Tag: NCAA Baseball

Clemson freshman Aidan Knaak named ACC Pitcher of the Week for second straight week

Clemson Baseball: Freshman right-hander Aidan Knaak took home ACC Pitcher of the Week honors, the league announced Monday. It’s the second week in a row that Knaak has earned the honor.

CLEMSON, S.C. – Freshman righthander Aidan Knaak (Fort Myers, Fla.) was named ACC Pitcher-of-the-Week, announced Monday by the league office. He joined Wake Forest’s Nick Kurtz, who was named ACC Player-of-the-Week, in receiving conference accolades. ACC baseball weekly honors are determined by a vote of a select media panel and are announced on Mondays throughout the regular season.

It marked the second week in a row Knaak earned ACC weekly honors. He became the first Tiger pitcher to earn ACC weekly honors twice in one year since 2016 (Pat Krall) and the first Tiger pitcher to earn ACC weekly honors in back-to-back weeks since 2005 (Josh Cribb).

Knaak pitched another masterpiece in Clemson’s 7-0 win over NC State on Sunday. In 8.0 innings pitched, he allowed just two hits (both infield singles), no runs and one walk with 10 strikeouts to earn the win. Knaak, who threw 97 pitches (71 strikes), faced just two batters over the minimum.

It was the longest outing of his career and tied his career high for strikeouts. He retired the first 14 batters of the game before surrendering an infield single in the fifth inning. He also did not allow a baserunner past second base and allowed only one past first base.

On the season, he is 3-0 with a 2.87 ERA, .201 opponents’ batting average and 67 strikeouts against 15 walks in 53.1 innings pitched over nine starts.

–via Clemson Athletic Communications

How far Clemson fell in new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll

NCAA Baseball: The Clemson Tigers fell to No. 6 in the new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll, released Monday, April 15.

A rough week by Clemson that featured the team’s first back-to-back losses of the season — and its first losing streak — dropped the Tigers several spots in the new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll, released Monday, April 15.

Clemson (29-6 overall) tumbled four spots to No. 6 in the coaches poll, compiled by 31 head coaches at Division I schools. The Tigers went just 1-3 last week after a midweek loss to USC Upstate and dropping two of three in a series against NC State at home.

Coach Erik Bakich’s club also fell to No. 6 in D1Baseball’s new Top 25 rankings and to No. 4 in the new Baseball America Top 25.

Texas A&M (32-4) climbed two spots to No. 1 after a 4-0 week that included a series sweep of No. 12 Vanderbilt. The Commodores had been ranked No. 6 in last week’s coaches poll.

Arkansas (30-5) fell to No. 2 after suffering its first series loss of the season. The Razorbacks, who had been No. 1 for five straight weeks, fell Saturday and Sunday to No. 14 Alabama, which rose three spots in Monday’s poll.

Oregon State (29-5) moved up one spot in to No. 4. Kentucky (30-5) rounded out the top five after its three-game sweep of Auburn over the weekend.

Right behind Clemson in the new poll are four ACC schools. Florida State (30-5) rose to No. 7, with Virginia (28-8) checking in at No. 8 and Duke (26-10) at No. 9. North Carolina (29-7) moved up one spot to No. 11. East Carolina (27-8) rounded out the Top 10.

Two other ACC schools — No. 13 Wake Forest and No. 22 Virginia Tech — placed in Monday’s Top 25 to give the conference seven teams ranked in the new poll.

The SEC had the most schools ranked per conference with eight.

Clemson returns to the diamond Tuesday when the Tigers host Charlotte in non-conference play. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. EDT at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The game will be streamed on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).

Clemson freshman named ACC Co-Pitcher of the Week

Clemson Baseball: Clemson Tigers freshman right-hander Aidan Knaak was named Co-Pitcher of the Week by the ACC on Monday.

CLEMSON, S.C. – Freshman righthander Aidan Knaak (Fort Myers, Fla.) was named ACC Co-Pitcher-of-the-Week, announced Monday by the league office. He joined Louisville’s Sebastian Gongora, who was named ACC Co-Pitcher-of-the-Week, and Wake Forest’s Nick Kurtz, who was named ACC Player-of-the-Week, in receiving conference accolades. ACC baseball weekly honors are determined by a vote of a select media panel and are announced on Mondays throughout the regular season.Knaak became the first Tiger freshman to earn ACC Pitcher-of-the-Week honors since 2016 (Alex Eubanks) and the first Tiger first-year freshman since 2013 (Matthew Crownover).

Knaak took a no-hitter into the seventh inning at Notre Dame on Sunday. He retired the side in order in five of his first six innings and did not allow a hit until he gave up an infield single in the seventh inning.

In 7.0 innings pitched, he allowed just three hits, one earned run and no walks with nine strikeouts in Clemson’s victory. He tied his career high for innings pitched, throwing just 81 pitches (64 strikes).

On the season, he is 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA, .218 opponents’ batting average and 57 strikeouts against 14 walks in 45.1 innings pitched over eight starts.

–via Clemson Athletic Communications

Where Clemson ranks in new D1Baseball, Baseball America rankings

Clemson Baseball: Here’s where the Clemson Tigers are in the new Top 25 rankings from both D1Baseball and Baseball America for April 8.

Clemson stayed at No. 2 in the new Top 25 rankings from both D1Baseball and Baseball America, released Monday, April 8.

The Tigers enter the week at 28-3 overall following a three-game sweep of Notre Dame in ACC play to complete a 4-0 week.

The top five in D1Baseball’s rankings remained the same, with Arkansas (27-3) holding at No. 1 following its three-game series sweep of Ole Miss over the weekend. Texas A&M stayed at No. 3, with Tennessee at No. 4 and Oregon State at No. 5.

Clemson also stayed at No. 2 in Baseball America’s new Top 25 rankings. In BA’s rankings, the top four teams all remained the same as D1Baseball’s top four teams. Vanderbilt (25-7) took the No. 5 spot in Baseball America’s rankings.

Monday marked the fifth consecutive week that Arkansas has been ranked No. 1 by both publications.

Clemson will host SC Upstate Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. After that, coach Erik Bakich’s team will host its first weekend series in two weeks when the Tigers take on NC State beginning Friday night at 7 p.m. The games can all be seen on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).

Series preview and where to watch/stream/listen: No. 2 Clemson vs. Notre Dame

Clemson Baseball: Here’s a look at where Clemson Tigers fans can watch, stream, and listen to this weekend’s NCAA baseball series against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

No. 2 Clemson heads to South Bend for its next showdown in conference play when the Tigers take on Notre Dame.

The Tigers (25-3 overall, 7-2 ACC), ranked second in every major poll this week, defeated USC Upstate, 11-1, in seven innings on Tuesday and have won every conference series they’ve played thus far. Coach Erik Bakich’s team rallied after a series-opening walk-off loss at Miami last weekend to take two of three games against the Hurricanes.

Matthew Marchal will start Friday’s opener at Notre Dame with Ethan Darden scheduled for Saturday. Aidan Knaak is set to pitch Sunday. Knaak had his best performance as a Tiger in last Saturday’s start at Miami. The freshman right-hander tossed seven scoreless innings and struck out 10 batters while allowing just two hits.

Clemson’s pitching staff has compiled a 3.49 ERA and is limiting opponents to a .231 average this season.

With the bats, the Tigers are hitting .294 as a unit with an OPS of .924. They’re averaging 8.4 runs per game. Blake Wright leads the offense in home runs (13) and RBIs (42) and is hitting .331.

Notre Dame (14-12) will start right-handers Matt Bedford (Friday), Jack Radel (Saturday), and Rory Fox (Sunday) in this weekend’s series. The Fighting Irish are just 2-10 in conference play and were swept last weekend at NC State.

Saturday’s game will mark a rare national television appearance for the Tigers; that game will be broadcast by ESPN2.

Series History

Clemson leads the all-time head to head series with Notre Dame, 15-14. The two programs first met in 1994. The Tigers took two of three from the Irish in last year’s three-game series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Where to Watch/Stream/Listen

Here’s s a look at where Clemson fans can watch, stream, and listen to this weekend’s series at Frank Eck Stadium.

Start Times (ET)

Friday, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, 5:30 p.m.

Sunday: 1 p.m.

Broadcast Info

TV: ESPN2 (Saturday only)

Live Video Stream: ESPN+

Radio: Clemson Athletic Network | ClemsonTigers.com

Broadcast Teams

ACC Network Extra (Friday and Sunday): Jacob Irons, Andrew McGuiness, Cesar Sanchez

ESPN2 (Saturday): Mike Ferrin, Gaby Hernandez

Clemson run rules SC Upstate in midweek contest

Clemson Baseball: No. 2 Clemson defeated USC Upstate, 11-1, in seven innings Tuesday.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – No. 2 Clemson scored five runs in the second inning and five runs in the fifth inning in its 11-1 victory in seven innings over USC Upstate at Fluor Field on Tuesday night. The Tigers, who took a 2-0 lead in the season series, improved to 25-3, while the Spartans dropped to 18-12. The two teams conclude their season series next Tuesday night at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Clemson scored five runs in the second inning on Cam Cannarella’s two-run single, Alden Mathes’ two-run triple and Blake Wright’s RBI groundout. Jacob Jarrell flared a run-scoring single in the third inning, then he ripped a run-scoring double in the fifth inning. Cannarella followed with a sharp grounder to bring home a run, then Mathes and Blake Wright hit run-scoring singles during Clemson’s five-run frame.

The Spartans dented the scoreboard with a run in the fifth inning on Troy Hamilton’s two-out, run-scoring single, ending Clemson’s streak of not allowing a run at 18 innings over three games.

Tiger starter Billy Barrow (4-1) earned the win. He allowed just three hits, one run and two walks with five strikeouts in 5.0 innings pitched. Spartan starter Cooper Ellingworth (4-2) suffered the loss.

The Tigers travel to Notre Dame for a three-game series, beginning Friday at 4:30 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.

–via Clemson Athletic Department

D1Baseball ranks UNC star Vance Honeycutt among its top outfielders

Just how highly was UNC star center fielder Vance Honeycutt ranked across college baseball?

If there’s ever a story about UNC baseball, there’s a good chance it mentions star outfielder Vance Honeycutt.

Guess what? So will this story.

Honeycutt, a junior in-state centerfielder from Salisbury, NC, is the reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Not only is Honeycutt smooth with his glove, but he’s also lightning-fast and has quite the pop in his bat.

So far in 2024, Honeycutt is hitting .288 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs. His strikeout numbers are a bit concerning, leading North Carolina with 38, but that’s bound to come with being a power hitter. Honeycutt will most likely run when he’s on base, as he tops the Diamond Heels with 16 successful swipes.

Throughout his UNC career, Honeycutt is a career .278 hitter. He’s mashed 45 home runs, driven in 129 and stoles 64 bases.

With how much he dominates the collegiate circuit, which has him projected as an early first-round pick in this year’s MLB Draft, Honeycutt was named D1Baseball’s fourth-ranked outfielder.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5L_sRXurUc/

It’s rare to find a solid combination of speed, power and defense in today’s game. You’ll encounter several professionals who have mainly power (Pete Alonso), or speed and defense (Kevin Kiermaier), but rarely all three.

Honeycutt isn’t the only star in North Carolina’s lineup, which includes .400 hitter Gavin Gallagher and 40-RBI masher Casey Cook, as part of an offense that ranks 25th nationally in batting average (.315).

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Parks Harber picks up three Player of the Week honors

Parks Harber is part of a UNC offense that’s among college baseball’s best in bating average and home runs. Harber more-than-doubled his home run total over the past week.

If you didn’t know Parks Harber’s name before, you’ll definitely know his name after the monster performance he put on last week.

Harber, a Georgia transfer who’s now a starting infielder for UNC, did a little bit of everything at the plate. In four wins (North Carolina A&T, Wake Forest three times), Harber mashed six home runs, registered eight hits and drove in nine runners.

With his six home runs, Harber now leads the Diamond Heels with 10 on the season.

Thanks to his monster weekend against the Preseason Number One team, Harber was named the ACC, D1 Baseball and Perfect Game Player of the Week.

Harber is just one piece of an electric North Carolina offense that ranks 25th nationally in batting average. Seven of the Diamond Heels’ position players are hitting at least .300, led by a torrid .400 mark from Gavin Gallagher.

Not only is UNC doing a phenomenal job at collecting base hits, but players are also hitting the baseball deep. North Carolina is tied for 10th nationally with 51 home runs, as Harber (10), Cook (9), Alberto Osuna, Luke Stevenson and Vance Honeycutt (eight each) lead the team.

With Mac Horvath departing to the MLB Draft last year, Harber has come in as the perfect replacement.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Clemson up to No. 2 in D1Baseball Top 25 rankings

NCAA Baseball: Clemson Baseball moved up one spot to No. 2 in D1Baseball’s Top 25 rankings, released Monday, April 1. The Clemson Tigers remained No. 2 in Baseball America’s Top 25.

Another solid week that included a hard-fought series win at Miami saw the Clemson Tigers move up one spot to No. 2 in the new Top 25 rankings for D1Baseball.

The Tigers (24-3 overall, 7-2 conference) also remained No. 2 in Baseball America’s Top 25 rankings.

Clemson suffered a walk-off loss to Miami in the series opener Thursday night at Mark Light Field but rebounded with a 3-2 win Friday and a 7-0 shutout victory on Saturday behind freshman Aidan Knaak, who pitched his best game of the season.

Knaak (2-0) fired seven shutout innings against the Hurricanes, allowing just two hits. He struck out 10 batters and walked only one to earn his second win of the season.

Arkansas (23-3, 8-1) remained at No. 1 in both rankings after sweeping LSU in Fayetteville over the weekend. The reigning national champion Tigers (20-9, 2-7) fell to No. 18 in D1Baseball’s Top 25 and all the way to No. 25 in Baseball America’s rankings.

Texas A&M (25-3) moved to No. 3 in both rankings after a 4-0 week. Tennessee (24-5) moved to No. 4 in D1Baseball’s rankings and to No. 5 in Baseball America’s rankings. Florida (16-11) took the No. 4 spot in Baseball America’s rankings.

Clemson will face SC Upstate in Greenville in non-conference play Tuesday. Next up for the Tigers in conference action is a trip to South Bend for a three-game series against Notre Dame beginning Friday.

Clemson baseball defeats Miami for latest ACC series win

NCAA Baseball: No. 2 Clemson picked up a 7-0 shutout victory over the Miami Hurricanes at Mark Light Field Saturday. The Tigers won two of three in the series to improve to 24-3 overall and 7-2 in the ACC.

CORAL GABLES, FLA. – Freshman righthander Aidan Knaak pitched 7.0 scoreless innings of two-hit ball with 10 strikeouts to lead No. 2 Clemson to a 7-0 victory over Miami (Fla.) at Mark Light Field on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers, who won the series 2-1, improved to 24-3 overall and 7-2 in the ACC. The Hurricanes dropped to 15-12 overall and 6-6 in ACC play.

It marked Clemson’s first series win over the Hurricanes since 2012 and first at Miami since 2006. It was also the Tigers’ 14th regular-season weekend series win in a row dating to 2023. That includes 10 straight in ACC regular-season play.

Knaak (2-0), a native of Fort Myers, Fla., earned the win by setting career highs for innings pitched and strikeouts while walking just one batter. He only allowed one baserunner past first base and none past second base. Reed Garris and Rocco Reid pitched the final two innings to close out the shutout, Clemson’s first since 2022. Miami starter Herick Hernandez (2-3) suffered the loss, as he yielded seven hits, seven runs (five earned) and three walks with five strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched.

In the first inning, Jacob Hinderleider’s infield single and error on the play plated three runs, then Hinderleider blooped a two-out, run-scoring single in the third inning. Cam Cannarella laced a three-run double in the sixth inning to give Clemson a 7-0 lead.

The Tigers travel to Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. to take on USC Upstate on Tuesday at 6 p.m. on ESPN+. Clemson is the designated visiting team and occupies the third-base dugout.

–via Clemson Athletic Department