Tigers clinched a spot in the ACC Baseball Tournament.

Geoffrey Gilbert saved one of his best performance for his final home start of the season.  Gilbert went 5.2 innings and only gave up four hits, two runs and two earned runs.

Boston College took the lead in the first on a solo home run that hit the top of the roof in right field.

Clemson used some two out magic to tie the score in the bottom of the first.  With one out Will Taylor walked.  Cooper Ingle hit a two-out double off the top of the way, just missing a home run, to score Taylor.

In the second inning Caden Grice walked and then moved to second on a wild pitch.  With two outs Reed Garris hit a single up the middle to score Grice.  It was Garris’ first hit for the Tigers.

With two outs in the fourth Bryar Hawkins hit a solo home run to put Clemson up 3-1.  The home run was Hawkins ninth on the season.

The Eagles added another run on a solo home run in the top of the sixth.

Garris walked with one away in the seventh.  Benjamin Blackwell walked before Taylor reached on a fielder’s choice.  Max Wagner hit a three-run home run to stretch the Tigers’ lead to 6-2.  It was Wagner’s 26th of the season, leaving him just one shy of the Clemson record.

With the win Clemson moved to 34-21 overall and 12-16 in the ACC.  The Tigers and Eagles play the final game of the series Saturday morning at 11 AM.

For Clemson, ‘every game is a playoff game’

Clemson’s baseball team began the weekend on the outside looking in when it comes to the postseason picture. That could change by the end of today. The Tigers (30-17, 8-14 ACC) will go for their first ACC sweep of the season when they host Georgia …

Clemson’s baseball team began the weekend on the outside looking in when it comes to the postseason picture.

That could change by the end of today.

The Tigers (30-17, 8-14 ACC) will go for their first ACC sweep of the season when they host Georgia Tech at 1 p.m. in the teams’ series finale at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Clemson has put itself in position for a perfect weekend by outscoring the Yellow Jackets 21-12 so far, something Clemson coach Monte Lee said the Tigers need at this point.

“Every game is a playoff game for us. That’s the bottom line,” Lee said. “It’s great to win the series, but winning a series doesn’t matter for us right now. Every game counts for us. Hopefully we can put together a good game (Sunday).”

Now would be a good time for Clemson to pull off its first sweep of an ACC foe since beating Louisville in three games at home April 30-May 2 of last year. The Tigers began the weekend trailing Duke and North Carolina for the 12th and final spot in the ACC Tournament, but Clemson could move up depending on today’s results.

Clemson and Duke begin the day with identical records in the league. Duke is scheduled to play a doubleheader against Pittsburgh beginning at 11 a.m. after Friday’s game was postponed. UNC, one game ahead of both teams for the time being at 9-13 in league play, will also play a twinbill against North Carolina State starting at the same time.

Since the 12 teams for the conference tournament are determined by the highest conference winning percentages, a Clemson win coupled with a Pitt sweep would move the Tigers ahead of Duke for the final spot in the tournament. If Clemson wins and Duke and UNC both get swept, the Tigers would jump both in the pecking order since their league winning percentage would also be higher than the Tar Heels’ (Clemson would be 9-14 in league play in that scenario, UNC 9-15).

Clemson could still move ahead of Duke with a loss today if the Blue Devils were to drop both games to Pitt. Otherwise, the best the Tigers could do if they fall to Georgia Tech is stay half a game back of the Blue Devils for the final tournament spot. 

And time to make a move is running out. The Tigers have just six conference games left after today (series against Virginia and Boston College), so they would rather keep handling its business.

“Every game is big,” said sophomore Caden Grice, who launched a pair of home runs in Clemson’s 12-9 win Saturday. “Like coach said, every game is a playoff game. We’ve just got to keep fighting and come out every single day ready to compete.”

Clemson will send freshman right-hander Billy Barlow (1-2, 5.18 earned run average) to the mound today for his third straight weekend start. He will be opposed by Tech right-hander Chance Huff (3-3, 6.88).

“I don’t think we take any pressure on ourselves,” pitcher Geoffrey Gilbert said. “We just have to win a baseball game. We’ve done a lot of that this year. It’s nothing that’s anything new to us.”

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Grice, Gilbert talk about 12-9 win over Georgia Tech

Geoffrey Gilbert pitched four impressive innings to start the game and Caden Grice hit two home runs and a double to lead Clemson to a 12-9 win over Georgia Tech. Following the win Grice and Gilbert talked about the series win and the challenges …

Geoffrey Gilbert pitched four impressive innings to start the game and Caden Grice hit two home runs and a double to lead Clemson to a 12-9 win over Georgia Tech.

Following the win Grice and Gilbert talked about the series win and the challenges still ahead for Clemson.

Clemson’s rotation still in flux ahead of another key series

With time running out for Clemson to make a move for the postseason, the Tigers’ search for dependable weekend pitching behind Mack Anglin continues. Clemson coach Monte Lee has yet to decide who will get the ball in the Tigers’ final two games …

With time running out for Clemson to make a move for the postseason, the Tigers’ search for dependable weekend pitching behind Mack Anglin continues.

Clemson coach Monte Lee has yet to decide who will get the ball in the Tigers’ final two games against No. 21 Georgia Tech (27-18, 12-12 ACC) this weekend. Anglin, the one constant in Clemson’s weekend rotation throughout the season with a 3.62 earned run average, will get his usual Friday start in the series opener at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, but Clemson has given the TBA (to be announced) designation for its Saturday and Sunday starters.

Getting depth out of its other weekend starters has been an issue all season for the Tigers, who began the week with a team ERA of 4.45 after giving up 35 runs against Louisville last weekend, including 18 in the Cardinals’ sweep-clinching victory Sunday. Those three losses dropped Clemson (28-17 overall) to 6-14 in ACC play, the second-worst record in the conference.

There are just three weekends left in the regular season, which could be the extent of Clemson’s season if the Tigers aren’t able to put a run together late. Clemson needs to finish with one of the top 12 winning percentages in league play in order to qualify for the ACC Tournament. Duke and North Carolina, which each own a .381 conference winning percentage, would be the final two teams in the tournament if it started today.

Any charge Clemson hopes to make, though, has to start with improvement on the mound.

Freshman right-hander Billy Barlow lasted just 1 ⅔ innings in the series finale against Louisville, allowing five runs (three earned) on three hits with three walks. Barlow, who’s spent much of the season as a midweek starter, moved into the rotation the week before in place of sophomore Nick Clayton, who’s got a 5.97 ERA on the season and hasn’t lasted longer than the fourth inning in any of his last four starts.

Barlow has pitched just 5 ⅓ innings in his first two weekend starts combined. Meanwhile, reliever-turned-starter Geoffrey Gilbert didn’t last long in his second straight weekend starter, yielding six earned runs on four hits and issuing three walks in just 1 ⅓ innings Saturday in the Tigers’ 10-8 loss.

Gilbert was better in his first start against Florida State the previous week, working into the fifth inning and giving up just three earned runs on four hits. His first 13 appearances this season came out of the bullpen before Lee started the sophomore right-hander instead of freshman Jay Dill, who had replaced Nick Hoffman (5.59 ERA) as the Saturday starter against Wake Forest on April 16. But Dill recorded just one out and allowed seven earned runs before getting pulled from that game, prompting Lee to switch it up again a couple of weeks ago.

While Lee could ultimately choose to stick with Gilbert and Barlow or move Hoffman and Clayton back into the rotation, they aren’t the only options.

Lee has mentioned another freshman, Casey Tallent, as someone who could get a crack at a weekend start. Tallent (2.74 ERA) has yielded just seven earned runs in 23 innings this season and didn’t allow an earned run in 2 ⅓ innings in his lone start so far against East Tennessee State on April 20. There’s also sophomore Ricky Williams (1.59), who’s made just seven appearances all season but held Presbyterian to two runs on five hits in 6 ⅔ innings his last time out on April 26.

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Lee addresses Clemson’s pitching situation after latest shakeup

Who will fill in as the midweek starters for Clemson’s baseball team this week? And will the Tigers stick with the same rotation in yet another pivotal ACC series at Louisville this weekend? Those are questions Clemson coach Monte Lee and his staff …

Who will fill in as the midweek starters for Clemson’s baseball team this week? And will the Tigers stick with the same rotation in yet another pivotal ACC series at Louisville this weekend?

Those are questions Clemson coach Monte Lee and his staff find themselves needing to answer after their latest alteration on the mound. A day after changing his Saturday starter for the second straight week, Lee started freshman Billy Barlow in place of Nick Clayton for the Tigers’ series finale Sunday.

With the help of six relievers, Clemson rallied to beat the Seminoles to win its second straight ACC series after dropping the first four. But the decision to start Barlow, the Tigers’ usual midweek starter, means Clemson will have to turn elsewhere for their next game Tuesday against Presbyterian at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Clemson has another game at home Wednesday against No. 25 Wofford, so the Tigers will need a couple of fresh arms to help them get through the midweek. Clayton, who last pitched an inning of relief Wednesday in Clemson’s win over East Tennessee State, is a candidate to start. So is Nick Hoffman, who began the season in the weekend rotation but has made his last four appearances in relief.

But they’re not the only ones. While most of their appearances have come out of the bullpen, freshman Casey Tallent and sophomore Ricky Williams have each started a game this season. Williams (0.87 earned run average) has allowed just one earned run in 10 ⅓ innings while Tallent (2.37), who got his first career start against ETSU last week, has held opposing batters to a .224 average in 19 innings.

Lee said following Sunday’s game he and his staff will talk it over before making a decision at some point today.

“We have options between Ricky Williams, Clayton, Tallent,” Lee said. “So we’ll talk it over as a staff and try to figure out how to piece 18 innings there together in the middle of the week.”

As for the weekend, Lee said he will take the same approach when deciding whether or not he’ll keep the back end of the rotation the same against Louisville, which begins the week tied with Notre Dame atop the ACC’s Atlantic Division standings.

Sophomore right-hander Mack Anglin (3.24) has been the constant for Clemson all season in the Friday night spot, but the rest of the weekend has been a bugaboo for most of the season. Clemson had not had a Saturday or Sunday starter work past the fourth inning since its ACC-opening series against Miami until Gilbert did so this past Saturday. In his first start of the season, Gilbert limited FSU to three runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings.

On Sunday, Barlow yielded three runs in the first inning before settling in to get through the first 3 ⅔ frames on 82 pitches. Asked if Barlow has earned another weekend start against the Cardinals, Lee was non-committal.

“He’s not going to be available in the middle of the week, so it certainly makes sense to potentially start him again next weekend,” Lee said. “But obviously we’ll discuss that as a staff before we make any sort of decision on what we’re going to do there.”

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Clemson making another Saturday change to rotation

Clemson baseball coach Monte Lee is once again trying something different on the mound this weekend. With a series win on the line against No. 9 Florida State on Saturday, the Tigers (25-13, 5-10 ACC) will hand the ball to Geoffrey Gilbert for his …

Clemson baseball coach Monte Lee is once again trying something different on the mound this weekend.

With a series win on the line against No. 9 Florida State on Saturday, the Tigers (25-13, 5-10 ACC) will hand the ball to Geoffrey Gilbert for his first career start. First pitch from Doug Kingsmore Stadium is set for 3 p.m.

It’s the second straight weekend Lee has shaken up the rotation, which has struggled throughout the season to find any semblance of consistency on the final two days of the weekend. Right-hander Mack Anglin (3.24 earned run average) kept Clemson close with another solid start Friday before Max Wagner hit a go-ahead grand slam for the Tigers in the eighth inning of their 6-4 win, but Nick Hoffman (5.19) and Nick Clayton (5.65) both have ERAs north of 5 as the Tigers’ usual Saturday and Sunday starters.

Last week against Wake Forest, freshman right-hander Jay Dill got his first career start in place of Hoffman on Saturday, but he yielded seven runs in his only inning of work. Clayton also lasted just an inning Sunday, allowing three runs in his third straight start that failed to extend past 3 1/3 innings.

Gilbert has been one of the Tigers’ top relievers the last couple of seasons, posting a 2.70 ERA in 48 career appearances so far. The left-hander has a 4.71 ERA in 13 appearances this season with 33 strikeouts in 21 innings.

Gilbert, who hasn’t pitched more than three innings in any outing this season, hasn’t allowed a hit in his last 6 1/3 innings of work. He threw 1 1/3 frames with one strikeout his last time out Wednesday against East Tennessee State.

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