Meet the Tigers… A lock for an NCAA Regional host
Who’s the Pack playing?
Opponent: Clemson
Mascot: Xeroxed Auburn | School Location: Eponymous, SC | Conference: ACC
2025 Record: 36-7 (13-5, 1st) | 2025 RPI Rank: 6
2024 Record: 44-16 (20-10, 1st Atlantic) | 2024 RPI Rank: 8
2023 Record: 44-19 (20-10, 2nd Atlantic) | 2023 RPI Rank: 7
When? Where? How do I watch?
Location: Doak Field at Dail Park (Raleigh, NC)
Game Time(s): Thurs, Apr 24 @ 7:00pm, Fri, Apr 25 @ 6:00pm | Sat, Apr 26 @ 1:00pm
TV: Thursday (ACC Network), Friday (ACCNX), Saturday (ACCNX)
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast (Thursday | Friday | Saturday)
Tell me about this team
Clemson baseball owes a huge debt of gratitude to Western Carolina University. Former Clemson head coach (and current Clemson assistant coach) Jack Leggett coached the Catamounts for nine seasons before taking the Clemson job. Leggett coached former WCU and ECU head coach Keith LeClair at WCU (and gave LeClair his first coaching job at WCU). LeClair recruited and coached current Clemson head coach Erik Bakich at ECU, and current Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin (who was an assistant under Leggett at Clemson before taking the Vandy job) gave Bakich his first coaching job.
That’s not to say that Clemson baseball was some wayward program wandering about rudderless in the sea of college baseball before Leggett arrived on campus – far from it, with six College World Series appearances prior to Leggett – but the peak of Clemson baseball came under Leggett’s watch, and the program is seeing a significant rebound the the top of the sport today under Bakich.
And it’s there, in the elite of college baseball, that we currently find the Tigers program. Bakich went 88-35 over his first two seasons in Clemson, hosting two NCAA Regionals and a Super Regional, finishing top 8 in RPI both seasons. Yet somehow, this 2025 team is topping that.
All but locked in as a Top 8 national seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament, the Tigers have crushed it. Their losses (there are so few that we can do this) are to:
- RPI #15 Ole Miss
- #41 Notre Dame
- #24 Wake Forest
- #13 Coastal Carolina
- #29 Georgia Tech
- #47 Stanford
- #21 Louisville
Yeah, you’ll notice that no team is featured twice on that list. The finishing stretch won’t be easy for Clemson, starting this weekend in Raleigh and then with series at Florida State (RPI #8) and home versus Duke (#38), with another game vs Coastal Carolina sandwiched in there.
The Tigers lineup has been great with an overall line of .277/.418/.445, 68 2B, 49 HR, 15.5 BB%, 20.8 K%, 55-64 SB. They have an identify and play within themselves. That lineup runs about 11 deep in terms of regulars, and all of those have OBPs at or north of .358, including five players with OBPs north of .400. They can and will play small ball where called for, but Clemson also has a group plenty capable of simply out-hitting you without the need to play base-to-base. And with a team that is so incredibly disciplined at the plate (that 15.5 BB% is the 3rd best mark in the country), there’s no need to give away outs.
There are plenty of guys in the lineup with the ability to put the ball over the fence, but the Tigers general approach is away from fly balls – Clemson has the 14th lowest fly ball rate (33.4%) in the country and the lowest pop-up rate (3.2%) of any team – and gravitate towards a more level swing approach to produce line drives and ground balls. The results (7.4 runs/game, a freaking 36-7 record) say enough about how that’s working out for them.
The pitching staff as a whole has been great, sporting a 4.32 ERA with a 9.7 BB% and 25.4 K%. The bullpen with a nation-leading 19 saves has been the big deal here. Don’t get me wrong, the starting rotation has been solid – especially Aidan Knaak – but there’s been some iffyness there with Ethan Darden having some struggles and being shut down last weekend. Drew Titsworth (rocking the #00 jersey, because of course) stepped into the rotation last weekend and could potentially be the answer that group is looking for.
Overall, this is an incredibly deep and varied bullpen, which is the strength of the team. That’s also one of the reasons that most project this group to make it to Omaha for the first time since 2010. The coaching staff has the ability to pull a pitcher for ineffectiveness without having to worry about the quality of the next arm heading to the mound. In a tournament format, that is a luxury that few teams possess. With the ability of the lineup to work opposing pitchers, too, it’s a recipe that should take this group far.
Pitching Matchups
Thursday: LHP Dominic Fritton (JR) — RHP Aidan Knaak (SO)
Friday: RHP Heath Andrews (SO) — RHP Drew Titsworth (SO)
Saturday: LHP Ryan Marohn (SO) — TBD
Key Players:
Offense
CF Cam Cannarella (JR) – .304/.461/.439, 12 2B, 2 HR, 20.2 BB%, 16.6 K%, 4-7 SB. A 2023 Freshman All-American who is projected as a 1st round pick in this year’s MLB Draft with a floor of a 2nd rounder. He’s a do-it-all player with an all-fields approach from the left side of the plate. Don’t let the SB numbers fool you: he’s fast, and had 24 SB as a freshman.
2B Jarren Purify (SO) – .309/.451/.475, 8 2B, 3 HR, 14.9 BB%, 21.8 K%, 21-25 SB. Former highly-ranked recruit from Detroit is making a bit jump in his second year. Has excellent speed and instincts with a solid glove.
LF Dominic Listi (rSR) – .292/.518/.423, 9 2B, 2 HR, 23.1 BB%, 12.1 K%, 5-5 SB. Grad transfer from Indiana State after spending his first four collegiate seasons at DIII North Central College (I have no idea how this guy still has eligibility). Tough, disciplined left-handed approach and willing to wear pitches (85 career HBP, including 25 last year and 18 this year).
DH/1B Collin Priest (SO) – .268/.442/.545, 10 2B, 8 HR, 18.8 BB%, 20.6 K%, 0-0 SB. Big 6’3, 245 lbs transfer from Michigan where he hit .279/.445/.578, 11 2B, 11 HR, 17.8 BB%, 27.2 K%, 1-1 SB last year earning Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors. One of five lefty bats among the Clemson regulars.
Pitching
RHP Aidan Knaak (SO) – 6-0, 3.86 ERA, 56.0 IP, 7.0 BB%, 32.3 K%. Rapidly moving up 2026 Draft boards. 2024 Freshman All-American, national Freshman Pitcher-of-the-Year, and 1st Team All-ACC selection. Has gone 6.0+ innings in five of his last six outings. His changeup is his best pitch, which allows his low-to-mid-90’s fastball to play up even more.
RHP Drew Titsworth (SO) – 4-0, 2 SV, 2.86 ERA, 28.1 IP, 6.1 BB%, 27.8 K%. 6’3, 215 pounder with a bit of a funky delivery. Mostly a fastball-slider guy (low 90’s heat), but moved to the rotation last weekend with great results in a win over Louisville (6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 3 K).
RHP Lucas Mahlstedt (SR) – 2-0, 15 SV, 1.08 ERA, 33.1 IP, 3.7 BB%, 35.8 K%. Sidearm guy who started his career as a submariner. Pitched his first two years at Wofford where he was essentially a starter although used in a follower role. Can hit the 90’s from the sidearm slot, but his pitches take different shape depending on the arm slot used. Leads the country in saves.
RHP Reed Garris (SR) – 3-0, 2 SV, 0.76 ERA, 23.2 IP, 5.9 BB%, 30.6 K%. Stocky player who started his Clemson career as a backup catcher before moving to pitcher his second year. Throws in the low-to-mid-90s with his fastball while also having a cutter and slider to mix in. Basically, all hard stuff.
LHP B.J. Bailey (rSR) – 2-1, 3.07 ERA, 44.0 IP, 9.4 BB%, 22.7 K%. Former JUCO transfer who pitched a bit in 2023 but missed all of last year with a leg injury. A rather lanky 6’3, 180 lbs build, his breaking ball is his best pitch.
LHP Ethan Darden (JR) – 4-2, 6.08 ERA, 40.0 IP, 8.6 BB%, 18.3 K%. Started nine games before being sat last week against Louisville due to some arm fatigue. It sounds like it wasn’t anything major and he’s likely to be the Sunday starter in this one as the Tigers work him back up for the postseason. Has 32 career starts. Not an overpowering guy, he uses his changeup well to induce weak contact.
Quick! Fun Facts!
Four members of Clemson’s six-man coaching staff were born in the state of California. The other two are from New York and Wisconsin.
Over the last three MLB Drafts, Clemson has had seven total players drafted in the first five rounds.
Three former Tigers have appeared at the MLB level this year: RHP Carson Spiers (Reds), RHP Spencer Strider (Braves), and OF Eli White (Braves). No, White and Strider did not play at Clemson at the same time.
NC State has won two of the last three series against Clemson, but the Tigers swept the Wolfpack in the last matchup in Raleigh.
The Key To A Series Win For State
Against a team with such a deep bullpen, State is going to need to jump on Clemson’s starters early for some runs. The pitching staff will also need to pound the zone, especially against what is the most patient lineup the Pack has faced all year.
Prediction
Clemson is easily State’s toughest opponent to date, and it’s hard to see the Pack coming through with a series win in this one.
Outcome: Clemson takes two of three.