Lefthander whose 2016 and 2017 seasons were cut short due to injury … became a weekend starter in 2018 … in 113.2 innings pitched over 24 appearances (23 starts) and two active seasons, he had a 9-1 record and a 3.80 ERA while allowing 109 hits (.255 opponents’ batting average) and 53 walks with 91 strikeouts … drafted two times in his career.
2018: Drafted in the 11th round (No. 322 overall pick) by the Atlanta Braves and signed in June … had a 6-1 record and 3.47 ERA in 16 starts … in 80.1 innings pitched, he allowed 70 hits (.236 opponents’ batting average) and 32 walks with 63 strikeouts … tied for second in the ACC in starts and tied for seventh in wins … tied for the team lead in starts on the mound … pitched 5.1 innings in a starting role, allowing two hits, one run and no walks with three strikeouts to earn the win against William & Mary on Feb. 18 … pitched 7.0 innings in a starting role, allowing five hits, no earned runs and no walks with seven strikeouts to earn the win in the second game of a doubleheader against No. 10 Dallas Baptist on Feb. 24 … pitched 5.0 innings in a starting role, allowing four hits and no walks with four strikeouts to earn the win in the second game of a doubleheader against Georgia Tech on March 10 … pitched 5.0 innings in a starting role, allowing five hits with three strikeouts to earn the win in the second game of a doubleheader at Notre Dame on April 8 … pitched 7.1 innings in a starting role, allowing four hits and two runs with seven strikeouts to earn the win in the second game of a doubleheader against Miami (Fla.) on April 14 … pitched 5.0 innings in a starting role, allowing four hits, no runs and one walk with three strikeouts to earn the win at Wake Forest on April 22 … pitched 4.2 innings in a starting role, allowing four hits and no earned runs with six strikeouts against No. 13 Florida State on May 7 … pitched 4.1 innings in a starting role, allowing four hits and no runs with five strikeouts at Pittsburgh on May 19.
2017: Redshirted while recovering from injury.
2016: Had a 3-0 record and 4.59 ERA in eight appearances (seven starts) … in 33.1 innings pitched, he allowed 39 hits (.300 opponents’ batting average) and 21 walks with 28 strikeouts … was 3-0 with a 3.26 ERA in his seven starts … Clemson had a 7-0 record in his seven starts … held opponents to a .186 batting average with runners in scoring position … allowed only seven hits (.226 opponents’ batting average) and no earned runs with 13 strikeouts in 8.0 innings pitched over two starts away from home … pitched 5.0 innings in a starting role, allowing two runs and two walks with three strikeouts to earn the win against Maine on Feb. 21; was his first career appearance … pitched 5.0 innings in a starting role, allowing two hits and no runs with eight strikeouts to earn the win at The Citadel on March 15 … pitched 5.2 innings in a starting role, allowing one run with four strikeouts to earn the win against Presbyterian College on March 22 … pitched 3.0 innings in a starting role, allowing no earned runs with five strikeouts at Furman on March 29 … suffered an arm injury in April and missed the rest of the season … No. 58 freshman in the nation in the preseason by Perfect Game … No. 10 freshman in the ACC in the preseason by Perfect Game … No. 65 freshman in the nation in the preseason by D1Baseball … No. 77 college prospect for the 2017 draft in the preseason by D1Baseball … No. 10 ACC prospect for the 2017 draft in the preseason by Baseball America … No. 16 ACC prospect for the 2017 draft in the preseason by D1Baseball.
Before Clemson: Drafted in the 27th round (No. 809 overall pick) by the New York Mets … member of the East Cobb Yankees … first-team All-American by Louisville Slugger and USA Today as a senior … Gwinnett Daily Post Pitcher-of-the-Year … region pitcher-of-the-year as a senior … his team won one state championship and two region titles … lettered three times in baseball at Buford High School, where he was coached by Tony Wolfe.
Personal: His father, Mike, played football at Duke … his mother, Meloney, played volleyball at Duke … his sister, Megan, was a swimmer at TCU … his cousin, Austin Higginbotham, was a junior lefthander on the 2018 Wofford baseball team … majoring in bioengineering … born Jacob Michael Higginbotham on Jan. 11, 1996 in Buford, Ga.
