Jimmy Obertop – Syndication Server

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

No. 4 Clemson Tops Panthers 9-2 In Second Game of Doubleheader To Win Series

Aidan Knaak pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings and Jimmy Obertop tied a school record with three home runs in No. 4 Clemson’s 9-2 victory over Pittsburgh in the second game of a doubleheader at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Saturday.

CLEMSON, S.C. – Freshman righthander Aidan Knaak pitched 5.2 scoreless innings and Jimmy Obertop tied a school record with three home runs in No. 4 Clemson’s 9-2 victory over Pittsburgh in the second game of a doubleheader at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Saturday. The Tigers, who won the series 2-1, improved to 32-7 overall and 13-5 in the ACC. The Panthers fell to 16-21 overall and 5-16 in ACC play.

Knaak (4-0) earned the win by pitching 5.2 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. He did not allow a baserunner to advance past second base. Pittsburgh starter Ryan Reed (0-5) suffered the loss, as he surrendered eight hits, five runs (three earned) and one walk with three strikeouts in 4.0 innings pitched.

Obertop belted a two-run homer in the first inning and Jacob Hinderleider grounded a two-out, run-scoring double in the third inning. Obertop hit another two-run homer, his second of the game, in the fifth inning. Two batters later, Hinderleider belted a solo homer, his eighth of the year. Jarren Purify’s sacrifice fly in the sixth inning added a run.

The Panthers dented the scoreboard for the first time in the top of the eighth inning, as two baserunners scored on wild pitches. Blake Wright responded with a solo homer, his 16th of the year, in the bottom of the eighth inning. Obertop followed with a solo homer, his third of the game and 14th of the season.

Obertop became the 18th Tiger in history and third this season (Will Taylor, Blake Wright) to hit three long balls in a game.

The Tigers travel to Athens, Ga. to take on Georgia on Tuesday at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.

–via Clemson Athletic Communications

Clemson rallies from 4-0 deficit to down Pitt

Clemson Baseball: The sixth-ranked Tigers rallied from a 4-0 deficit to down Pitt on Friday in ACC play at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

No. 6 Clemson used a pair of home runs from Jimmy Overtop to overcome a 4-0 deficit for a 6-4 victory over Pitt in ACC play Friday night at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Obertop smacked his 10th and 11th home runs of the season. His first round-tripper of the night came in the fourth inning with two outs and the bases empty against Pitt starter Ryan Andrade. An inning later, the Tigers’ bats awoke for three runs to tie the game.

After Jacob Jarrell lifted a run-scoring sac fly to left to make it 4-2, Cam Cannarella followed with an RBI double to make it a one-run game. The Tigers tied it up when Alden Mathes’ single to center scored Cannarella.

Clemson took the lead in the sixth inning when Obertop launched his second homer of the night, a no-doubt shot to deep right. Later that inning, Jarren Purify reached on an error that was ruled a bunt sacrifice RBI, putting the Tigers on top 6-4.

Pitt threatened in the seventh off Lucas Mahlstedt before Reid Garris entered and proceeded to sit down all six batters he faced over the next two innings. Garris struck out three batters.

Austin Gordon worked the ninth inning and struck out the side for his sixth save. Mahlstedt (3-1) earned the win with 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Clemson pitchers finished with 13 strikeouts.

Friday marked the return of Tigers starter Tristan Smith. Smith threw 61 pitches in his first start since suffering an ankle injury just over a month ago. He pitched 2 2/3 innings and surrendered all four Pitt runs on four hits. The left-hander walked two and struck out four in a no-decision.

The Panthers (15-20 overall, 4-15 conference) touched Smith for three runs in the third, the highlight being a two-run single down the third base line from hot-hitting outfielder Dom Popa. Popa had three of the Panthers’ six hits in a 3-for-4 performance.

Clemson (31-6, 12-4) totaled 10 hits with all but one starter finishing with a hit.

The series resumes Saturday at 1 p.m. EDT.

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.

NEXT UP

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.

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.

Bissetta, Obertop home runs help Clemson even series with Duke

No. 9 Clemson edged No. 7 Duke, 8-7, Saturday afternoon at Jack Coombs Field in Durham.

Tristan Smith struck out a career-high 10 batters in six solid innings, Tristan Bissetta hit a clutch grand slam, and No. 9 Clemson edged No. 7 Duke, 8-7, Saturday afternoon at Jack Coombs Field in Durham.

The Tigers (16-2 overall, 1-1 ACC) needed all the offense it could get.

Jimmy Obertop’s three-run home run in the fifth inning off Blue Devils reliever Edward Hart gave Clemson a 4-2 lead midway through.

In the seventh, Bissetta notched his first career grand slam — the only hit in the Tigers’ half of the inning — with one out off Josh Allen, who’d previously loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batsman.

The Blue Devils (15-4, 3-2) answered with five runs of their own against left-hander Ethan Darden in the seventh to pull to within a run. Lucas Mahlstedt took over for Darden and closed out the seventh with back to back strikeouts of Devin Obee and Mason Winslow.

Mahlstedt struck out three of the four batters he faced in the seventh after the first six Duke hitters reached base against Darden. The junior right-hander then worked a scoreless eighth inning before Rob Hughes closed out the game in ninth.

Hughes pitched out of trouble to strand the potential tying and winning runs on base for his second save. Hughes has yet to allow a run in six appearances this season.

Duke out-hit the Tigers, 11-7. Blake Wright drove in Clemson’s only other run with an RBI fielder’s choice in the first inning off starter Andrew Healy. Healy pitched just one inning as the Blue Devils used nine different pitchers in Saturday’s game.

Gabriel Nard (0-1) suffered the loss for Duke after allowing two men to reach base in the fifth before Obertop’s home run — his third of the season.

Smith (2-0) was sensational in his fifth start for Clemson. In addition to his 10 strikeouts, the southpaw yielded only one earned run on four hits. He walked two and threw 102 pitches.

The rubber match of the series is scheduled for 1 p.m. EDT Sunday. Freshman right-hander Aiden Knaak (1-0, 4.05 ERA) will make his fifth start for Clemson. Duke has yet to announce its Sunday starter. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.

Seventh inning slam helps propel Clemson past Presbyterian, 8-2

A five-run seventh inning, highlighted by a grand slam from Jarren Purify lifted No. 10 Clemson past Presbyterian, 8-2, Tuesday.

A five-run seventh inning, highlighted by a grand slam from freshman Jarren Purify, lifted No. 9 Clemson past Presbyterian, 8-2, Tuesday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

It was the first collegiate hit for Purify, the freshman from Detroit’s University Liggett High School who was named the city’s 2023 Prep Baseball Player of the Year.

The Tigers outhit Presbyterian, 10-3, to run their record to 4-0.

Clemson clung to a 3-2 lead to start the seventh inning when Alden Mathes walked and stole second. One out later, Andrew Ciufo singled and stole second to put runners in scoring position.

Caden Barnett then hit Jacob Jarrell with a pitch just above the eye to load the bases. Jarrell would have to leave the game temporarily and was replaced on the bases by Tryston McCladdie.

Jack Crighton drew a bases-loaded walk on five pitches to extend Clemson’s lead to 4-2. Then came the big blow. Purify’s grand slam was the Tigers’ third of the season. It landed in the left field grandstands to make the score 8-2.

That was all the offense Clemson needed. Prior to that, the Tigers got a pair of solo home runs from Cam Cannarella and Jimmy Obertop.

It was the first home run in a Clemson uniform for Obertop, who also delivered a run-scoring single in the fourth inning. Obertop, the senior transfer from Michigan, and Cannarella both finished 3-for-5 to lead the Tigers’ offense.

Clemson used four pitchers in Tuesday’s win. Austin Gordon started and pitched two scoreless innings. Gordon walked two but didn’t allow a hit.

Right-hander Joe Allen followed Gordon with four solid innings in relief to get the win. Allen (1-0) allowed two runs on two hits but retired 12 of the 17 batters he faced on 46 pitches. Ethan Darden added two scoreless innings in relief, and Ty Olenchuck closed things out with a scoreless ninth inning on 14 pitches.

According to Clemson broadcaster and former Sports Information Director Tim Bourret, Tuesday’s win was the 2,999th victory in Clemson baseball history.

The Tigers return to Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Friday when they open a three-game weekend series with Kennesaw State. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. EST.