Tag: Jacob Hinderleider

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

Clemson finishes off sweep of Notre Dame in wild series finale

Clemson Baseball: The second-ranked Tigers survived a late-inning rally by Notre Dame to polish off the Fighting Irish for a three-game sweep in ACC play Sunday.

NOTRE DAME, IND. – No. 2 Clemson scored two runs on a two-out error in the 11th inning to defeat Notre Dame 13-12 at Frank Eck Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers, who swept the series 3-0 and won their sixth game in a row, improved to 28-3 overall and 10-2 in the ACC. The Fighting Irish dropped to 14-15 overall and 2-13 in ACC play.

Clemson scored the game’s first six runs in the top of the fourth inning. A two-out error allowed the first run to score, then Nolan Nawrocki lined a two-run double. Two batters later, Jacob Jarrell belted a three-run homer, his first of the year. Notre Dame responded with an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth inning.

In the fifth inning, Jacob Hinderleider, who earlier extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a double, hit another double, this time scoring two runs. Three batters later, Jarren Purify hit a sacrifice fly. Jimmy Obertop belted a solo homer, his seventh of the season, in the sixth inning. Jarrell added a run-scoring single in the top of the seventh inning to give Clemson an 11-1 lead.

Notre Dame kept the game alive with an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Fighting Irish added four runs in the eighth inning and Estevan Moreno hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning. Notre Dame tied the score 11-11 later in the frame when Jack Penney scored from second base on a passed ball with two outs.

In the 11th inning, Jack Crighton hit a two-out grounder to the shortstop. The throw to first base was errant, allowing both baserunners to score.

Rocco Reid (2-0) earned the win. Tiger starter Aidan Knaak did not allow a hit until the seventh inning. He tied his career high for innings pitched (7.0) and gave up just two hits, two unearned runs and no walks with nine strikeouts in throwing only 81 pitches (64 strikes). David Lally Jr. (0-1) suffered the loss.

The Tigers return home to host USC Upstate on Tuesday at 6 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.

–via Clemson Athletic Communications

No. 2 Clemson rallies for late comeback at Notre Dame

Clemson Tigers Baseball: The Clemson Tigers scored six runs in the final two innings to earn a 7-3 victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in ACC play Friday at Frank Eck Stadium.

For the better part of Friday afternoon, the Clemson Tigers’ bats were held in check.

That all changed in the later innings. The Tigers scored four runs in the eighth inning and tacked on two more in the ninth for a 7-3 come-from-behind victory over Notre Dame in ACC play at Frank Eck Stadium.

Clemson, ranked No. 2 in the nation by every major poll this week, improved to 26-3 overall and 8-2 in ACC play. It was the team’s 15th come-from-behind victory this season.

Held scoreless and without a hit since the second inning, the Tigers started to come alive in the sixth. With his team trailing 3-0, Will Taylor scored Clemson’s first run with an RBI single off Notre Dame reliever Nate Hardman.

In the eighth, Blake Wright doubled home Jimmy Obertop to make it a one-run game at 3-2. The Tigers then caught a break on a misplayed fly ball that dropped between Tito Flores and second baseman Estevan Moreno in shallow right. That allowed Jacob Hinderleider to reach second on a game-tying RBI double.

Taylor followed by clubbing a two-run home run to the opposite field in right to make it a four-run frame while giving Clemson its first lead of the day at 5-3.

Obertop put things out of reach in the ninth when he hit a two-run home run that sneaked just inside of the right field foul pole. It was Obertop’s third hit of the day and capped the game’s scoring.

Clemson outhit Notre Dame, 12-7. Seven of the Tigers’ hits came in the final two innings.

That included 3-for-5 performances from both Obertop and Hinderleider. Taylor (2-3) and Andrew Ciufo (2-4) also had multi-hit games for the Tigers.

Matthew Marchal started and pitched six solid innings after allowing three early runs over the first two frames. Marchal ended the day with four hits allowed. He struck out four batters in a no-decision. Drew Titsworth (3-0) earned the win in relief by striking out the only two batters he faced in the seventh inning.

Austin Gordon pitched a scoreless 1 2/3 innings in relief for his third save.

Ricky Reeth (1-4) suffered the loss for Notre Dame (14-13, 2-11). Reeth allowed allowed all six runs in the eighth and ninth innings on seven hits.

The series resumes Saturday with a scheduled 5:30 p.m. EDT start. Left-hander Ethan Darden will face Notre Dame’s Jack Radel. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

Clemson rallies past Duke in 10th inning, earns series win

No. 9 Clemson earned a hard-fought 8-6 win and series victory over No. 7 Duke Sunday at Jack Coombs Field in Durham.

Clemson got home runs from Jimmy Obertop and Jacob Hinderleider in the 10th inning and held on in the bottom half for a hard-fought 8-6 victory over No. 7 Duke Sunday at Jack Coombs Field in Durham.

The win gave the Tigers (17-2 overall, 2-1 ACC) an impressive series victory to open conference play.

Getting there wasn’t easy as Duke (15-5, 3-3) seemingly answered each Tigers rally with one of its own.

Clemson, ranked No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports coaches poll, got out to a 2-0 lead in the first when Blake Wright launched his team-leading seventh home run to the opposite field in right off Duke starter Tim Noone.

The Tigers carried a 3-2 lead into the eighth inning despite having only one hit through seven innings. Then, both teams’ offenses began to erupt.

Alden Mathes led off with a sharp single to right and had advanced to third with two out when Hinderleider lined a ground-rule double to the warning track in left-center for a 4-2 lead.

Jarren Purify followed with a run-scoring double that brought in Hinderleider and made it 5-2.

Duke answered right away with four consecutive hits to open the eighth. A.J. Gracia’s two-run home run off Mark Clayton cut the Tigers’ lead to 5-4.

A deep fly to left from Wallace Clark off Reed Garris later that inning allowed Devin Obee to tag from third and score the tying run.

After Clemson was retired in order in the ninth, Rob Hughes took over in the bottom half. When Gracia lined a triple down the right field line, Alex Stone tried to score all the way from first to end the game but was thrown out at home by Purify following a terrific relay from Mathes.

Clemson went ahead for good in extra innings.

Obertop unloaded on a 2-0 pitch that cleared the wall in right to put the Tigers ahead, 6-5. It was a no-doubt shot that was Obertop’s fourth homer of the year and his second in as many days.

After Tristan Bissetta reached on an infield single, Hinderleider followed with a two-run homer down the right field line for an 8-5 Clemson lead.

Matthew Marchal pitched the 10th inning and allowed back to back singles with one away to bring the tying run to the plate. But Bissetta made a sensational diving catch to keep Clark from emptying the bases. A run scored on the play but it robbed Clark of at least a double and possibly a triple.

Marchal then got Zac Morris to ground to third for the final out.

Duke outhit the Tigers, 17-7. Morris (3-for-6) had three hits for the Blue Devils, and Gracia and Ben Miller each had two hits, including home runs. Five Duke players finished with two hits or more.

Hinderleider (2-for-3) was the only Tigers player to finish with two hits in a three-RBI performance.

Purify (1-for-3) drove in two runs. His RBI sac fly in the sixth broke a 2-2 tie and gave Clemson the lead.

Freshman Aidan Knaak started for Clemson and received a no-decision. The right-hander scattered nine hits but finished with nine strikeouts and didn’t allow a walk. Knaak pitched out of trouble by striking out Andrew Yu to end a Duke threat in the sixth. Knaak finished with 86 pitches in the seventh.

The Tigers used six pitchers total, including Marchal who earned his first save. Hughes (1-0) earned the win in relief. Duke also used six pitchers with Charlie Beilenson (0-1) suffering the loss after allowing Obertop’s go-ahead home run.

NEXT UP: Clemson has a pair of midweek contests beginning Tuesday when the Tigers host Winthrop in a scheduled 6 p.m. EDT start at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Tigers will then travel to Greenville Wednesday for a 6 p.m. start against Presbyterian. The game against Winthrop will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX). Clemson will then welcome Florida State to Doug Kingsmore Stadium next weekend.