Monday 06/21/1999
May 8, 1999
CLEMSON, SC —The 34-12 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers visit the Upstate to tangle with the Tigers (31-18). The two teams were rained out earlier this season. Clemson defeated Coastal Carolina in the one game that was played by a 14-6 score. The Tigers lead the all-time series 25-2 (.926) in the series dating back to 1986.
In the game on Mar. 10, Clemson scored nine runs in the fifth inning to blow open the game. The Chanticleers out-hit the Tigers 16-14, but walked 10 batters, hit one more, and threw five wild pitches. Patrick Boyd led the Tigers with a 3-for-3 day along with three RBIs and a home run. Brian Adams pitched 7.0 innings, allowing just one run on nine hits to earn his first victory of the season.
For the season, Coastal Carolina is led at the plate by Kevin Schnall (.396 avg., six homers, 42 RBIs) and Brooks Marzka (.374 avg., six homers, 36 RBIs). Ricardo Ayala has also stolen 27 bases in 29 attempts. The Chanticleers are hitting .332 as a team while having a 3.81 team ERA. That figure is one of the 15 best in the nation. Closer Kit Kadlec has 10 saves and a 2.48 ERA in 28 relief appearances (36.1innings pitched) along with 41 strikeouts against just nine walks. Ron Deubel, who pitched 2.0 innings of relief in the first meeting, allowing nine runs, has a 10-1 record and 4.10 ERA. Going on the road has not been anything new for Coastal Carolina either, as it has played 10 of its last 15 games on the road. The Chanticleers, who are 8-5 on the road this season, have also won 19 of their last 24 games overall. Sophomore righthander Scott Sturkie (9-3, team-best 2.45 ERA) will start for Coastal Carolina, while lefthander Mike Proto (0-0, 6.11 ERA) will start for Clemson, who has won has won 12 of its last 14 games after being 19-16 after the Florida State series.
Please note that Coastal Carolina was scheduled to play a game on Saturday afternoon, therefore the above stats for the Chanticleers are before today’s games.
Third Place On The Line When Tar Heels Come To Town
Just one win separates #24 Clemson (31-18, 10-7 ACC) and North Carolina (37-10, 11-7 ACC) in the ACC standings, as the 10th-ranked Tar Heels visit Tiger Field on Sunday (4:00), Monday (7:15), and Tuesday (7:15). The Sunday game will be broadcast on Fox SportSouth (Bob Rathbun & Larry Conley), the first (“live”) televised Clemson game of ’99. The games will be the last at Tiger Field for Clemson in ’99 and the last three of Clemson’s 16-game homestand (currently 10-2). The Tigers lead the all-time series 78-60-1 (.565) dating back to 1901. Clemson also leads the series 28-5 (.848) at Tiger Field. Last season, the Tigers took two of three games from the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, helping the Tigers to host their fourth regional in five years. North Carolina then handed Clemson a 4-1 loss in the first round of the ACC Tournament. In 1997 at Tiger Field, Clemson swept the Tar Heels, including the last two games by one run apiece. Clemson has won at least two of the three regular-season games in every season since being swept at Chapel Hill in 1990.
Clemson will start righthander Mike Paradis (6-0, 2.84 ERA) in game one righthander Ryan Mottl (2-5, 6.18 ERA) in game two, while the game three starter has yet to be determined. The Tar Heels will start lefthander Ryan Snare (5-2, 2.56 ERA) in game one, righthander Kyle Snyder (7-2, 3.88 ERA) in game two, and lefthander Mike Bynum (6-1, 3.86 ERA) in the third game. Snyder, who stands 6′-8″, is considered by many to be a top-five pick in the upcoming Major League Draft.
Scouting The Heels
North Carolina features an all-around attack that has helped it go 37-10. The Tar Heels, who will have had 11 days when they play the Tigers on Sunday, is first in the ACC in hitting (.328 BA) and second to Florida State in pitching (3.58 ERA). Ryan Earey leads the team with a .383 batting average and has 11 homers and 54 RBIs. Tyrell Godwin is also hitting .367 with five triples, four homers, and 50 RBIs. Godwin and Jarrett Shearin have also provided speed on the basepaths, stealing 23 and 25 bases, respectively. Catcher Dan Moylan has a .360 batting average and a .511 on base percentage thanks to 55 walks. He also has 16 stolen bases. As a team, North Carolina has stolen 114 bases, and that is without the nation’s top base stealer this season in Brian Roberts, who is now at South Carolina.
On the other hand, Tar Heel catchers and pitchers have allowed just 21 of 50 stolen attempts to be successful. In the bullpen, Derrick DePriest, who also ranges around 6′-8″, has a 2.04 ERA, five saves, and a 6-4 record along with five saves in 28 appearances (57.1 innings pitched). He has also struck out 59 against just 16 walks. The starting trio of Ryan Snare, Kyle Snyder, and Mike Bynum have combined for a 18-5 record, a 3.45 ERA, and have picked off 16 baserunners. The two lefthanders, Snare and Bynum, have allowed just five stolen bases in 21 attempts. Tar Heel pitchers are allowing opponents to hit just .244 and have a team strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.2.
The Tar Heels, who are under the leadership of first-year coach Mike Fox, are 25-1 at home, 6-9 on opponents’ home fields, and 6-0 in neutral site games this season. They started the season winning their first 16 games and have been hot of late as well, winning 11 of their last 13 games, including winning eight straight against ACC foes. North Carolina has also won each of its last four one-run games and is 7-3 in one-run affairs in ’99.
1999 Clemson Baseball FINAL Promotional Date
Date Day Opponent Time Promotion(s) May 9 Sun. North Carolina 4 p.m. #Senior Citizens Special/ *Mother's Day Special # - present AARP card and receive free admission * - all Mothers receive free admission
Bultmann Reaches Mark In Tigers’ 14-2 Win Over Winthrop
Clemson pounded out 15 hits and Kurt Bultmann hit two homers as the Tigers (31-18) defeated Winthrop 14-2 at Tiger Field on May 7. Bultmann reached the 200 RBI mark with four runs batted in on the night. He became just the third Tiger and 10th ACC player to drive in 200 runs and score 200 runs in a career. Bultmann, along with his two homers, added his 81st career double coming to within one of tying the ACC record of 82. Clemson scored 10 runs in the first four innings off Eagle ace David Steffler (8-2). Freshman Steve Reba (4-3) picked up the win by pitching a career-high 6.0 innings without allowing a run. Winthrop (32-16), who stranded 15 baserunners, was led at the plate by Brett Busha, who went 3-for-5.
Tigers Rally To Down Western Carolina In Makeup Game
Patrick Boyd scored on a wild pitch in the 10th inning to give Clemson an 11-10 come-from-behind win over Western Carolina on May 4 at Tiger Field. Clemson scored four runs in the ninth inning to send the game into extra innings. Mike Calitri’s sacrifice fly tied the game in the ninth inning. The Catamounts (30-17-1) had led the entire game. Jason Harris, Brian Ellis, and Patrick Boyd all hit solo homers, with Boyd leading off the ninth with a long ball for Clemson, who was hitless in the first three innings. Bradley LeCroy led the Tigers (30-18) with two doubles and a triple. Western Carolina’s top three starters in the lineup card went 9-for-11 with seven runs and five RBIs, including leadoff batter Eric Johnson scoring five runs. Chris Heck (3-0) earned the win by pitching 3.0 innings and allowing one earned run on five hits. The win marked the 25th straight year the Tigers have won at least 30 games in a season.
Tigers Land Back In Poll
After being absent from the College Baseball polls for the past seven weeks, Clemson landed back in the top 25 of the Collegiate Baseball poll at #23 on April 26 thanks to four wins over ranked teams (three against #19 Georgia Tech (April 23-25) and one over #20 South Carolina (April 21)), and thanks to having won eight of its last nine games up to that point. Clemson is currently ranked 23rd in this week’s Collegiate Baseball.
Clemson Faring Well Against Top-Notch Competition
Clemson is 7-4 against teams ranked by Collegiate Baseball and 6-4 against teams ranked by USA Today Baseball Weekly. The four losses came at the hands of #1 Florida State and #6 Miami (FL), and were all away from home. In six seasons under Jack Leggett, Clemson has won 68 games over ranked foes.
Moving Up The ACC Standings
In winning seven of its last nine ACC games, Clemson, who is 10-7 in league play, has moved into fourth place in the conference standings and is even with second place Wake Forest and third place North Carolina in the loss column. After losing two of three games at Florida State, the Tigers were 3-5 but has since moved into the upper-half of the conference race. Florida State is in first place (16-2), followed by Wake Forest (13-7), and North Carolina (11-7). The Tar Heels will visit Clemson for a crucial three-game series from May 9-11 after taking a week off for exams.
Home Sweet Home
It’s pretty obvious where the Tigers feel most comfortable playing, that is in the friendly confines of Tiger Field. Clemson, who is 23-5 overall and 4-0 against top-25 teams at home, is hitting .338 and has scored 332 runs in 28 games (11.9 per game). Clemson went the first 17 games with scoring at least eight runs in each game (in 15 of the 17, Clemson scored at least 10 runs). The team also has an astounding .463 on base percentage thanks to 227 walks (8.1 per game). Clemson’s top 10 hitters at Tiger Field all have on base percentages better than .425, led by Kurt Bultmann (.533) and Patrick Boyd (.524). Tiger pitchers have a 4.71 ERA and allowed just nine homers at Tiger Field as well. Mike Paradis leads the way with a 4-0 record and 1.40 ERA along with 44 strikeouts and 12 walks in 38.2 innings pitched (six starts) at home. He has allowed just a .206 opponents batting average as well.
The Tigers won their first three home games of ’99, then lost their next three (one to The Citadel and two to Liberty). Since then, Clemson is 20-2 at Tiger Field, with the losses coming to Duke 5-3 (10 innings) on April 17 and Virginia in the first game of a doubleheader on May 1. Below is a list comparing Clemson at home and away from home.
AWAY HOMEGames 21 28 Record 8-13 23-5 Batting Average .270 .338 Runs per Game 6.3 11.9 Slugging % .395 .531 Home runs 16 35 On Base % .375 .463 ERA 6.76 4.71 K/BB Ratio 1.5 2.1 Opponent BA .313 .285 Homers Allowed 25 9
Clemson 37-13 Against SEC Teams Under Leggett
In six seasons under Head Coach Jack Leggett, Clemson has had tremendous success against the Southeastern Conference. Leggett’s record against the SEC as the Tigers’ skipper is 37-13 (.740), including 15 wins against top-25 teams. Leggett also has at least a .500 record against all six SEC schools he has faced while at Clemson. Since getting blown out 38-16 at South Carolina in 1997, the Tigers have won eight straight games against SEC foes. Below is a list of Leggett’s record at Clemson against each of the six SEC member schools he has faced:
SEC Leggett’s Record Winning
Opponent at Clemson Percentage Alabama 2-0 1.000 Auburn 1-1 .500 Georgia 9-3 .750 Kentucky 3-0 1.000 South Carolina 13-6 .684 Tennessee 9-3 .750 Totals 37-13 .740
Bultmann Sets Tiger Doubles Record, Nearing ACC Best
Senior second baseman Kurt Bultmann gets the most out of his 5′-8″ frame. He showed he belonged when he hit .471 in the College World Series as a freshman after hitting just .243 in the first 41 games of his career. Then he hit a school record 31 doubles and 48 extra base hits as a sophomore. Now he has risen to the top of the Tiger career doubles list and is climbing the home run list as well. The Seminole, FL native hit his 78th career double against South Carolina on April 21 to set the record, surpassing Gary Burnham (1994-97). It was a memorable night for Bultmann, who also hit a home run, had a ninth-inning single with two outs, and scored the winning run in Clemson’s thrilling 5-4 win over the rival Gamecocks. He also has hit 40 career home runs, fifth best. His 81 doubles is also approching the ACC record of 82 held by Yellow Jacket Jason Varitek (1991-94). Bultmann, who has 201 career RBIs and has scored 220 runs, became just the third player in Clemson history and 10th in ACC history to score 200 runs and drive in 200 runs. He reached that milestone when he drove in four runs against Winthrop on May 7, 1999. He also hit two homers, a double, totaled four hits, and scored three runs against the Eagles. He also needs just 11 hits to become just the sixth player in ACC history and first in Clemson history to join the 300-hit, 200-run, and 200-RBI club. He is already just the fifth Tiger to score 200 career runs. The pressure he has endured has not effected Bultmann of late, as he is 28-for-64 (.438) in the last 16 games. Bultmann is also coming through with the bases loaded (5-for-7).
He had one of his best games against #24 Washington on Feb. 25 when he was 3-for-5 with two homers (grand slam and three-run) and eight RBIs. He also has shown why Baseball America listed him as the best defensive second baseman in the ACC. Bultmann went 29 consecutive games (dating back to last season) without committing an error (127 chances) before his streak ended on Feb. 26 at UNLV. He also had a streak of not committing an error in 15 games in March to early April of ’99 and a 14-game errorless streak from April 7 to the first game of a doubleheader on May 1. Bultmann has seen his fielding percentage rise to .969 (only seven errors) in ’99 after fielding at a .979 clip in ’98. He is a career .393 hitter (22-for-56) in NCAA Tournament play as well. All this for a player who was all but resigned to attending junior college out of high school. Below is a list where Bultmann ranks in the all-time Tiger doubles list:
Clemson Career DOUBLE Leaders
Rk. Name (Years) Doubles 1. Kurt Bultmann (1996-present) 81 2. Gary Burnham (1994-97) 77 3. Bert Heffernan (1985-88) 63 4. Chuck Baldwin (1984-87) 62 5. Shane Monahan (1993-95) 60
Bultmann has returned to his form of ’97 as he is hitting .369 with a .468 on base percentage, 22 doubles, two triples, nine homers, 60 runs scored, 59 RBIs, and four stolen bases in 48 games this season.
Additon Mowin-em Down
Junior reliever and righthander Matt Additon (Turner, ME) has been the “go-to guy” in the bullpen in ’99. He doesn’t bring a blazing fastball to the mound, but rather throws an array of offspeed pitches from different arm angles to not only get batters out, but strike them out. In 48.2 innings pitched this season, he as struck out 59 batters compared to 18 walks. His 10.91 strikeouts per nine innings pitched figure this season is ninth best in Tiger history. He has also been tremendous against ACC competition, as he has struck out 27 while walking just four batters in 25.0 innings. He has stepped up against top-notch competition, registering a win against #6 Miami (FL) by pitching 2.2 hittless and scoreless innings while striking out four on April 3. He also struck out four batters and allowed just one run on three hits in 3.0 innings to pick up the save against #1 Florida State on April 10. Additon, despite being the tough-luck loser, pitched a career-high 6.1 innings against Duke on April 17, striking out nine without allowing a free pass. Against #20 South Carolina on April 21, he accomplished the rare feat of striking out four batters in one inning. Additon made his first career start against #19 Georgia Tech on April 25 and picked up the win in Clemson’s 6-5 victory. In his second career start against Virginia on May 2, he pitched a career-high 8.0 innings, allowing three earned runs and one walk while striking out seven to pick up another win. Additon is sixth in Tiger history with 62 career relief appearances.
Heck Of A Recovery
Senior lefthander Chris Heck (Philadelphia, PA) transferred to Clemson before this season and was primed to be the Tiger closer. But a torn labrum that required surgery kept Heck on the sidelines for the first half of ’99. Now Heck is back at full strength. He has been one of Leggett’s “go-to” pitchers in recent weeks and was named ACC Pitcher-of-the-Week for his efforts against #20 South Carolina and #19 Georgia Tech. He earned his first win as a Tiger against the Gamecocks on April 21 by pitching the last 2.1 innings, allowing no hits, no runs, and one walk while striking out four. Then he picked up his first save as a Tiger against the Yellow Jackets on April 25 by pitching 2.2 innings, allowing one earned run and no walks. He picked up his second win in the second game of a doubleheader against Virginia on May 1 by pitching 3.0 innings, allowing one hits, one walk, and no runs while striking out three batters. He then picked up his fourth consecutive “positive” stat (win/save) in as many appearances by picking up the win against Western Carolina on May 4, where he allowed one run in the last 3.0 innings. Heck, who has played under Tiger Pitching Coach Kevin O’Sullivan in the Cape Cod League, has a 1.93 ERA in 14.0 innings pitched (eight relief appearances) in ’99.
Boyd Goin’ Deep
Palm Harbor, FL native Patrick Boyd had one of the best games by a Tiger in recent years when he was 2-for-2 with two homers, three walks, four RBIs, and five runs scored in Clemson’s 18-1 win over East Tennessee State on April 1 at Tiger Field. Three days later, he one upped himself against #6 Miami (FL) when he had three hits, including a towering homer, and a career-high six RBIs. That week (five games), he hit four homers and drove in 12 runs. Boyd then had four hits, including two homers, and four RBIs in the Tigers’ 13-8 win over #19 Georgia Tech on April 24. He also drove in the winning run in the 11th inning to top Virginia in the second game of a doubleheader on May 1. Boyd, who has started at designated hitter in 27 of 41 starts, started in centerfield against Duke (April 18) in his first action in the field in weeks. He had been struggling to get over stiffness from the surgery on his right labrum (shoulder area) that caused him to miss six games earlier in the season. He has been starting in centerfield since. The sugery has not taken anything away from the 1998 ACC Rookie-of-the-Year’s bat, as he is hitting .358 with 13 homers, 11 doubles, 58 runs scored, 46 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases in ’99. Boyd’s ability in centerfield had been sorely missed. The 1998 ACC Rookie-of-the-Year was tabbed the best defensive outfielder in the ACC by Baseball America in its preseason issue. He is also listed as the #1 college prospect for the 2000 Major League Draft by the same publication.
“Patty” was one of 33 players invited to participate in the 1999 USA Baseball National Team Training Camp tentatively scheduled to begin June 8. He played for the team after his freshman season a year ago and hit .264 in 39 games. The USA Baseball Training Camp is located at Hi Corbett Field, home of USA Baseball and spring training home of the Colorado Rockies. The National Team, coached by Texas A&M Head Coach Mark Johnson, will play the Japan Collegiate All-Star Team in Japan from June 22-July 1, compete in a U.S. West-sponsored Western United States Tour, and is also entered in the NBC World Series in Wichita, KS from August 6-17.
Paradis Found
Junior righthander Mike Paradis has been one of the bright spots on the Tiger pitching staff this season. Control problems plagued the fireballer in his first two seasons, but he has had command of all his pitches in ’99. The Auburn, MA native is 6-0 with a team-best 2.84 ERA and opponent batting average of .231, including .221 against left-handed batters and .182 with two outs, in 11 starts. The key to his success has been his ability to key the ball down in the strike zone as he has thrown 93 ground-ball outs compared to just 33 fly-ball outs. Against Virginia in the second game of a doubleheader on May 1, all 14 of the outs recorded by Virginia hitting the ball were ground balls. In all 11 of his starts he has gone at least 5.0 innings as well. Paradis picked up the win over #1 Florida State on April 10, ending the Seminoles’ 21-game winning streak. He also picked up the win against Duke on April 16 by pitching 6.0 innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out eight. After allowing three first inning runs on four hits to #19 Georgia Tech on April 23, he did not allow a hit or run in the next 5.0 innings on his way to picking up the victory. Baseball America rated Paradis as the #7 prospect in the ACC and #42 college prospect for the 1999 Major League Draft. Paradis was a seventh-round draft pick by the Oakland Athletics out of high school.
Clemson’s 246 Wins Since ’94 Fifth In The Nation
The barometer of a great season in college baseball is getting to Omaha and winning 50 games. Since Jack Leggett took over as Clemson’s head coach in 1994, the Tigers have won 246 games (excluding ’99) for an average of over 49 per season. Leggett has led Clemson to three 50-win seasons and two appearances in the College World Series in five seasons. Included in that total is 61 wins over top 25 team and a 33-13 record against the SEC.
Renovations To Tiger Field Planned
Early in the next century, Tiger Field will undergo a face-lift at the entrance of the stadium. A brick facade with a wrought iron fence will be constructed behind the north entrance to create a fan-friendly pavilion and a more asthetically-pleasing look. There are also plans to refurbish the press box and to build a visitors’ lockerroom. The plans are still in the conceptual design phase and have not been finalized.
Clemson also has plans to renovate Littlejohn Coliseum (basketball) and Memorial Stadium (football), and plans to build a new indoor track and field facility along with a practice golf range. The improvements to Littlejohn include a new sound system, restrooms, concessions area, and reformatted seating along with a new practice facility located where the driveway to the tunnel currently lays. Memorial Stadium will add a year-round restaurant along with cosmetic improvements to include new lockerrooms, concession areas, and restrooms. The new indoor track will also house an indoor practice field for football, soccer, and baseball. Tiger Pride is the capital campaign established to raise money for the cost of all renovations, which is an estimated $30-million, and is expected to take five years to complete.
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