Nick Schnabel – Syndication Server

‘It was kind of a no-brainer’: Michigan transfer talks decision to join Bakich at Clemson

It didn’t take long for Erik Bakich’s move from Michigan to Clemson to pay dividends on the recruiting trail. Infielder Riley Bertram, who played for Bakich at Michigan, intends to follow his coach to Clemson. Bertram announced via social media on …

Bertram announced via social media on Tuesday, June 21, that he will use his final season of eligibility to transfer to Clemson.

Bertram started each of the last two seasons in the Wolverines’ middle infield, starting 31 of 37 games at second base in 2021 before moving to shortstop this season. He started all 62 games for Michigan this year, hitting .298 with two home runs, 19 doubles and 40 RBIs.

He hit .271 in four years at Michigan and brings a .946 career fielding percentage to Clemson, which is starting over under Bakich.

“When Coach Bakich and his staff decided to go to Clemson and that was their decision — that was awesome — I was really happy for them and still happy for them, Bertram told The Clemson Insider in a phone interview earlier this week. It was a great opportunity for them.”

Bertram decided to enter the transfer portal since he already finished four years at the University of Michigan and got his degree. He admitted that being a graduate transfer is a little bit of a smoother process.

“When Coach Bakich reached out and wanted me to be a Tiger, I thought it was kind of a no-brainer,” Bertram continued. “I played with him for four years and I loved him. To go play a fifth-year in the ACC around some really good baseball players, I couldn’t turn that offer down.”

About a couple of weeks ago after Bertram elected to follow Bakich down to Tiger Town, he took an unofficial visit to Clemson. Bertram drove down with his mother and they spent two days checking out his new home.

“It was beautiful,” he said. “It was everything. You can’t not enjoy being in Clemson and being around that atmosphere.”

Ideally, Bertram would like to be down in Clemson as soon as possible, but he won’t be able to move into his new apartment until mid-August. Right now, he’s living out the remainder of his lease in Ann Arbor through July and he’ll have a two-week gap where he’ll be able to go home to Indiana before he starts his final season of collegiate baseball.

Bertram got some “awesome” news when he found out that Willie Weiss would also be joining him at Clemson. Weiss announced his decision shortly after Bertram did and believe it or not, the two were roommates up at Michigan.

“Having Willie come down with me and me going with him, we’re gonna share a lease next year as well at Clemson,” Bertram said. “It’s a little bit more exciting. Having the coaching staff there is good too, but their coaches and it’s a lot better going in knowing that I have a friend going in too.”

It also makes life a little easier now that Bertram doesn’t have to worry about finding a roommate.

First and foremost, Bertram is excited to be going to a program where winning is in the fabric of the culture. He’s excited for the opportunity that lies ahead and added that it’s obviously his goal to play shortstop for Clemson this season. At the same time, he also said that in Baskich’s system nothing is given and everything is earned.

“I know there’s a lot of great players that are going to be there,” he said. “Ideally, I’d like to go in there and earn that position or earn a starting position. Everything under his watch is mainly, who’s going to earn it? He’s not just going to hand out positions.”

Bertram doesn’t believe that Bakich or Nick Schnabel have ever entered a season with the word “rebuild” in the back of their minds. He says that there are multiple ways to find a way to the NCAA tournament and find a way to the main goal, which is making it to Ohama and hosting up a trophy at the end.

“They want to win, which is always something that I think is the most important thing,” Bertram said. “You got to want to win. You have to do everything that you can to find a way to have more runs at the end of the game. That’s their main goal is to find any way to win.

“And at the same time, they’re personable people. You can talk to them about anything. They know a lot about you. They invest in you, not only as one of their players but as a friend that you talk to.The connection, in my four years, even coming in as a freshman, they always made me feel at home. I have a lot of respect for that staff and I love them.”

Photo courtesy of Matt Stone/Courier Journal/USA Today Network

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‘What they do for their players is next level’: Clemson commit talks decision to flip from Michigan

Brendon Bennett became the latest former University of Michigan commit to follow Erik Bakich and Nick Schnabel to Clemson. The left-handed pitcher and class of 2024 prospect out of Michigan’s Novi High School, announced his verbal commitment to …

Brendon Bennett became the latest former University of Michigan commit to follow Erik Bakich and Nick Schnabel to Clemson.

The left-handed pitcher and class of 2024 prospect out of Michigan’s Novi High School, announced his verbal commitment to Clemson on Wednesday evening via social media.

“I really like the coaches that they have there,” Bennett told The Clemson Insider in a phone interview Thursday. “I’ve built up good relationships with them and obviously the baseball program is very good. I loved the campus when I went down there last year and it’s a great school.”

Bennett was recruited by Clemson’s previous coaching staff but ultimately committed to Bakich at the University of Michigan. He liked what Clemson’s baseball program had to offer, but there was something that resonated with the coaching staff that was already in his backyard.

It certainly says a lot about the coaches that Bennett is now the sixth former Michigan commit to flip to Clemson.

“What they do for their players is next level,” Bennett said. “They develop you as a baseball player and as a person, and I really like how they bring the team culture together and they make everybody be a part of a great team every year.”

Bennett is from Novi (MI.) which is around 35-40 minutes outside of Ann Arbor. However, the distance really didn’t have that much of an effect on his decision to flip to Clemson. Also, another part that plays into it is Bennett’s older sister, Reganne, is committed to play softball at the University of South Carolina.

Brendon already liked what Clemson had to offer. After he decomitted from Michigan on June 27, it took about a week or so for him to get in contact with Bakich and Schnabel. The decision wasn’t all that difficult for him to make.

“I liked the town that Clemson was in and I really liked the campus,” Brendon said. “The lakes and everything like that were beautiful. The baseball facilities were crazy. The stadium was beautiful. I just liked everything about it and the dorms were really nice too.”

Before he verbally pledged to Bakich and Clemson, Brendon had the chance to speak with his future pitching coach, Jimmy Belanger. The former Florida State pitching coach’s philosophy lined up with Brendon’s and played a part in his decision.

“I talked to him and I really liked him,” Brendon said. “He really knows how to develop pitchers and he’s put multiple pitchers as higher draft picks into the MLB.

As far as his pitching repertoire is concerned, Brendon has three working pitches in his arsenal — fastball, curveball and changeup. Last weekend, his fastball velocity was sitting around 93 mph. Brendon’s putaway pitch is probably his curveball, but his go-to pitch is definitely his fastball.

According to Brendon, Clemson’s staff likes how he pitches, how he competes and what he has to offer with his pitches.

What can Clemson fans expect from him once he arrives on campus in the future?

“I’m gonna try my best to be the best teammate and the best player on the field,” he said, “and I’m gonna work hard to be better.”

While he doesn’t imagine that he’ll get back on campus this summer, Brendon is sure that he’ll definitely find his way to Tiger Town sometime this fall.

‘It was like nothing I’ve ever seen’: Former Michigan commit talks decision to flip to Clemson

Drew Titsworth became the latest former University of Michigan commit to follow Erik Bakich and Nick Schnabel to Clemson. The dominant right-handed pitcher and class of 2023 prospect out of Michigan’s Frankenmuth High School, announced his verbal …

Drew Titsworth became the latest former University of Michigan commit to follow Erik Bakich and Nick Schnabel to Clemson.

The dominant right-handed pitcher and class of 2023 prospect out of Michigan’s Frankenmuth High School, announced his verbal commitment to Clemson on Monday evening via social media.

Once Titsworth got on campus, he knew he wanted to be a Tiger. It was pretty automatic.

“When Bakich and Schnabel announced that they were leaving Michigan to come to Clemson, one of the first thoughts in my head was that I wanted to follow those guys,” Titsworth told The Clemson Insider Monday night in a phone interview. “I just got the opportunity to come down here and stop at Clemson on the way to Atlanta. Once I saw the campus, the field and all the facilities, it was a pretty easy decision for me.”

Titsworth’s hometown is only an hour and a half outside Ann Arbor, so the distance was something he considered, but after talking with his family, it just seemed like the right thing for him to do.

“Those guys have always believed in me since Day 1,” Titsowrth said. “They were kind of the first coaches to truly recruit me. We built a tight relationship and I kind of like the way they go about things. They’re always going to compete no matter what, no matter the score or the inning…obviously, they’ve had success, so I like that too.”

Titsworth decommitted from Michigan on July 3. Bakich and Schnaebel got in contact with him that same day. They wanted him to follow them down to Tiger Town, but first they needed to get him on campus. That happened on Monday.

“It was ridiculous, there’s nothing like that up north,” he said. “It was like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

Monday marked the first time that Titsworth got to meet his future pitching coach, Jimmy Belanger.

“Right off the bat I could just tell that he was a good guy,” Titsworth said. “Talking with him and what he’s done at other programs and the stuff he’s done, I could just tell that he’s gonna be a good fit.”

As far as his pitching repertoire is concerned, Titsworth has four working pitches in his arsenal — fastball, slider, changeup, and a sinker, a pitch he’s still mastering. His velocity sits between 89-94 mph.

What can Clemson fans expect from him once he arrives on campus around this time next year?

“I’m gonna compete,” he said. “I’m gonna do whatever I can as a pitcher to get outs and then, as a teammate, I’m gonna try to encourage everybody to be the best they can and I’m just gonna try to win.”

— Photo for this article courtesy of Drew Titsworth.

Big-time pitching prospect ‘super excited’ to be a Tiger, talks decision to flip from Michigan

Joe Allen made an unofficial visit to Clemson from Tuesday to Wednesday. On Wednesday night, the big-time righthanded pitcher in the class of 2022 from Winnacunnet High School (Hampton, New Hampshire) announced his commitment to the Tigers and their …

Joe Allen made an unofficial visit to Clemson from Tuesday to Wednesday.

On Wednesday night, the big-time righthanded pitcher in the class of 2022 from Winnacunnet High School (Hampton, New Hampshire) announced his commitment to the Tigers and their new head coach, Erik Bakich.

“We talked (Wednesday), and I was like, ‘Coach, I’m coming with you. This is where I wanna be,’” Allen told The Clemson Insider in a phone interview Thursday.

Allen, the 2021-22 Gatorade New Hampshire Baseball Player of the Year, had previously been committed to Bakich and Michigan when he was still the Wolverines’ head coach before being hired as the Tigers’ new head coach in June, replacing former Clemson head coach Monte Lee.

Nick Schnabel, who coached alongside Bakich during his tenure at Michigan from 2013-22 and has now joined Bakich’s staff at Clemson as assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator, helped recruit Allen to Clemson.

“I was committed to the University of Michigan with Coach Bakich and Coach Schnabel, and when they both took the job at Clemson, they asked me to come with them,” Allen said. “And to be now committed to Clemson University with such an incredible storied history of a school, and not only a school but a baseball program, is so cool and so awesome.”

Allen explained why he decided to flip his commitment from Michigan and follow Bakich to Clemson.

“Just the way we always talk to each other over the phone and interactions in person, and the way he just has this vibrant energy about him, and you can tell he cares about every single one of his players and loves the game of baseball just like I do,” Allen said. “He’s a coach that I’d run through a brick wall for, and I haven’t even put on a Clemson jersey yet.”

Allen’s unofficial visit to Clemson this week played a big part in his pledge to the Tigers as well.

“Honestly, as soon as I stepped on campus, it was just the care that they had for their baseball team,” he said of what stood out about the visit. “And the stadium, all the facilities are so top-level. But any time we went out to get food, the restaurant owner would come over and say hello to Coach Bakich, welcome him to Clemson, and they’d all come over and shake our hands. Just the love that the community has for baseball and the Clemson Tiger baseball team, that stuck out to me so much and that helped me make the decision extremely easy.”

At the time of Allen’s Gatorade New Hampshire Baseball Player of the Year selection on June 3, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound senior had led Winnacunnet to a 13-7 record and a berth in the Division 1 state tournament.

Allen posted a 3-2 record with a 1.62 ERA through the regular season, striking out 71 batters in 43 innings pitched while surrendering just 26 hits and 13 walks.

“That was a huge honor,” Allen said of the Gatorade accolade. “But I don’t win anything without my teammates behind me at my high school and the work they put in all year and the support I got – not only at the plate, but making all the plays behind me was perfect, and it’s a team award right there for the way they helped me all year.”

A first-team all-state selection, Allen was the only New England player chosen for the USA Baseball 18U National Team and also played in the 2021 Area Code Games. He was a third-team Rawlings/Perfect Game Preseason All-American.

Despite his success and laurels at the high school level, Allen isn’t coming to Clemson with a sense of entitlement, and he’s heading to Tiger Town hoping to help the Tigers accomplish the ultimate goal of winning their first-ever national championship.

“I know from day one, I’m going to have to go in there and earn everything, and that’s what I love about (Bakich) – nothing’s given,” Allen said. “And me as a pitcher, I’m just going to try to get outs as quick as possible and help take this team back to Omaha and win the first national title. That’s always the goal.”

Allen isn’t sure when he’ll arrive to Clemson to begin his college career, but he’s ecstatic to get started.

“After (the visit this week), I would love to be down there right now,” he said. “But we haven’t really figured out when exactly I’ll be down there. But I’m so, so excited to be a Tiger. I just can’t wait to be in that stadium when it’s full and pitching in front of the Tiger fans. I’m super excited.”

–Photo courtesy of Joe Allen on Twitter (@joeallen435)

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Schnabel Named Assistant Head Coach & Recruiting Coordinator

CLEMSON, S.C. – Head Coach Erik Bakich announced on June 27, 2022 that Nick Schnabel joined the staff as assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator. Schnabel, who will work with the infielders, coached alongside Bakich during his tenure at …

“I’m thrilled to have Coach Schnabel join our staff at Clemson as assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator,” said Bakich. “We served together at Michigan for 10 years, and he has been a part of some great teams. His knowledge, work ethic, energy and recruiting prowess is unmatched. I’m excited for Nick, Emily, Cal and Caroline to be a part of the Clemson Family.”

Schnabel, 44, served as recruiting coordinator as well as working with the Wolverine infielders and hitters during his tenure in Ann Arbor. His 2018 recruiting class was ranked No. 10 in the nation by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball, one of the highest rankings in program history and Big Ten Conference history.

Many of those players were instrumental in the 2019 team’s 50-22 record and an NCAA runner-up finish in the championship series of the College World Series, as Michigan came just one win shy of the national title. Schnabel was also a key part of NCAA Tournament appearances in 2017 and 2015, the first Big Ten Conference Tournament championship during his time at Michigan.

The 2022 team won the Big Ten Conference Tournament title and played in the Louisville Regional, advancing to the championship game. The 2021 Michigan team also made an NCAA Tournament appearance.

The 2020 team was poised for a successful season as well before it was cut short. Following that season, four Wolverines were drafted in the five-round draft, including three hitters under Schnabel’s tutelage, Jordan Nwogu (third round), Jesse Franklin (third round) and Jack Blomgren (fifth round).

Schnabel served three seasons (2010-12) at his alma mater, East Carolina, as hitting instructor, infield coach and recruiting coordinator. He also was hitting instructor and recruiting coordinator at Liberty (2008,09) and served as hitting instructor at Army West Point (2006,07).

In 2005, he was an assistant coach at Chipola (Fla.) College after he began his coaching career as the volunteer assistant coach at East Carolina in 2004, when the Pirates totaled 51 wins and advanced to the Columbia (S.C.) Super Regional.

He played alongside Bakich at East Carolina in 1999 and 2000. Schnabel was a First-Team All-CAA selection and CAA Defensive Player-of-the-Year in 1999. During both seasons, the Pirates won league titles and were No. 1 seeds in NCAA Regionals. In his two years in Greenville, he hit .333 with five homers, 29 doubles, 58 RBIs, 106 runs and 19 steals in 120 games.

Schnabel began his collegiate career at Ohlone (Calif.) College, where he was a first-team all-conference player.

After his playing career in college, Schnabel played four seasons (2000-03) and 189 games of minor league baseball in the Expos organization.

Schnabel graduated from East Carolina in 2003 with a degree in communications.

He was born Nicholas Arthur Schnabel on March 16, 1978 in Berkeley, Calif. The Martinez, Calif. native and his wife, Emily, have two children, Cal and Caroline.

What did Bakich say about building a staff at Clemson?

Erik Bakich was introduced as Clemson’s next head baseball coach Thursday. One of Bakich’s first orders of business will be putting together a staff. He touched on the subject during his introductory press conference and while he already has a name …

Erik Bakich was introduced as Clemson’s next head baseball coach Thursday.

One of Bakich’s first orders of business will be putting together a staff. He touched on the subject during his introductory press conference and while he already has a name in mind to join him on the bench, not everyone will be following him from Ann Arbor.

“I’m going to be asking one of our assistants at Michigan, (assistant head coach/infielders) Nick Schnabel, so I’ll be talking with him and we’ll be going through the process of interviewing pitching coaches and evaluating the support staff positions as well. But, I won’t rush that and I will be very thorough in that process to make sure we have the very best coaches and support staff for our Clemson team.”

Schnabel, who also served as Michigan’s recruiting coordinator, was named the 2019 college baseball national assistant coach of the year. He also worked with the Wolverines’ infielders and hitters as well.

Schnabel played with Bakich at East Carolina in the 1999 and 2000 seasons.

He started his college coaching career as a volunteer coach at ECU in 2004. Schnabel would then spend three seasons at the United States Military Academy and two seasons at Liberty before returning to be ECU’s hitting instructor, infield coach and recruiting coordinator for three seasons.

Prior to Bakich accepting the head coaching opening at Clemson, he wasn’t expected to retain pitching coach, Steve Merriman, at Michigan. With that said, Bakich was asked Thursday about what he’s looking for in a new pitching coach.

“Somebody who can bring the simplicity to what seems like a very advanced way of teaching pitching these days,” he said. “It’s one thing to teach throwing, it’s another thing to teach pitching, and you see a lot of that line being blended.

“Throwing is not necessarily pitching and developing your stuff is great and it’s important to develop velocity and movement, but you also have to command the baseball and throw it where you want to. And that location component is not only in games but in bullpens and catch play.

“And then there’s a whole controlling the game component, where it’s important to pitch with quick tempo. It’s important to be quick to the plate. It’s important to field your position. So, all of those things plus being ultra-competitive on the mound. When all else fails, that me versus you mentality and I’m just gonna get the dude out.”

When it comes to putting together a staff, Bakich will certainly have his work cut out for him.