Monday 06/21/1999
March 11, 1999
CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson (7-6) looks to extend its two-game winning streak against George Mason (5-3-1). The two will face off on Friday (3:00), Saturday (2:00), and Sunday (1:00) at Tiger Field. The only other time the two teams have played was in 1995, where the Tigers swept the Patriots in three games by a combined score of 38-5. Righthander Ryan Mottl (1-1, 7.52) will take the mound in game one and righty Mike Paradis (1-0, 3.06) will start on Saturday. The Sunday starter has not been determined. Fans who present their business card on Friday will receive free admission. Senior citizens who present their AARP card for Sunday’s game will also receive free admission.
Clemson Baseball Promotional Dates
Date Day Opponent Time Promotion(s) Mar. 12 Fri. George Mason 3 p.m. *Business Person Special Mar. 14 Sun. George Mason 1 p.m. #Senior Citizens Special Apr. 18 Sun. Duke 2 p.m. #Senior Citizens Special Apr. 21 Wed. South Carolina 7:15 p.m. Secretaries Day Special
Apr. 25 Sun. Georgia Tech 2 p.m. +Purple Day Special/#Senior Citizens Special May 2 Sun. Virginia (DH) 12 noon #Senior Citizens Special May 9 Sun. North Carolina 4 p.m. #Senior Citizens Special
* – present business card to receive free admission + – wear purple shirt or jacket receive $3 off adult admission # – present AARP card and receive free admission – secretaries/administrative assistants receive free admission when accompanied by a supervisor or employer who is paying full admission price
Clemson-Miami (FL) Time Changes Announced The Clemson vs. Miami (FL) gametimes on Saturday, Apr. 3 and Sunday, Apr. 4 have been changed. Both games will start at 3:00 PM. The two teams will matchup at the home of the AAA Charlotte Knights (Knights Castle) in Fort Mill, SC on Apr. 2-4. It will be the first meeting between the two schools since 1996, when Miami (FL) defeated the Tigers twice in the College World Series.
Clemson’s Poll-Streak Ends At 146 Weeks The streak is over. Clemson was ranked in at least one of the major College Baseball polls for 146 straight polls until March 8, 1999. Clemson, who has lost six of its last eight games after starting the season 4-0, was also ranked in the top 10 by one of the polls in 82 of the 146 polls (56.2%). The last time the Tigers were unranked was in the final poll of the 1990 season. Over the 146-game stretch that lasted over eight seasons, the Tigers had a record of 407-138 (.747).
Close, But No Cigar The story of the ’99 season for the Tigers so far has been the same as the Clemson football and basketball teams…close, but not enough. The Tigers have lost their six games by a combined 11 runs and are 1-3 in one-run games. Clemson has also not been able to capitalize on a 26-3 advantage in scoring in first innings of games in 1999.
Paradis Found Junior righthander Mike Paradis (1-0) has been one of the bright spots on the Tiger pitching staff so far this season. Control problems plagued the fireballer in his first two seasons, but he has found his nich in ’99. He is 1-0 and has a 3.06 ERA in three starts. He also has struck out 21 batters compared to just five walks. He did not allow an earned run in 5.0 innings against Kansas State (Feb. 14) and pitched his best game as a Tiger against Liberty (Mar .5). Despite earning a no decision, he struck out a career-high 10 batters while allowing just five hits and one earned run in 7.0 innings pitched.
Boyd Returns After Missing Six Games Sophomore outfielder Patrick Boyd returned to the Tiger lineup against Liberty after missing six games due to arthroscopic surgery (Feb. 15) to repair a torn labrum. Boyd is 5-for-14 (.357) since his return with two homers and seven RBIs in the four games as the designated hitter. The ’98 ACC Rookie-of-the-Year is 10-for-24 (.417) with three homers and 10 RBIs in just seven games this season.
Bultmann Moving Up In Tiger Charts 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 is rising to the top of the Tiger career doubles and home run lists. He has 69 career doubles, good for second place, and 34 career home runs, tied for seventh best. 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 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. Gary Burnham (1994-97) 77 2. Kurt Bultmann (1996-present) 69 3. Bert Heffernan (1985-88) 63 4. Chuck Baldwin (1984-87) 62 5. Shane Monahan (1993-95) 60
Bultmann has been hot of late, as he is 13 for his last 22 (.579) over the last six games. He also has eight RBIs and has hit seven doubles over that stretch. He has two hits or more in each of the last five games as well.
Khalil Greene Shining As Freshman This fall, Jack Leggett said that freshman Khalil Greene (Key West, FL) was the Tigers’ most consistent hitter. He has down nothing to disprove Leggett, as he is hitting .423 with two homers and 15 RBIs as the everyday third baseman. Greene shined in the UNLV/Coors Desert Classic from Feb. 25-28, hitting .458 with two homers (one of which was an inside-the-park homer) and five RBIs in five games.
Greene is vying to become the top freshman hitter in Tiger history in terms of batting average. The record is .391 by Billy McMillon (1991).
Stanley Providing Punch In Lineup Junior outfielder Henr Stanley has been on a tear lately, going 14-for-25 (.560) with 16 runs scored and 11 RBIs in the last seven games. He took over the centerfield position when Patrick Boyd went down with an injury. The Columbia, SC native is 18-for-43 (.419) with two homers, 21 runs scored, 16 RBIs, and 6-6 on stolen bases in the first 13 games this season. He also has walked 17 times, giving him an on base percentage of .597.
He had one of his best games in the UNLV/Coors Desert Classic finale when he was 4-for-4 with a homer, double, three runs scored, four RBIs, and two stolen bases to lead the Tigers to a 13-10 come-from-behind win over Creighton (Feb. 28).
Nine-Run Inning Powers Clemson Over Coastal Carolina Clemson broke the game open in the fifth inning with nine runs en route to a 14-6 win over Coastal Carolina on Mar. 10 at Tiger Field. Patrick Boyd led the Tigers with three hits in three at bats, including a homer, three RBIs, and a stolen base. Junior lefty Brian Adams (1-1) allowed just one run and one walk in 7.0 innings pitched to earn his first victory of ’99. The Tigers took advantage of 10 walks allowed by Chanticleer pitchers. Coastal Carolina (13-5) did out-hit Clemson 16-14 in the game.
Scrappy Liberty Takes Two Of Three Against Clemson Liberty continued the Tigers recent woes as the Flames handed Clemson two defeats in three games on Mar. 5-6. Pitching problems plagued the Tigers, who fell to 6-6 after the three games.
In game one, the Tigers (5-4) squandered a gem from righthander Mike Paradis as Liberty scored eight runs in the eighth inning off three Tiger relievers and held on for a 10-9 victory on Mar. 5. The Flames (3-1) rallied with eight hits (seven singles and one double) after being down 8-2 entering the eighth inning. Paradis struck out a career-high 10 batters in 7.1 innings pitched. Matt Additon (2-1) suffered the loss.
Game two, which was the first game of a doubleheader on Mar. 6, saw Liberty defeat the Tigers and Ryan Mottl (1-1) 11-8. Clemson (5-6) lost its sixth game in seven outings while Liberty improved to 4-1. The Flames blew the game open with six runs in the seventh inning. Jason Harris was 3-for-4 with a double, homer, and four RBIs.
The Tigers broke their second three-game losing of ’99 with an 11-6 victory over Liberty (4-2) in the second game of a doubleheader on Mar. 6. Freshman Thomas Boozer (2-2) allowed just one earned run in 7.1 innings pitched to earn the win. Kurt Bultmann led the Tigers at the plate with three hits (two doubles, triple).
The Citadel Rallies From 15-4 Deficit To Defeat Tigers Utility player Jay Morgan went 3-for-5 with four RBIs and pitched 5.0 scoreless innings of relief to lead The Citadel to a 18-15 come-from-behind win over #19 Clemson on a chilly and windy afternoon at Tiger Field on Mar. 3. Clemson led 15-4 after four innings, but could only manage three hits from there on. Meanwhile, The Citadel (4-5) scored seven runs in the fifth and five runs in the seventh inning to hand Clemson (5-4) its fourth loss in five games. Every Bulldog starter had at least one hit. Kurt Bultmann had two doubles, giving him 65 in his career. That moved him into second place in career doubles in the Tiger recordbooks.
UNLV/Coors Desert Classic Review Clemson lost three of five games in the 19th annual UNLV/Coors Desert Classic. The three losses (Creighton 4-3, UNLV 12-11 in 10 innings, and Nevada 7-5) were by a combined four runs and all came in the span of 24 hours. The Tigers defeated #24 Washington 13-12 and Creighton 13-10. Several players had outstanding tournament stats though. Khalil Greene hit a team-best .458 with two homers and five RBIs, while Henr Stanley hit .444 with a homer and five RBIs. Jason Harris hit .421 with a towering homer and eight RBIs, and Kurt Bultmann had two home runs and 10 RBIs. Ryan Mottl also made his first career relief appearance in the tourney finale against Creighton and picked up his first win of 1999 in 7.1 innings of work.
Tigers Sweep Kansas State To Open ’99 Season Clemson opened its 1999 schedule against Big XII opponent Kansas State with a three-game sweep at a chilly Tiger Field from Feb. 12-14. Clemson stole 10 bases and Kansas State committed 16 errors as the Tigers outscored the Wildcats 31-14 in the three games. Clemson, who won by scores of 10-7, 10-4, and 11-3, only committed two errors, both by pitchers, in the series.
1999 Preseason Honors
Clemson
#21 recruiting class by Collegiate Baseball
#24 Patrick Boyd
#1 college prospect for 2000 Major League Draft by BaseballAmerica First-Team All-American by Baseball America ACCPlayer-of-the-Year by Baseball America Best defensive outfielder inthe ACC by Baseball America First-Team All-ACC by Baseball America
#18 Kurt Bultmann
Best defensive second baseman in the ACC by Baseball AmericaFirst-Team All-ACC by Baseball America
#27 Ryan Mottl
#29 college prospect for ’99 Major League Draft by BaseballAmerica #3 prospect in ACC for ’99 Major League Draft by BaseballAmerica
#30 Mike Paradis
#42 college prospect for ’99 Major League Draft by BaseballAmerica #7 prospect in ACC for ’99 Major League Draft by BaseballAmerica
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.
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