Friday 06/16/2000
June 16, 2000
Tiger Season Ends With Heartbreaking 5-4 Loss to Cajuns Louisiana-Lafayette scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat Clemson 5-4 on June 14 in the College World Series. The loss eliminated the Tigers and ended their season at 51-18. Trailing 3-0 entering the seventh, Clemson plated four runs to take the lead. Brian Ellis reached on an error by first baseman Scott Atwood, while Mike Calitri and Justin Singleton scored on the play. Three batters later, Khalil Greene hit a two-out, two-run double to give Clemson a 4-3 lead. Clemson held the lead entering the ninth inning. Jarvis Larry led off with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by pinch-hitter Neil Simoneaux. After Ryan Mottl relieved Steve Reba, Rick Haydel singled to left, as Larry advanced to third. Steven Feehan then laid down a squeeze bunt with one out. Mottl threw to first as second baseman Ryan Riley was rushing over towards first. Riley was a step too late, and the ball trickled off his glove into shallow right-field and foul territory. Larry scored from third and Haydel came all the way around from first to score just ahead of Justin Singleton’s throw. Jarrod Schmidt pitched 7.0 effective innings, allowing just six runs, one walk, and two earned runs. Mottl suffered the loss. Greene had two doubles and two RBIs, while Patrick Boyd also had two hits, including a double. Clemson left 11 runners on base and was 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Stanford Sends Tigers to Losers’ Brackett With 10-4 Win Stanford hit 12 singles and Justin Wayne pitched 7.2 innings to earn his 15th win as the Cardinal downed Clemson 10-4 Sunday in the College World Series. The top-ranked Cardinal scattered 12 Tiger hits, as Clemson was just 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position, including 0-for-8 in the first three innings. Kevin Lynn started and pitched 3.1 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. Lynn suffered the loss. The Tigers used seven pitchers on the day. Casey Stone and Henr’ Stanley led the Tigers with three hits apiece. Joe Borchard paced the Cardinal with three hits, three runs, and two RBIs. Clemson left 11 runners on base.
Clemson Tops Spartans 10-6 in College World Series Opener Clemson scored eight runs in the second inning, its highest ever output in a single inning by a Tiger team in the College World Series, as the #3 Tigers downed #7 San Jose State 10-6 on June 9. The previous record by a Tiger club was five runs, which occurred on three different occasions. The eight-run outburst started with four Tigers reaching via singles and was highlighted by Patrick Boyd’s three-run homer to left field. Clemson, who added two more runs in the third inning, had all 10 of its runs and nine of its 10 hits in the first three innings. Ryan Mottl earned the win despite allowing nine hits and five earned runs in 5.0 innings. The win was the senior’s 10th of 2000, becoming the first Tiger to rach double digits since Mottl won 10 games as a freshman in 1997. Steve Reba pitched 4.0 scoreless innings in relief to earn the save. He allowed just two hits and one walk, and worked out of a second-and-third jam with no outs in the seventh inning without allowing a run. It was Clemson’s first opening game win in the College World Series in its last six appearances in Omaha.
Clemson Made Ninth Trip to College World Series Clemson made its ninth trip to the College World Series in its history in 2000, and its first since 1996. Clemson also made it to Omaha in 1995 and 1991. In 1996, Clemson went 2-2, including dramatic wins over Oklahoma State and Alabama. The 1996 team featured the likes of National Player-of-the-Year Kris Benson and All-American Billy Koch.
The 2000 year’s team was quite a contrast from the 1996 team. There were no players whose numbers jump out. There were even no 2000 first-team all-conference players on the squad. But there was a tenacious desire of 25 players and four coaches, in particular Jack Leggett, to make it back to Omaha.
Clemson is 7-18 all-time in Omaha. The Tigers made it to Omaha in Bill Wilhelm’s first two seasons at Clemson, 1958 and 1959. He also guided Clemson to Omaha in 1976, 1977, 1980, and 1991. Wilhelm was 4-12 in the College World Series. Jack Leggett has taken Clemson to three previous College World Series, 1995, 1996, 2000. He owns a 3-6 record in Omaha. Leggett was a member of Maine’s baseball team that played in the College World Series in 1976.
Clemson’s NCAA Tournament History The Tigers have participated in 26 NCAA Tournaments overall and 14 in a row. Only Miami (FL), Florida State. Clemson has also won at least one game in all 14 of the regionals. Clemson’s 26 appearances also ranks seventh in the nation, while the 14-year run ranks tied for sixth all-time in NCAA history. Clemson has a 70-55 (.560) all-time record in the tournament, including a 41-29 (.586) record during the 14-year run. Jack Leggett has a 25-15 (.625) record in NCAA Tourney play as the Tiger Head Coach as well. Leggett was 4-10 in the tourney at Western Carolina in five years (1985-89), therefore is 29-25 (.537) in 11 career NCAA Tourneys.
Tiger Streaks Rank Third Best in the Country Clemson has won at least 40 games for 15 straight seasons. The Tigers reached that mark against #4 Florida State on May 8, 2000, a 7-4 Tiger win. Clemson also participated in its 14th straight NCAA Tournament. Both marks rank in the top-three in the country currently. Clemson is tied for third in the nation in consecutive tournament appearances, trailing only Miami (FL) (28) and Florida State (23). Wichita State also has a 14-year run in the tournament. As far as consecutive 40-win seasons, Clemson is third in the country with its 15-year streak. The Tigers trail only Florida State (23) and Wichita State (23) in that area.
Tiger Bats Came Alive in the Postseason Clemson’s 9-4 record in postseason play can be attributed to the hot Tiger bats, as Clemson hitting .329 in its 13 postseason games. The Tigers averaged 8.7 runs per game and 11.8 hits per contest. The team also had a .415 on-base percentage and was 22-28 on stolen bases. The Tigers committed 16 errors in 13 games for a .968 fielding percentage.
In the 13 postseason games, Henr’ Stanley led the team with a .583 batting average and a .667 on-base percentage. Justin Singleton hit ..342, while Patrick Boyd hit .390 with two homers and 16 RBIs and a ..455 on-base percentage. Casey Stone hit .355 with 12 RBIs. Jeff Baker also had four homers and 15 RBIs in the postseason. Khalil Greene hit at a .368 clip with nine doubles, a triple, and homer in the postseason as well.
Relieved In the 2000 NCAA Tournament, Tiger pitchers had a 3.53 ERA, which was odd due to the fact that the five starting pitchers averaged just over 4.2 innings. Therefore the relievers have averaged just under 4.1 innings in the eight games. In 34.1 innings, Tiger relief pitchers allowed just nine earned runs for a 2.36 ERA. The relievers also allowed just 26 hits over that span as well.
Noteworthy
Clemson’s 339 Wins Since 1994 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 ’94, the Tigers have won 339 games for over a 48-win average. Leggett has led Clemson to four 50-win seasons and three appearances in the College World Series in seven seasons. Included in that total is 87 wins over top-25 teams and a 41-16 (.719) record against SEC teams.
OMAHA You don’t have to look far to see how important Omaha is to Clemson and Head Coach Jack Leggett. But you might have to look closely. On the back of Clemson’s caps in 2000 was the word “OMAHA” on the Tiger Paw in small letters. In past years, Leggett created a slogan to put on the back of the hats. One season it was “TEAM”. But Leggett had a great feeling about the 2000 team, so he put “OMAHA” on this year’s caps. He did that knowing full well that the last time “OMAHA” was on the caps was in 1996, Clemson’s last College World Series appearance.
The five-letter word is spoken every day at practice and in pep-talks. There is even an Omaha Four-Lapper and an Omaha Challenge, which is an offseason conditioning test. Just inside Clemson’s dugout is the home plate from the 1995 College World Series as well. It’s no secret what drives the coach who once played in the College World Series with Maine in 1976.
Tigers Reached 50-Win Plateau for Ninth Time With its 9-4 win against #10 Mississippi State on June 3, Clemson reached the 50-mark for the ninth time in school history and first time since 1996, when Clemson was 51-17. Clemson has won 50 or more games under Head Coach Jack Leggett four times in his seven seasons. Clemson won 57 games in 1994 and 54 games in 1995 in Leggett’s first two seasons at Clemson.
Tigers Finish in Second Place in Final ACC Standings Clemson’s 17-7 conference record was good for second place in the conference. The Tigers finished one game behind first place Georgia Tech, who was 18-6 in league play. Florida State finished third at 15-9 and Wake Forest fourth at 14-10. North Carolina finished fifth at 12-12, while N.C. State and Virginia were tied for sixth at 10-14. Maryland and Duke rounded out the conference standings. The Tigers have finished in the top three in the standings for 28 of the last 30 seasons. Since 1957, the season before Bill Wilhelm’s first of 36 seasons at Clemson, the Tigers have not finished worse than fifth in the ACC.
Clemson and Florida State both represented the ACC in the 2000 College World Series, as Clemson went 1-2 and Florida State went 2-2.
^ – ACC Tournament champion, Note: Records entering College World Series
Individual Player Miscellaneous Batting Stats Below is a look at Tiger batters’ batting averages in certain situations.
Tigers Absent From All-ACC First-Team for First Time Since 1969 Clemson’s 30-year streak of having at least one player on the First-Team All-ACC team ended in 2000. The last time Clemson did not have a first-team selection was 1969. The nine league coaches determine the all-conference team by vote. Three Tigers were selected to the second team. Jarrod Schmidt made the second team as a starting pitcher and Nick Glaser made it as the relief pitcher. Khalil Greene was the only position player selected, as he was the second-team third baseman.
Clemson 41-16 Against SEC Teams Under Leggett In seven 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 41-16 (.719), including 18 wins against top-25 teams. Leggett has at least a .500 record against all eight SEC schools he has faced while at Clemson. Below is a list of Leggett’s record at Clemson against each of the eight SEC member schools he has faced:
Leggett Surpasses 700-Win Mark Jack Leggett picked up his 700th career win when Clemson downed Duke 12-8 on April 23, 2000. He has been a head coach for 21 seasons, including his seven at Clemson. His 716-420 record (.630) is quite a record for a coach his age. Leggett turned 46 in March, 2000 and started the season as the winningest active head coach age 45 or younger. Leggett has a 339-133 (.718) record at Clemson.
Defensive Performance Sets Team Record Clemson’s .969 fielding percentage finished ahead of the team single-season record of .967 (set in 1976). The team committed 86 errors in 69 games. Among some of the outstanding individual percentages included second baseman Ryan Riley’s .984 mark (four errors) and Khalil Greene’s .937 mark (14 errors).
Tigers Set School Record for Home Wins Clemson was 37-5 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium this season. Clemson broke the school record for home wins in a season when it defeated Middle Tennessee in the regional on May 28. The old record was 34 set in 1996. Clemson’s only losses have come to UNLV, #17 East Carolina, N.C. State, #2 South Carolina, and #11 Wake Forest. Clemson has a 718-155 (.822) all-time record in the facility’s 31st year. The facility was named Tiger Field up until the 2000 season.
Clemson’s longest homestand in years, 23-games long, was completed on Mar. 26 with a 6-3 win over The Citadel. Clemson was 21-2 in the 23 games. The Tigers finished another long homestand, 11-games long, on April 18 with a win over Elon. Clemson was 8-3 on that homestand. Clemson’s regular-season home schedule ended with a three-game sweep over Florida State from May 6-8. Clemson went 5-0 in hosting two regionals at home.
Opportunistic Tigers A big part of Clemson’s success in 2000 was due in part to clutch hitting and pitching. The Tigers as a team hit .381 with the bases loaded and .320 with runners in scoring position. On the other hand, Tiger pitchers limited teams to a .217 batting average with the bases loaded and .256 average with runners in scoring position.
But perhaps Clemson’s most successful clutch situation came with two outs. Clemson hit .300 with two outs, while Tiger pitchers held opponents to a .213 average with two outs. Ryan Riley had a team-best ..408 batting average with two outs, while several pitchers have sub-.200 opponent batting averages with two down, including Steve Reba (.125), Thomas Boozer (.160), Nick Glaser (.174), and Ryan Childs (.197).
Several players also had great success driving in runs with two outs. Thirty-five of Khalil Greene’s 64, 26 of Jeff Baker’s 64, 22 of Ryan Riley’s 39, and 13 of Justin Singleton’s 24 RBIs came with two outs. Almost 42 percent of Clemson’s RBIs in 2000 came with two outs.
Tiger Bats Warmed Up With the Weather Clemson’s batting average, which had hovered around the .280 mark around midseason, climbed well over .300 thanks to the team hitting ..308 in April, .330 in May, and .304 in five June games. Khalil Greene and Casey Stone were especially hot in May. Greene hit .406 with a ..486 on-base percentage in 15 May games, while Stone hit .460 in May. Clemson hit .262 to the end of February and .295 in March. Clemson, who set many offensive records a season ago, hit .306 in 1999.
Why So Few Home Runs? The most common question asked in 2000 about Clemson when it came to statistics was, “Why did Clemson have so few home runs?” The answer is simple…Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The spacious dimensions of the ballpark, including big gaps, made it very difficult to hit a “cheap” home run. But the biggest reason for so few long balls was due to a simple force of nature…wind. Doug Kingsmore Stadium sits just a few hundred yards from Lake Hartwell. And since the field faces towards the southwest, winds blew off the lake from the southwest, meaning the wind blew straight in. It did just that in almost every Clemson game this season, more than past years. As evidence, Clemson averaged 0.74 homers per game away from home, but just over 0.4 homers per game in the friendly confines of Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Despite playing 15 more games at home than away from home, the Tigers hit one more homer on the road than at home. Tiger pitchers allowed just seven homers in 42 home games, compared to 22 in 27 games away from home. Clemson went its last nine home games without allowing a home run in 2000.
Tiger Players and Team in Clemson Record Lists Below is a look at Tiger players who have set or are in select company in Clemson statistical records. All season records are for the 2000 season only.
Lynn Superb in the Postseason Junior righthander Kevin Lynn (North Augusta, SC) turned up his game a notch in the postseason. He made five appearances in the postseason for a team-high 25.1 innings pitched. He struck out 20 and allowed just four walks. He also had a 3.20 ERA and allowed three doubles and no homers during that stretch. His best outing in the postseason came against #10 Mississippi State on June 2 in the Super Regional, where he came out of the bullpen to pitch 7.1 shutout innings and allowed just three hits while not allowing a walk. Overall, Lynn was 5-1 with a 3.91 ERA in 2000. He pitched 50.2 innings and had 49 strikeouts against just 15 walks in 15 relief appearances and three starts. Over 50 percent of his innings in 2000 came in the postseason.
Reba Was on a Roll Late in the Season Steve Reba (Fort Wayne, IN) got off to a great start in 2000, as he was 1-0 with a 0.55 ERA in his first 16.1 innings pitched over five outings. He also had a streak before his injury where he went 10.1 consecutive innings without allowing a hit and 13.1 straight innings without allowing a run. But in late March, the righthander experienced the dreaded “sore arm” and missed nearly a month of action. The ninth-round pick out of high school by the Cubs made his first appearance after his absence on April 21 at Duke. He struck out four batters in 1.1 innings. Against #2 Florida State on back-to-back nights (May 6,7), he retired all nine batters he faced over the two games to pick up a save, the first of his career, and a win. Overall in 2000, Reba was 3-0 with a 2.79 ERA. He also had a .217 opponent batting average and 33 strikeouts against only 15 walks in 42.0 innings. He also had a .125 opponent batting average with two outs.
Mottl Front and Center in Several Tiger Record Lists Senior righthander Ryan Mottl passed Kris Benson with his 30th career victory when he beat Duke on April 23. He allowed three runs and six hits in 7.0 innings. He also pitched a complete game six-hitter against #4 Florida State in the ACC Tournament to earn All-ACC Tournament honors. His shutout against Middle Tennessee in the Clemson Regional on May 26 was the first by a Tiger since 1996 (Ken Vining). He allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out eight in that game. He was 10-4 on the mound in 2000. He won 10 games as a freshman, nine as a sophomore, and four as a junior.
Mottl also had 360 career strikeouts, placing him in third place in that category in the Clemson recordbook. Mottl also had a 3.70 ERA in 19 starts and two relief appearances in 2000. Entering 2000, he had given up 39 career home runs. But in 2000, he has only allowed three long balls.
Ryan Mottl in Clemson Career Record Lists
Mottl’s Return Payed Dividends for Clemson After becoming Clemson’s first freshman to be First-Team All-ACC pitcher in 1997, and being one of 12 semifinalists for the Smith Award in 1998 as a sophomore, Mottl struggled in 1999 with a 4-8 record and 6.14 ERA in 1999. He was drafted in the 27th round by the Texas Rangers in the ’99 draft, a disappointing position for the righthander. So he returned for his senior season and set many several Tiger records in the process. But more importantly, he helped Clemson to the College World Series and significantly improved his draft status (sixth-round pick in 2000). He was clocked in the low 90s after barely reaching 90 mph in 1999. He had excellent command of all his pitches in 2000, including his “fosh”, which acts like a sinker and a changeup. Against #4 Florida State in the ACC Tournament, he pitched a complete game six-hitter against. In his next start against Middle Tennessee in the Clemson Regional opener, he pitched a four-hit shutout. It was the first shutout by a Tiger since 1996 (Ken Vining) and the first of his career.
Berney in Control Senior righthander Scott Berney (Hamden, CT) pitched 106.1 innings in 2000. In those 106.1 innings, he allowed just 25 walks and had a 2.12 walks per nine innings pitched mark. He also threw just three wild pitches and seven in his career, which included 286.0 innings pitched. He threw in the middle to upper 80s, therefore relied on “spotting” his pitches.
Berney, who played three seasons at Connecticut before transferring to Clemson, was 9-4 in 2000 with a 3.39 ERA in 17 starts. He had a .239 opponent batting average. He was victorious in each of his first seven starts as a Tiger and went his first 32.2 innings without allowing a run, a Clemson record.
Glaser Sets Clemson Single-Season Save Record Junior righthander Nick Glaser transferred to Clemson from Edmonds CC in Washington with the hopes of making an immediate impact. He did just that as he had an ACC-best and Clemson record 15 saves in 33 relief appearances in 2000. The Second-Team All-ACC relief pitcher and Third-Team All-American by NCBWA allowed 38 hits, 11 earned runs, and 29 walks along with 40 strikeouts in 40.1 innings. Six of his 29 walks were intentional. He pitched 4.0 innings in relief in the first game of a doubleheader against #11 Wake Forest on April 15, then pitched 2.0 more innings in game two. He earned the save in game two and did not allow a run in either game. He also pitched the final 3.0 innings against Mississippi State in the Super Regional, as he earned the record-breaking save and sent Clemson to the College World Series. He exudes the typical closer personality with his slingshot-type delivery and fiery attitude.
Clemson Single-Season Save Leaders
Additon Sets Tiger Appearance Record Senior righthander Matt Additon (Turner, ME) will never win a fast-pitch contest, but his value to the Clemson program the past four seasons cannot be measured. “Peach” and his sharp breaking pitch were able to shut the door on opposing teams many times. Additon sported a 7-3 record and 4.84 ERA in 26 relief appearances in 2000. Additon made 98 career appearances as well, a Tiger record. He broke the record against N.C. State on April 9. Additon was a starter in five of those games and did an admirable job every time he was called upon. With his outing at #5 Georgia Tech on April 30, he also broke the Tiger record with his 88th career relief appearance.
Clemson Career Leaders in APPEARANCES
Schmidt Had Stellar Freshman Season on the Mound Freshman Jarrod Schmidt came to Clemson with accolades such as First-Team All-American and Georgia Gatorade Player-of-the-Year out of Lassiter High School in Marietta, GA. And early on in 2000, he started at first base and outfield. But when the Tigers got into the rigorous college baseball schedule, Schmidt added another position to his repetoire…pitcher. Schmidt, who was “Mr. Do It All” at Lassiter, has done the same at Clemson. Very few times in recent years has a Tiger pitcher played in the field and vice versa. But Schmidt is bucking that tradition as he solidified himself as a weekend starter in Clemson’s rotation.
Schmidt had a perfect 9-0 record, including a complete game at #8 North Carolina on April 1, one of only three by a Tiger pitcher in 2000. Schmidt allowed no earned runs and seven hits at Chapel Hill. Overall, Schmidt had a 3.61 ERA. The Second-Team All-ACC starting pitcher threw in the high 80s to lower 90s. Schmidt also hit .230 with five homers and 26 RBIs.
Jack Leggett foresees a bright future for Schmidt, and not just on the mound. Schmidt has shown the ability to play catcher along with first base and outfield. Schmidt can also hit for power, and with more consistency, could find a spot in the middle of the Tiger lineup in the future. Expect to see Schmidt in the next few years…all over the field.
Greene Solid All-Around Sophomore third baseman Khalil Greene continued right where he left off last season. Overall, the Key West, FL native hit a team-best .364 with five homers, 24 doubles and 64 RBIs. Thirty-five of his 64 RBIs came with two outs thanks to his .444 batting average with runners in scoring position and .376 average with two outs. Greene had a team-season high five hits at Duke on April 23 and against Virginia in the ACC Tournament on May 20. He was named to the All-ACC Tournament team after hitting .500 in the five games. He was also named Second-Team All-ACC at third base. Greene, who would have been a first-teamer in most conferences, was unfortunate in that Georgia Tech third baseman and All-American Mark Teixeira plays in the same conference. The self-proclaimed Ric Flair and avid wresting fan had a 20-game hitting streak that ended on May 27, the longest streak by a Tiger since 1997. He also hit .436 away from home in 2000. Greene hit ..358 with a Tiger freshman-record 98 hits in ’99. Greene also made many great plays at third base. He was the only regular in the infield >from ’99. Greene had a .937 fielding percentage (14 errors) in 2000 after having a not-so-great .881 mark in 1999.
Stone Thrived as Tiger Leadoff Hitter Junior outfielder Casey Stone (Abbeville, SC) cemented his role as the Tiger leadoff hitter thanks to his consistent hitting the latter half of 2000. He batted in the leadoff spot 44 times, including in each of the last 38 games. In those 38 games, he hit 67-for-169 (.396). He was also 41-for-his-last-92 (.446) with 23 RBIs since he lined out to right field at #5 Georgia Tech in his first at bat on April 30 21 games before the season ended. Stone upped his batting average to .357, second-best on the team. He had a .477 on-base percentage when leading off an inning overall and was an excellent “table-setter” for Jack Leggett. He even hit lefties well with his .342 batting average against Southpaws. Stone hit his first career homer at #5 Georgia Tech on April 30, 2000. It came on his 361st career at bat. He also had the game-winning hit in the ninth inning to beat #2 Florida State on May 7. He was named the Clemson Regional MVP as well, as he hit .357 with six RBIs. Stone, who stands 5-6 and weighs 155 pounds, is a hard-nosed aggressive player in the mold of Jack Leggett himself. Stone had 11 doubles, three triples, and 25 stolen bases as well. He also had 14 sacrifice bunts, most in a season by a Tiger in history. He also holds the career record in that category with 25. Stone is engaged to Kimberly Stewart, a Clemson student. The wedding is set to take place on December 30, 2000.
Singy Hit .374 After Starting Season 1-for-28 Junior outfielder Justin Singleton began the season 1-for-28. Then, just when he seemingly started to get his bat going, he suffered a broken finger sliding into a base against Maryland and missed nearly a month. But Singleton (Sparks, MD) still managed to keep his hot bat, going 34-for-91 (.374) after the season-beginning slump. Singleton went 3-for-5 with four RBIs against Ohio on March 11 to begin his streaky hitting. He was 3-for-3 against #11 Wake Forest on April 16 in his first start since the Ohio game on March 11. He had a clutch hit, a two-run triple, coming off the bench against Illinois on May 27 to salt away the game. He was named to the All-Regional team at Clemson, as he went 4-for-6 with five runs scored and four RBIs. Singleton hit ..370 as a freshman, but struggled in 1999 with a .237 average.
Stanley’s Stance Senior outfielder Henr’ Stanley (Columbia, SC) was never for a loss of words. The sociology major has well above a 3.0 GPA. He even “told it like it was” in his personal journal that he did in the 2000 postseason for the official Clemson athletic website (at www.clemsontigers.com) called “Stanley’s Stance.” He let fans read about the daily happenings of a student athlete on the field, but more importantly off the field as well.
On the field, the speedy DH was 57-64 in his career on stolen bases. He also walked 144 times in his career, fourth most in Tiger history. In 19 career NCAA Tournament games, Stanley hit .393 with 21 runs scored, two homers, 7-9 on stolen bases, and 16 walks resulting in an outstanding .519 on-base percentage. In the 2000 Clemson Regional, he was 5-for-8 with four runs scored, 4-4 on stolen bases, and a .727 on-base percentage, as he was named to the All-Regional team. In the 2000 NCAA Tournament, he was 12-for-19 (.632) with an .696 on-base percentage.
Riley Rose to the Occasion Junior second baseman Ryan Riley (Seattle, WA) raised his batting average to .298 thanks to a barrage of hits the last half of the season. In the last 35 games, Riley had five triples, 31 RBIs, and hit ..336 (39-for-116). He led the team overall with seven triples. No Tiger had seven triples since David Miller had 10 in 1995. Riley was also a clutch hitter, with a .408 batting average with two outs and ..405 average with runners in scoring position. He also committed just four errors and had a remarkable .984 fielding percentage. He had streaks of 17 games and 15 games in 2000 without committing an error. He also had 90 and 70 chance-streaks without booting a ball as well.
Baker Provided Punch as Freshman Freshman shortstop Jeff Baker (Woodbridge, VA), who was rated as the #1 freshman in the nation in the preseason by Baseball America, hit ..313 with a team-best 11 homers and 64 RBIs. He actually had 11 of Clemson’s 37 homers (30 percent). Baker also had 26 multi-hit games. He also had a respectable .920 fielding percentage for a freshman. Baker was a star on the USA Junior National Team that won it all in Taiwan in the summer of 1999. He teamed with South Carolina shortstop Drew Meyer. Baker actually drove home Meyer for the game-winning run in the championship game. Baker was the starting shortstop for the team as well. Baker was one of first 20 players invited for the USA National Team trials set to start in June.
On the Personal Side…
Tiger Field Renamed Doug Kingsmore Stadium Former Clemson baseball star and current Board of Trustees member Doug Kingsmore gave the Clemson athletic department a $1 million gift towards renovation of Clemson’s baseball stadium, formerly known as Tiger Field. George Bennett, executive director of IPTAY, made the announcement on January 28, 2000 at a dinner at the Madren Center on the Clemson campus. Bennett also announced that the facility would be called Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
In accepting the honor Kingsmore said, “Life has been all I could have asked for and more. I’ve been blessed to have the business and professional opportunities afforded me and doubly blessed with a family that’s truly loving and supportive. With Clemson’s strong legacy and promising future, it’s a pleasure to give something back that will affect the lives of many who participate and become part of the Clemson family in the future.”
Kingsmore played for the Tigers from 1952-54. An All-ACC and All-District III outfielder in 1954, Kingsmore became the first Clemson player in history to hit 10 home runs in a season. He did that in 1954 while playing in just 24 games. He led the ACC in home runs and runs scored (25) that year, and led Clemson in batting average (.371), slugging percentage (.742), and RBIs (27).
Kingsmore played three years of professional baseball in the Baltimore Oriole organization before beginning a successful business career. He is currently president and chief executive of the Graniteville Company in Aiken, SC. He is serving in his third term on the Clemson University Board of Trustees and will become Trustee Emeritus when his current elected term expires in 2002.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am about this announcement,” said Head Coach Jack Leggett. “This will be a great lift to our program. Everyone in our program is appreciative and it means so much to come from a former Clemson baseball player, and a man who has meant so much to Clemson University.”
Corbin Named USA National Team Assistant Coach Assistant Head Coach Tim Corbin was named one of four assistant coaches for the USA National Team on February 1. The team, headed by Southern California Head Coach Mike Gillespie, will play on the US WEST Red, White, and Blue Summer Tour in 2000.
Corbin, Clemson’s recruiting coordinator, is in his seventh season as Jack Leggett’s top assistant. Corbin’s 1999 recruiting class was ranked #1 in the nation by Baseball America and he is a major reason Clemson has won 288 games (fifth most in the country) during his six seasons at Clemson.
Corbin, 38 and a 1984 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan, joins Southern California pitching coach John Savage, Louisville Head Coach Lelo Prado, and Loyola Marymount Head Coach Frank Cruz on the USA National Team coaching staff.
Clemson & South Carolina to Play Four Times in 2001 College baseball fans in the state of South Carolina will have the opportunity to see the two in-state rivals play four times on the baseball diamond in 2001, as the two teams will meet twice in Columbia and twice at Clemson. The four games will be spread out over three separate weekends. Clemson will play host to the Gamecocks on March 3, a Saturday. The following day, the two teams will play at South Carolina. On April 18, a Wednesday, Clemson will play at South Carolina. A week later on April 25, Clemson will play host to South Carolina. The last season the two teams played four games against each other was in 1997. The Tigers and Gamecocks split the 1997 season series. Clemson won the only game played between the two in 1998, Clemson won both games played in 1999, and South Carolina won both games in 2000.
HEAD COACH JACK LEGGETT
Jack Leggett in no stranger to success. In just seven seasons, he has led Clemson to 339 wins, over 48 per season, seven NCAA Tournament berths, and three College World Series appearances. His .718 winning percentage at Clemson ranks second-best in ACC history. Clemson is the fifth-winningest program in college baseball during his time as head coach.
The enthusiastic mentor, who turned 46 on March 5, 2000, has not built up that win total against easy competition. Eighty-seven of his 339 victories, 26 percent, have come against teams ranked in the top 25 of at least one of the three major polls heading into the game. He also already has 46 victories over top-10 teams and 25 wins in NCAA Tournament competition at Clemson.
Leggett has been with the Clemson program since the 1992 season. He served as recruiting coordinator and assistant head coach under Bill Wilhelm in 1992 and 1993. He was a major contributor to a pair of Clemson teams that were ranked in the final top 20 of every poll and advanced to two NCAA Regionals. The Tigers also won the ACC Tournament Championship in 1993.
The word championship is also in the lexicon of terms when summarizing Leggett’s first seven years as the head coach in Tigertown. In 1994, Clemson won the ACC regular-season championship and went on to win the tournament title as well. In 1995, the Tigers repeated as regular-season conference champions and won the NCAA East Regional title. The 1996 season brought Clemson another NCAA Regional title and a second consecutive berth to the College World Series. In ’99, Clemson won four games in two days to capture the Fayetteville (AR) Regional. He also led the Tigers to the Clemson Regional Championship in 2000
Clemson has won at least 40 games for 15 straight seasons and has participated in an NCAA Regional for 14 years in a row. Also, four of the seven seasons have seen the Tigers finish in the top 10 of all three major polls and there has been at least a top-25 final ranking every season under Leggett.
For his accomplishments, Leggett was named ACC Coach-of-the-Year in his first two seasons (1994,95). He was just the fourth coach in the history of the ACC, regardless of sport, to be named ACC Coach-of-the-Year in each of his first two seasons in the league. Former Clemson football coach Charley Pell and current Tiger men’s track and field coach Bob Pollock are two of the other coaches to be awarded that honor.
Leggett’s demeanor is one of aggressiveness and passion for the game. One can see the South Burlington, VT native sprinting to the third-base coaching box between innings and diving into the pre-game huddle to get his players fired up. Leggett expects the same intensity and has gotten that out of his players. He even carries with him to all games a old glove and pair of shoes that his father wore in the 1940s to remind himself and the team of how the game is meant to be played.
Leggett’s Tigers have shown excellence in all areas of the game over his seven seasons. Leggett’s first year as Clemson’s head coach was truly remarkable. The 1994 campaign was filled with unprecedented accomplishments. With just three starters returning in the field, Clemson was unranked in the preseason top 20, but the Tigers quickly reached the top 20 of every poll with a two-game sweep of a top-10 Tennessee team. Those were the first two of 19 wins over top-25 teams in 1994, a Clemson single-season record. The Tigers won a record 13 straight conference games to open the season and concluded the year with a 20-4 ACC ledger, a record for ACC wins in a season. That was quite an accomplishment considering the ACC had the #1-RPI ranking in that season. Clemson also had a 57-18 overall record thanks to an outstanding pitching staff that ranked in the top 25 in the nation in ERA.
After two wins over Miami (FL) in late April, 1994, Clemson ascended to the #1 ranking in the nation according to Collegiate Baseball. The May 4 ranking was a first in Clemson baseball history. Seven times in 1994 Clemson defeated a team ranked in the top three in the country.
Leggett’s Tigers won the ACC regular-season championship, then captured the ACC Tournament by gaining victory in four games against top-20 teams in ’94. It was just the fifth time in Clemson history that the Tigers captured the regular season and the ACC Tournament championships in the same year. Clemson was rewarded as a regional host for the first time in 14 years.
Clemson was eliminated in the NCAA Regional, but still concluded the ’94 season as the nation’s winningest team. The Tigers’ 57 victories ranked second in ACC history as far as total victories in a season is concerned. All of this against a schedule ranked in the nation’s top five.
The summer following the 1994 season Leggett was chosen to the University of Maine Hall of Fame.
In 1995, his Tigers had a 54-14 record due in part to an offense that ranked in the top 10 in the nation in scoring (8.4 runs a game). The team also ranked seventh in double plays turned per game.
In 1996, the season ended with the Tiger pitching staff owning the best ERA in the nation at 3.03. With a record of 51-17, Clemson was fourth in wins in the nation and 27th in fielding with a percentage of ..965.
The 1996 team also produced eight Major League draft choices, with seven of those going in the first 17 rounds. Included in those selections were pitchers Kris Benson (Pittsburgh Pirates), the first pick overall, and Billy Koch (Toronto Blue Jays), the fourth pick overall. It was only the second time in the history of the draft, which dates back to 1965, that one school produced two of the first five picks.
In 1998, Clemson reached as high as #3 in the nation and finished the season as high as #19. Leggett also reached the 600 career-win plateau during the ’98 season. Ironically, he got his 600th win against his alma mater (Maine).
In 1999, Clemson was 6-6 against top-10 teams, with just one of the 12 games at home.
In 2000, he led Clemson to a 51-18 record. Clemson finished second in the ACC with a 17-7 record and finished second in the ACC Tournament in 2000. The Tigers also claimed the Clemson Sub and Super Regional titles. He reaced the 700-win mark during the season as well.
Leggett has been proving his expertise in recruiting for many years. But he also has experience in terms of teaching the finer points and game management. Prior to his move to Clemson, Leggett served as a head coach for 14 years, five at Vermont and nine at Western Carolina. He already had 377 career wins, 302 at Western Carolina and 75 at Vermont, before he came to Clemson. Leggett has a career record of 716-420, six conference titles, and 12 NCAA Tournament appearances on his resume. So far, 31 of the players Leggett has brought to Tigertown have signed professional baseball contracts.
Leggett led Western Carolina to five NCAA Tournaments (1985-1989), five Southern Conference baseball titles, and a national top-30 ranking during his tenure as head coach. His 1988 team set a school record for wins, posting a 38-24 record, while the 1989 squad set a conference record by winning its fifth straight Southern Conference title. Under Leggett’s guidance, the Catamounts averaged 33 wins per season during his time in Cullowhee, NC, and his teams played in the conference championship game in eight of the nine seasons.
The 1991 Catamounts posted a 36-26 record. One of the 36 wins came in a 9-7 victory over Clemson, one of 10 losses the #4 Tigers had in the 1991 season.
He was named the 1987 Division I Atlantic Region Coach-of-the-Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association and was also named the Southern Conference Coach-of-the-Year that same season. In 1989, he was appointed to the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee and served the committee through the 1995 season.
In his tenure at Western Carolina, Leggett produced 35 First-Team All-Southern Conference players, six conference players-of-the-year, and had 16 players sign professional contracts. One-hundred percent of the players who played for Leggett for four seasons graduated, and better than 50 percent compiled a 3.00 or better grade point average.
Leggett’s first Clemson team had two First-Team All-Americans in Mike Hampton and Shane Monahan. In 1995, a record five different Clemson players were chosen to All-America teams. In the classroom, a record 10 players earned a spot on the ACC Academic Honor Roll in 1997. Leggett also coached the first Tiger player to be named a First-Team Academic All-American in Paul Galloway (1995), who had a a perfect 4.0 career GPA in mechanical engineering. He has recruited and coached five players in the last five years that were drafted in the first round of the Major League Draft.
Before going to Western Carolina for the 1983 season, Leggett spent five seasons at the University of Vermont, where he turned that team into a consistent winner from day one. He coached the Vermont club team in 1977 and then organized and coached the school’s first intercollegiate team in 1978. At age 23, he was the youngest NCAA baseball coach in the nation. He had a winning season in his first year and had a 75-61 overall record at Vermont.
Leggett graduated with honors from the University of Maine in 1976, where he was an all-star performer in both football and baseball. He captained the 1976 Maine team that advanced to the College World Series, and was a two-time All-Yankee Conference selection in football as a defensive back and placekicker. He still holds the Maine record for the longest field goal, a 52 yarder.
In December, 1999, Leggett was seriously injured and nearly paralyzed when he had a skiing accident while on vacation in Colorado. Leggett, an avid skier, hit a depression in the snow and lost his balance, causing him to land awkwardly on his neck and back. He was forced to wear a neck brace until mid-February, but did not miss any games or practice time during the 2000 season.
Leggett and wife Stephanie have two children, Tanner (8-12-83) and Colby (10-21-85).
* – conference champion
#28 Matt Additon RHP * R-R * 6-0 * 202 * Sr. * 3VL * Leavitt HS * Turner, ME
Crafty righthander who made 98 career appearances, 93 of which came in a relief roles, both are Clemson records…had a career record of 19-8 with eight saves and 186 strikeouts in 198.2 innings pitched in four seasons at Clemson…his eight career saves ranks tied for 10th most in Tiger history…had a 5.16 career ERA…threw an array of offspeed pitches from different arm angles…was very versatile and pitched in many situations from starting to middle relief to closing.
2000: Had a 7-3 record, one save, and 4.84 ERA in 26 relief appearances (35.1 innings pitched)…his 26 relief appearances is tied for eighth most in a season in Tiger history…opposing hitters batted just .214, as he allowed just 28 hits…allowed just one homer…had a 6-1 record and 3.15 ERA along with a .176 opponent batting average in day games…went his first 9.2 innings over nine outings without allowing an earned run, he also allowed just one hit over that span…picked up his second win in as many outings by pitching 1.2 scoreless innings in relief against Coastal Carolina on Mar. 1…picked up the win by pitching 2.0 scoreless innings against William & Mary on Mar. 8…pitched 2.1 scoreless and hitless innings in relief at #8 North Carolina on Apr. 1…pitched a scoreless ninth inning, striking out two, to earn the save against Furman on Apr. 5…tied the Clemson career record with his 87th appearance against N.C. State on Apr. 8…set the Clemson career appearance record with his 88th against N.C. State on Apr. 9…picked up the win at Duke on Apr. 21, he pitched 1.2 scoreless innings while striking out two…pitched 4.0 innings, allowing four hits and two runs to earn the win against #2 Florida State on May 6, he improved to 3-0 all-time against the Seminoles…picked up the win at Virginia on May 14, he pitched 2.0 innings, and allowed one hit and one run.
1999: Had a 6-4 record with a 5.97 ERA in 21 relief appearances and five starts…tied for the team lead in wins and led in appearances (26)…struck out 71 and walked 29 in 66.1 innings (9.6 strikeouts per 9.0 innings)…struck out 31 and walked just six against ACC regular-season competition…had a 3-0 record away from Doug Kingsmore Stadium, also held opponents to a .238 batting average and one home run in 38.1 innings away from home…pitched brilliantly against #6 Miami (FL) on Apr. 3 to get the win, he pitched 2.2 hitless and scoreless innings while striking out four…picked up the save at #1 Florida State on Apr. 10 by allowing one run while striking out four in 3.0 innings, the loss broke the Seminoles’ 21-game winning streak…despite suffering the loss, he struck out nine and walked none in 6.1 innings of relief against Duke on Apr. 17…struck out four batters an 1.0 inning against #20 South Carolina on Apr. 21…made his first career start against #19 Georgia Tech on Apr. 25, he pitched 5.2 innings and allowed three runs in earning the win…picked up the win in his second career start against Virginia on May 2 by allowing three earned runs in a career-high 8.0 innings (allowed one walk while striking out seven)…allowed no runs, no walks, and one hit while striking out three in 2.2 innings at N.C. State on May 15…got the win over #2 Florida State in the ACC Tournament, he started and pitched 7.1 solid innings, allowing six hits and four earned runs.
1998: Appeared in 22 games, second most behind only Scott Clackum’s 23 appearances…was a set-up man…was 2-0 with a 3.81 ERA in 54.1 innings pitched and had 46 strikeouts against 17 walks…had a 3.2-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in day games…righthanded hitters only hit ..201 against him…had a 2-0 record and 2.20 ERA in 13 games against non-conference foes…opponents hit just .197 in night games…was 2-0 with a 3.08 ERA at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…had one save, coming against Stetson on Mar. 8 in the first game of a doubleheader…retired all 13 Georgia batters he faced to record the win on Mar. 31 in his best outing of the season…recorded the win against Charleston Southern on Apr. 8 by pitching 3.1 innings, only allowing one hit and one walk while striking out four…pitched 2.2 scoreless innings against North Carolina in the ACC Tournament on May 13, he allowed one hit and two walks while striking out four…allowed one run on three hits in 4.1 innings against #5 and eventual National Champion Southern California on May 23 in the East Regional.
1997: Led the team in saves (5) and tied for the team lead with 24 appearances as a true freshman…appeared mainly in middle and set-up relief roles…opponents hit only .222 against him…had a 3.63 ERA and 3-0 record at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…saved both games in the sweep of a doubleheader versus Kentucky on Feb. 22, in game one, he struck out two and gave up no earned runs in 1.0 inning of work, in game two, he pitched 0.2 innings and struck out one…first win of his career came on Mar. 15 against Virginia, giving up no earned runs in 2.0 innings pitched…picked up the win in relief over Florida State on Apr. 4 when he went 4.1 innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs…pitched 3.1 innings of scoreless relief in getting the win against South Carolina (the nation’s top run-scoring team at the time) on Apr. 16…went 6.1 innings against N.C. State on May 17 in the ACC Tournament, allowing only three runs while striking out six, his relief pitching against the Wolfpack enabled Clemson to win an 11-6 thriller in 10 innings…had a 10-2 record in the summer of 1997 in the Great Lakes League.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Named to the Maine State Pastimer and the Senior All-Stars…was his high school’s team captain and MVP…an all-around athlete who was the Class B Player-of-the-Year and Shrine Bowl quarterback at Leavitt High School…also team MVP in basketball…lettered four times in baseball, four times in basketball, and twice in football…Leavitt High School had a 46-7 record in his final three seasons, while he had a 19-2 record over that time.
PERSONAL: Member of the academic honor roll in the fall of 1996…Matt’s father, Ken, played baseball at the University of Maine >from 1967-71, which is Jack Leggett’s alma mater…pronounced ADD-ih-tuhn…nicknamed “Peach”…majoring in Management…born September 18, 1977.
Additon Career Stats
#19 Jeff Baker SS * R-R * 6-1 * 198 * Fr. * HS * Gar-Field Senior HS * Woodbridge, VA
Heralded freshman who made a big impact in the infield and at the plate…one of the top freshmen in the country…showed a strong arm, and showed a consistent and steady glove work in the last half of the 2000 season…showed great power for a shortstop…did not get cheated at the plate…showed power to all fields.
2000: Freshman All-America shortstop (one of three) according to Collegiate Baseball…was the starting shortstop from day one…hit ..313 with a team-best 11 homers and 64 RBIs…his 11 homers tied for the second most in a season by a Tiger freshman in history…hit 11 of Clemson’s 37 home runs (30 percent)…started 67 of the 69 games…had a respectable .920 fielding percentage for a freshman, committing 23 errors…had a .950 fielding percentage in ACC regular-season games…batted in the middle of the Tiger lineup (including 42 times as the cleanup hitter), and did so all season…was 6-for-15 (.400) with the bases loaded…had 26 two-out RBIs…hit .348 at home…hit a team-best .360 in March…had 26 multi-hit games and a team-best 17 multi-RBI games…named to the All-ACC Tournament team by hitting .333 (6-for-18) with a double, two homers, and nine RBIs in five games despite being nagged by a calf injury…went 3-for-4 with a double against #7 Rice on Jan. 28 in the ACC Disney Blast at Lake Buena Vista, FL in his first collegiate game…had a key two-run infield single against #4 Miami (FL) on Jan. 29 in the ACC Disney Blast at Lake Buena Vista, FL…had two doubles and three RBIs against James Madison on Feb. 27…went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBIs against Ohio on Mar. 11…went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBIs in the first game of a doubleheader against Maryland on Mar. 18…went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs against UNC Charlotte on Mar. 22…had two hits, two runs scored, and an RBI against The Citadel on Mar. 26, giving him six straight multi-hit games…went 4-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs against Western Carolina on Apr. 4…went 3-for-4 with three RBIs against N.C. State on Apr. 9…went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two sacrifice flies against Georgia on Apr. 11…went 4-for-6 with two RBIs against Elon on Apr. 18…went 2-for-5 with three runs scored, two RBIs, and a homer that proved to be the game-winning run at #5 Georgia Tech on Apr. 30…hit two homers, scored three runs, and drove in five runs against Virginia in the ACC Tournament on May 20…in his first NCAA Tournament game, he hit two solo homers against Middle Tennessee in the Clemson Regional on May 26…listed as the #1 freshman prospect in the ACC and country, along with being named the ACC Freshman-of-the-Year and top newcomer in Baseball America’s College Preview issue…one of the first 20 players invited to the USA National Team trials.
BEFORE CLEMSON: One of 18 players selected for the United States Junior National Baseball team, which played in the IBA Junior World Championships in Taiwan in the summer of ’99, he was the team MVP for the United States team that captured the World Championship…was 13-for-27 (.481) with eight runs scored, four doubles, a homer, 12 RBIs, and three stolen bases in just seven games as the starting shortstop…also drove in the winning run in the championship game against Chinese Taipei, he lined a two-out, two-run single to centerfield to break an 8-8 deadlock in the eighth inning, Team USA went on to win 10-9, ironically, the 10th and winning run was scored by South Carolina signee Drew Meyer…finished second in the voting (by one vote), behind tennis star Andre Agassi, for the September (1999) Male Athlete-of-the-Month award given by the U.S. Olympic Committee…drafted in the fourth round by the Cleveland Indians in the ’99 June Draft…appeared in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” in the summer of ’99…Virginia State Player-of-the-Year as a senior at Gar-Field Senior High School…was also an All-State selection and Gatorade Virginia Player-of-the-Year as a senior…All-American according to Baseball America…#2 high school prospect in Virginia by Baseball America…played in the Virginia Commonwealth Games in 1997 and 1998…also a member of the USA Youth National Team in ’97 and the National Team One in 1998…in 29.2 innings pitched in Legion in ’98, he allowed just 13 hits and two walks while striking out 59, also had six saves and a 0.47 ERA…All-Cardinal District and All-Metro selection as a junior…hit .365 in 63 at bats as a junior…was 4-1 on the mound with a 0.70 ERA and 58 strikeouts against nine walks as a junior, he also allowed just 24 hits in 40.0 innings…in the summer of ’97, he played for the USA Junior National Team, hitting .444 with 13 RBIs in just 27 at bats…led the ’97 Youth National Team in RBIs with 97…All-Cardinal District, All-Metro, and All-Region pick as a sophomore…as a sophomore, his team was 20-3, including district champions, state quarterfinalists, and ranked #19 in the nation by USA Today…batted .405 in 79 at bats and had a 0.48 ERA in 29.1 innings as a sophomore…high school team was 19-5 as a freshman, including regional champions and state semi-finalists…lettered four times in baseball…coached by Mike Wright at Gar-Field Senior High.
PERSONAL: His father, Larry, played baseball at Army…Larry worked in the Air Defense division of the Army for 22 years…the Baker family has lived in nine different cities around the world, including in Germany, Hawaii, Phoenix, and Key West along with living in the United Arab Emerites…the family has lived in Woodbridge, VA, their current hometown, longer than any other place, just four years…nicknamed “Bakes”…major is undeclared…born Jeffrey Glen Baker on June 21, 1981 in Badkissagen, Germany.
Baker Career Stats
#4 Chad Bendinelli RHP * R-R * 5-10 * 150 * Fr. * HS * Lassiter HS * Marietta, GA
Small in stature, but can throw upwards of 90 miles per hour…another player from Marietta, GA, Clemson has had much success in that area over the years, with the likes of Kris Benson and Shane Monahan.
2000: Made nine relief appearances (10.0 innings pitched)…allowed a ..263 opponent batting average…opponents stole one base in three attempts…opponents had two hits in 11 at bats with two outs…had a 4.15 ERA in three outings in April…threw a perfect inning against #23 Central Florida in the ACC Disney Blast in Lake Buena Vista, FL on Jan. 30…also threw scoreless innings against Old Dominion on Feb. 18, UNC Charlotte on Mar. 22, and Elon on Apr. 18.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Had 21 career victories and two no-hitters in his career at Lassiter High School…Dugout All-Star as a senior…won team’s Cy Young Award as a senior…his team finished 35-2 and won the state title as a senior…All-County selection as a junior…also a member of the Georgia Dugout All-Tournament team as a junior…played in the NABF World Series in ’98, where he was the MVP of the championship game, the team also won the World Series championship…a member of the ’97 AAU National Champions…member of the Atlanta Journal/Constitution All-Cobb County team as a junior…received Lassiter High’s Cy Young Award and Pitching Stats Award as a junior…was 7-1 with a 1.52 ERA in 64.2 innings as a junior, also struck out 65 and walked 22…in 10 starts as a junior, he threw five shutouts, including one no-hitter…as a sophomore, he was Lassiter High’s Rookie-of-the Year and played on the AAAA State runner-up team…lettered three times in baseball…had a 3.57 GPA after his junior year and made a 1240 on the SAT…from the same hometown as former Tiger star Shane Monahan…high school teammate of fellow Tiger teammate Jarrod Schmidt, grew up next door to Schmidt in Marietta as well, the two have lived next door to each other since the age of one…Lassiter High had sent 13 players to college baseball in the four years prior to Bendinelli coming to Clemson…coached by Mickey McMurtry at Lassiter High.
PERSONAL: Nicknamed “Bendo”…major is undeclared…born Chad Michael Bendinelli on January 16, 1981 in Portsmouth, OH.
Bendinelli Career Stats
#30 Scott Berney RHP * R-R * 6-2 * 203 * Sr. * TR * Univ. of Connecticut * Hamden, CT
Senior transfer who made an impact on the starting rotation from day one…followed in the line of Chris Heck (1999) and David Shepard (1996), who were both senior transfers and pitchers who starred in their one season with the Tigers…meticulous on the mound…not overpowering, but focused on hitting his spots…threw just seven wild pitches in 286.0 career innings pitched…his 2.12 walks per nine innings pitched mark at Clemson is second in Tiger history on a career basis…set a Clemson record with 32.2 scoreless innings, he that streak actually encompassed his first 32.2 innings as a Tiger…transferred from Connecticut with the hopes of playing for a national championship.
2000: Started the season without allowing a run in his first 32.2 innings pitched, a Tiger record…had a 9-4 record and 3.39 ERA in 17 starts…picked up wins in each of his first seven starts…allowed just 96 hits (.239 opponent batting average) in 106.1 innings pitched…drafted in the 18th round by the Rockies…had a 2.12 walks per 9.0 innings pitched mark, ninth best in a season in Tiger history…threw just three wild pitches…held righthanded hitters to a ..202 batting average…opponents hit just .207 with two outs and .210 with runners on base…in his first game as a Tiger, he shut down #4 Miami (FL) on Jan. 29 in the ACC Disney Blast at Lake Buena Vista, FL, ending the Hurricanes’ 13-game winning streak and handing them their first loss coming off their national championship 1999 season, he pitched 7.0 innings, allowing three hits, no walks, and no runs while striking out eight to earn the win…pitched 7.0 shutout innings, allowing three hits and no walks while strking out three to get the win against Old Dominion on Feb. 18…picked up the win and ran his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 22.0 by allowing only six hits and a walk while striking out four in 8.0 innings against James Madison on Feb. 25, earned ACC Pitcher-of-the-Week honors for that performance…ran his scoreless inning streak to 30.0 by allowing six hits and no runs in 8.0 innings to get the win against UNLV on Mar. 3, received Louisville Slugger National Player-of-the-Week honors (along with four others) for that performance, also received ACC Pitcher-of-the-Week honors for the second straight week for that performance…saw his scoreless inning streak end at 32.2 innings against Ohio in the first game of a doubleheader on Mar. 10, he still picked up the win, as he allowed two runs in 7.0 innings…picked up his sixth win against Maryland on Mar. 17, he allowed five hits, two runs, and no walks while striking out seven in 8.0 innings…got the win against The Citadel on Mar. 24, he allowed just three hits (including just one after the second inning), two runs, and two walks while striking out eight in 8.0 innings…suffered his first loss of the season at #8 North Carolina on Mar. 31, he allowed just three hits, one earned run, and two walks while striking out seven in 7.0 innings…suffered the loss in his next outing despite shutting out N.C. State on Apr. 7 for the first 7.2 innings, in his first two losses, he had one run and five hits of support…picked up his first win since Mar. 24 when he went 5.2 innings, allowing three runs against #4 Florida State on May 8…got the win against Virginia in the ACC Tournament on May 17, he pitched 7.1 innings, allowing eight hits and four earned runs.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Drafted in the 28th round by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the ’99 June Draft…played three seasons at Connecticut, accumulating a 14-9 record in 179.2 innings…had excellent control at Connecticut, with a 2.45 walks per nine innings pitched mark and 2.55 strikeout-to-walk ratio, also threw just four wild pitches in three seasons with the Huskies…was 6-5 with four complete games and a 5.33 ERA in 12 starts and two relief appearances in ’99…also had a 3.1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and threw just one wild pitch in 77.2 innings pitched as a junior for the Huskies…named to the Cape Cod League All-Star team for Falmouth in the summer of ’98…as a sophomore, he was limited to nine appearances due to a case of mononucleosis…was 4-2 with a 4.71 ERA as a sophomore…allowed just two hits and no earned runs in 7.0 innings against Pittsburgh…posted a 4-2 record as a freshman in ’97…appeared in 14 games, 11 as a starter, and had a team-high 44 strikeouts in 52.1 innings…threw a complete game against West Virginia on April 13, 1997…All-State and All-Area as a senior at Hamden High School…was 9-3 with a 1.07 ERA in his senior season…was also All-Area and Honorable Mention All-State in basketball…lettered four times in baseball and four times in basketball…coached by Andy Baylock at Connecticut…coached by Vin Virguito at Hamden High.
PERSONAL: Majoring in Speech & Communications…born Scott Harris Berney on October 25, 1977 in Toledo, OH.
Berney Career Stats
* – stats at Connecticut
#35 Thomas Boozer LHP * L-L * 6-2 * 199 * So. * 1VL * Richland Northeast HS * Columbia, SC
Hard-throwing lefthander who gained valuable experience pitching as a freshman in 1999 and worked primarily out of the bullpen in 2000…one of only two lefthanders on Clemson’s 2000 postseason roster….allowed just three homers in 72.1 career innings pitched.
2000: Had a 1-1 record and 4.63 ERA in 23 relief appearances and one start (23.1 innings pitched)…did not allow a home run and allowed just one stolen base…opponents hit .160 with two outs…ptched 2.0 scoreless innings of relief against The Citadel on Mar. 26…pitched 0.2 perfect innings against #2 Florida State on May 6…pitched 1.1 scoreless and hittless innings of relief in the second game of a doubleheader at Virginia on May 13.
1999: Had a 6-3 record and 6.98 ERA in seven starts and eight relief appearances (49.0 innings)…his six wins tied for the team lead and he also had a save…won his last four decisions…held lefthanded batters to a .245 batting average…earned the win in his first career outing against Kansas State in the season opener on Feb. 12 by pitching 4.1 innings in relief…earned the save in his second outing, this time against #24 Washington, he entered the game with the bases loaded and no outs with Clemson ahead 13-11, he then forced a ground ball double play and got the final batter to foul out to end the game…earned the win in the second game of a doubleheader against Liberty on Mar. 6 by pitching 7.1 innings, allowing seven hits and one earned run…got wins in three consecutive starts against Wofford (Mar. 24), East Tennessee State (Apr. 1), and Western Carolina (Apr. 7), he pitched 5.0 innings in each game…pitched a perfect ninth inning against #10 North Carolina on May 9 (struck out two batters as well)…got the win against Maryland in the ACC Tournament on May 21 by pitching 4.0 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits…pitched 1.2 scoreless innings at #2 Texas A&M in the Super Regional on June 4.
BEFORE CLEMSON: All-Region selection as a sophomore and All-Area as a junior at Richland Northeast High School…played for the Region IV AAAA champions as a freshman and sophomore…earned four letters in baseball…from the same high school as current Tiger Henr’ Stanley…coached by Barry Mizzell at Richland Northeast High.
PERSONAL: His father, Tommy, lettered in football at Clemson >from 1972-74…his godfather, Mike O’Cain, was Clemson’s football MVP in 1976 and lettered three times (1974-76), O’Cain is currently an assistant football coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels…majoring in Financial Management…born Thomas Chappell Boozer on Dec. 23, 1979 in Columbia, SC.
Boozer Career Stats
#24 Patrick Boyd OF * S-R * 6-3 * 201 * Jr. * 2VL * Clearwater Central Catholic HS * Palm Harbor, FL
Possesses all the tools, he can hit for average and for power, switch hits, has tremendous speed and exhibits aggresiveness on the basepaths, gets great jumps on fly balls, makes spectacular catches, and has a strong arm…career .341 hitter with a .442 on-base percentage and 49 stolen bases in three seasons…his .341 career average ranks 21st best in Clemson history…his 133 career walks ranks tied for seventh in Tiger history…his 56 career doubles ranks tied for seventh in Tiger history…his 194 career runs scored ranks ninth in Tiger history…his 258 career hits ranks ninth in Tiger history…his 178 career RBIs ranks ninth in Tiger history…a career .430 hitter (37-for-86) in NCAA Tournament play.
2000: One of seven captains…hit .293 with three homers, 21 doubles, and 49 RBIs in starting all 69 games in centerfield…had a .402 on-base percentage…had 18 steals in 24 attempts…drafted in the fourth round by the Pirates…hitting .390 with 16 RBIs in 13 postseason games…hit .386 with five doubles, a triple, two homers, and 10 RBIs in nine NCAA Tournament games…hit .377 with two outs and ..359 with runners in scoring position…hit .329 in March…had 25 multi-hit games…batted at least one time in the second, third, cleanup, fifth, sixth, and seventh spots in the lineup…named to the All-ACC Tournament team by hitting .450 (9-for-20) with eight runs scored, two doubles, a triple, a homer, and eight RBIs…went 2-for-2 with two runs scored, two walks, the game-winning RBI, and a stolen base against Old Dominion on Feb. 19 after going 1-for-17 to start the season…went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBIs against William & Mary on Mar. 8…scored three runs without a hit at #8 North Carolina on Apr. 1…broke out of a 0-for-21 slump with a 2-for-5 night against N.C. State on Apr. 8…went 4-for-5 with two runs scored, a double, and two stolen bases at Duke on Apr. 23…had three hits, including a double, two runs scored, and three RBIs against Virginia in the ACC Tournament on May 17…went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs along with a home run and triple against #3 Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament on May 20…went 4-for-7 with two doubles and three RBIs against Middle Tennessee in the Clemson Regional on May 28..had two hits, including a three-run homer, against #7 San Jose State in the College World Series on June 9…listed by Baseball America as the #2 college prospect for the 2000 Major League Draft in the preseason…Preseason First-Team All-American according to NBCWA, joining Florida State’s Marshall McDougall as the only two ACC players on the team…Preseason First-Team All-American by Baseball America…Preseason Second-Team All-American according to Collegiate Baseball…listed as the #3 college and #1 ACC prospect for the 2000 Major League Draft along with being tabbed as the ACC’s best baserunner, best defensive outfielder, and outfielder with the best arm in Baseball America’s College Preview issue…Preseason First-Team All-ACC by Baseball America.
1999: Second-Team All-American by Baseball America…Third-Team All-American by NCBWA…First-Team All-Atlantic Region selection by ABCA…First-Team All-ACC…was on fire in the last 24 games, in which he hit safely in 21 of them while raising his batting average 52 points (was at .338 and finished at .390), during that stretch he was 47-for-101 (.465) with five homers, 13 doubles, and 30 RBIs while having 17 multi-hit games during the 24-game stretch…had 30 multi-hit games and 18 multi-RBI games overall…missed six games early in the season due to a torn labrum that required surgery…started 33 games in centerfield and 28 as the designated hitter…batted .390 overall with 96 hits, 78 runs scored, 17 homers, 22 doubles, a triple, 70 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, and a .490 on-base percentage…led the team in batting average, homers, extra base hits (40), total bases (171), slugging percentage (.695), on-base percentage, and two-out RBIs (27)…was second on the team in runs scored, hits, RBIs, doubles, multi-hit games, mutli-RBI games, and stolen bases…his 17 homers tied for the sixth most in a season by a Tiger…his 40 extra base hits tied for the seventh most in a season by a Tiger…his 30 multi-hit games tied for the seventh most in a season by a Tiger…his 171 total bases tied for the ninth most in a season by a Tiger…his 78 runs scored were the 10th most in a season by a Tiger…his 22 doubles tied for the 10th most in a season by a Tiger…finished third in the ACC in hitting, fifth in hits and homers, sixth in runs scored, and seventh in doubles, stolen bases, and RBIs…batted .383 with runners in scoring position…led the team with a .368 batting average against ACC teams in the regular season…hit .409 batting lefthanded…hit .459 with runners on base and .500 (5-for-10) with the bases loaded…hit a team-best .417 with 10 homers, 40 RBIs, and a .534 on-base percentage in 30 games at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…hit .366 and had 16 doubles in 32 games away from home…had a 12-game hitting streak from May 1 (first game of a doubleheader) to May 19, that streak tied for the longest by a Tiger in ’99…named to the All-ACC Tournament team by hitting .421 with four doubles, a homer, five runs scored, and a .560 on-base percentage…named to the All-Regional Team in Fayetteville by hitting .429 with eight runs scored, two doubles, two homers, six RBIs, and three stolen bases in five games…had at least two hits in each of the three games in the Super Regional at #2 Texas A&M from June 4-6, he was a team-best 7-for-13 (.538) with three doubles…hit .471 (16-for-34) in eight NCAA Tournament games and .453 (24-for-53) with nine doubles, three homers, and 13 RBIs in 13 post-season games…hit a team-best .372 against teams in the NCAA Tournament and a team-best ..372 against top-25 teams…hit .428 when playing in the outfield…was 3-for-3 with three RBIs against Coastal Carolina on Mar. 10…had four hits against Georgia on Mar. 23…went 2-for-2, both homers, with three walks, four RBIs, and five runs scored (team season high) against East Tennessee State on Apr. 1…against #6 Miami (FL) on Apr. 4, he had a career-high six RBIs, including a towering home run, hit four homers with 12 RBIs that week…had four hits, including two homers, and four RBIs against #19 Georgia Tech on Apr. 24…drove in the winning run in the 11th inning against Virginia in the second game of a doubleheader on May 1…had three hits, including a triple, three runs scored, and five RBIs (all with two outs) against #10 North Carolina on May 9…hit a grand slam and drove in five runs at N.C. State on May 14…had three hits, including two doubles, against N.C. State in the ACC Tournament on May 19…went 2-for-3 with a double, homer, and three RBIs against Maryland in the ACC Tournament on May 20…went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and a stolen base versus #2 Florida State in the ACC Tournament on May 22…went 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs in the Fayetteville Regional at #8 Arkansas on May 29…went 4-for-5 with three runs scored, three RBIs, a homer, and two doubles in the first of two games in the Fayetteville Regional against Southwest Missouri State on May 30…went 3-for-4 with an RBI at #2 Texas A&M in the Super Regional on June 4…one of 33 players invited to participate in the 1999 USA National Team Training Camp, he selected to play in the Cape Cod League instead…Preseason First-Team All-American and All-ACC outfielder, Preseason ACC Player-of-the-Year, and the best defensive outfielder in the ACC by Baseball America…also listed as the #1 college prospect in the ACC and country for the 2000 Major League Draft in Baseball America’s Early Draft Preview issue…won the Omaha Challenge in the fall, and set the Tiger “four-lapper” record with a time of 12:08.
1998: Arrived at Clemson as one of the most heralded freshmen in Tiger history and did not disappoint…named ACC Rookie-of-the-Year, becoming just the second player in Clemson history to receive the honor (Matthew LeCroy is the other)…named a First-Team Freshman All-American by The Sporting News and Collegiate Baseball…Second-Team All-ACC selection…a key reason Collegiate Baseball rated Clemson’s recruiting class #3 in the nation entering the season…also listed as the fifth-best prospect in the ACC, regardless of class, by the same publication…one of three outfielders to be named a First-Team Freshman All-American by Baseball America…Baseball America also listed Boyd as the National Freshman-of-the-Year in its midseason report…started the season going just 3-for-25, but hit .370 over the last 52 games of ’98…hit .344 overall, including a .438 on-base percentage…had a team-best 66 runs, six sacrifice flies, and 44 walks as the everyday centerfielder…also tied for the team lead with 59 RBIs…had 25 multi-hit games, including 11 games with at least three hits…hit .373 with runners in scoring position…one of two players (along with Jason Harris) to start every game…hit .382 with 42 RBIs and a .471 on-base percentage at home…hit a team-best .538 in the East Regional, that mark was also the third highest average of any player in the regional…had 11 steals in 14 attempts…the switch-hitter showed power to both gaps as he hit eight homers, a triple, and 13 doubles…had a .520 on-base percentage when leading off an inning…made many spectacular diving catches in centerfield…named ACC Player-of-the-Week on Mar. 9 by hitting .474, scoring nine runs, and driving in five more in five games…had a streak in March and April where he hit safely in 21 of 22 games, including a stretch of multi-hit games in six of seven games…scored four runs in three different games, no other Tiger scored four runs in a game in ’98…tied a Clemson game record held by many with two sacrifice flies against North Carolina-Charlotte on Feb. 26…had four hits and two RBIs at Virginia on Apr. 3…had back-to-back three-hit games at Georgia Tech from May 3-4…had at least two hits in all three East Regional games, helping him to be named to the All-Regional team…played for the USA National Team in the summer of ’98, as he joined fellow Tiger Ryan Mottl played in the World Championships in Italy…hit .264 in 39 games (21 starts), the 39 games tied for third most on the squad…had five outfield assists, two homers, and 15 RBIs…top ACC newcomer by Baseball America in the preseason.
BEFORE CLEMSON: USA Today Super 25 National Player…All-American according to USA Today…drafted in the second round by the Seattle Mariners…ninth-best high school prospect in the country according to Student Sports magazine…lettered three times in baseball at Clearwater Central Catholic High School outside of Tampa, FL…1996 Eastern Conference MVP for the Devil Rays in the Area Code Games…First-Team All-State in ’96…that team was 27-4 and ranked #1 in the state of Florida…a Team One Showcase player…coached by Todd Vaughn in high school…a participant in the USA Baseball Team Trials in the summer of 1997, he was 4-for-11 in starting four games…was also one of the first nine players invited to the 1998 USA Baseball Team Training Camp…among those nine players, he was the only freshman.
PERSONAL: His brother, Jonathan, played three seasons (1996-98) at Bluefield (VA) College, Jonathan led his team with 14 homers as senior…Patrick names Jonathan as his “best friend”…while in the eighth grade, Patrick became interested in Clemson while traveling with Jonathan on a recruiting trip to Clemson…nicknamed “Patty”…majoring in Management…born Patrick Francis Boyd on Sept. 7, 1978.
Boyd Career Stats
#32 Artie Catoe LHP * L-L * 6-3 * 190 * Fr. * HS * Lexington HS * West Columbia, SC
Freshman lefthander was red-shirted in 2000, but expects to make an impact in 2001…highly rated pitcher out of the successful Lexington High program.
2000: Red-shirted.
BEFORE CLEMSON: All-Region, All-Area, and All-State Coaches Association as a senior at Lexington High School…had a perfect 7-0 record with a 1.40 ERA his senior season…played for the State Champions as a senior at Lexington High, who finished with a 32-3 record…#5 high school prospect in the state of South Carolina by Baseball America…All-Area, All-Region, and All-State selection as a junior…tabbed as the Best Defensive Player at Lexington High as a junior…a 1998 Invitee to the East Coast Professional Showcase…a member of the 1998 Southeastern Baseball Classic All-Tournament Team…tabbed by USA Today as an Honorable Mention All-America lefthander his junior season…Lexington was 21-7 in his junior season and 20-6 in his sophomore season…selected the Lexington Post 7 team MVP in 1998…lettered three times in baseball at Lexington High…coached by Tommy Williams at Lexington High.
PERSONAL: Pronounced CAYT-oh…majoring in Elementary Education…born Archie Ray Catoe III on May 6, 1981 in Florence, SC.
#33 Mike Calitri 1B/3B * R-R * 6-3 * 206 * *Jr. * 2VL * Xaverian Brothers HS * Canton, MA
Makes the most of his opportunities…solid defensive first baseman…team-oriented player…never complains when he doesn’t getting the starting nod…shared playing time in 2000 with Michael Johnson at first base…a career .291 hitter with a .407 on-base percentage.
2000: One of seven captains…came up big in a pinch-hitting role with two homers off the bench…was 4-for-9 in a pinch-hitting role…was 5-for-7 with the bases loaded…hit .285 overall with six homers and 39 RBIs in 144 at bats (60 games, 38 starts)…made 33 starts at first base, most on the team…hit .311 against righthanders…hit .324 with two homers and 25 RBIs in just 68 at bats at home…had 11 multi-RBI games…hit a pinch-hit homer against UNLV on Mar. 3…went 3-for-4 with a double and five RBIs in the first game of a doubleheader against Maryland on Mar. 18…raised his season total to 4-for-4 with the bases loaded with a two-run bases loaded single against N.C. State on Apr. 8…hit a two-run, opposite-field home run in the second game of a doubleheader against #11 Wake Forest on Apr. 15, he was a late replacement for an injured Michael Johnson…hit a three-run triple against Elon on Apr. 18…hit a clutch pinch-hit, two-run homer at Duke on Apr. 21…came off the bench to go 2-for-4 with a two-run homer against Western Carolina in Asheville, NC on Apr. 26…had three hits, including a double, in the first game of a doubleheader at Virginia on May 13…had two hits and four RBIs at Virginia on May 14…had two hits, including an opposite-field homer against #4 Florida State in the ACC Tournament on May 18…went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBIs, and a home run against #3 Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament on May 19…hit two doubles and scored three runs against Middle Tennessee in the Clemson Regional on May 28…hit the go-ahead two-run double against #10 Mississippi State in the Clemson Super Regional on June 2, he had three RBIs on the evening…scored three runs against #10 Mississippi State in the Clemson Super Regional on June 3.
1999: Was 5-for-15 (.333) with two doubles, a homer, and three RBIs in 18 games (one start)…had a .421 on-base percentage…played at first base and third base…was 4-for-5 with two doubles, a homer, and two RBIs against ACC regular-season competition…was 3-for-3 with a homer in games on opponents’ home fields…hit a three-run double in his only at bat against Ohio on Mar. 11…tied the game against Western Carolina on May 4 with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, Clemson went on to win 11-10 in 10 innings…in his first start in over a year, he went 2-for-2 with a home run at N.C. State on May 16…had a key pinch-hit single at #2 Texas A&M in the Super Regional on June 6.
1998: Homered in his first career at bat, a two-run shot against East Carolina on Feb. 14…saw limited time, mostly at third base and designated hitter, hitting .300 in 30 at bats…played in 14 games and started six…also saw time at first base…had two doubles, a triple, and nine RBIs on the season…missed a month and a half in late March to early May due to injury…was 6-for-11 (.545) with runners in scoring position…was 5-for-10 against righthanders…had two hits in four at bats against Maine on Mar. 13…had a double, triple, two walks, and four RBIs in the second game of a doubleheader against Maine on Mar. 14.
1997: Red-shirted.
BEFORE CLEMSON: A First-Team All-Scholastic selection by the Boston Globe his senior season at Xaverian Brothers High School…batted .512 his senior season, earning him the Catholic Conference batting title…all-star selection for the AAU South Shore Baseball Club…lettered three times in both baseball and basketball…coached by Phil Penza at Xaverian Brothers High.
PERSONAL: National Society member…nicknamed “Cal”…pronounced cuh-LEE-tree…majoring in Marketing…born Michael Hennessey Calitri Mar. 14, 1978 in Brockton, MA.
Calitri Career Stats
#45 Ryan Childs RHP * L-R * 6-2 * 205 * Fr. * HS * Damascus HS * Gaithersburg, MD
Seasoned righthander…was Clemson’s #1 weekday starter in 2000…expected to be a leader in the rotation in future seasons…played on many all-star teams in his high school days..has a loose arm, fluid mechanics, and is especially tough against lefthanded batters.
2000: Had a 4-2 record and 5.21 ERA in nine starts and seven relief appearances (57.0 innings pitched)…had a .253 opponent batting average…held lefthanded hitters to a .159 batting average…opponents hit just .197 with two outs and .219 with runners on base…made his first career start against Ohio in the second game of a doubleheader on Mar. 10, he allowed five hits, no earned runs, and three walks while striking out four in 4.1 innings pitched…earned his first career win against UNC Charlotte on Mar. 22, he allowed one run and three hits in 5.0 innings…picked up the win against Georgia on Apr. 11, he allowed seven hits and four runs in 6.0 innings…got the win against Elon on Apr. 18, he allowed just three hits and no earned runs while striking out five…picked up the win against Western Carolina in Asheville, NC on Apr. 26, he allowed one earned run, five hits, and no walks while striking out four in 6.0 innings…thwarted the Yellow Jackets’ bats by pitching 1.2 scoreless relief innings at #5 Georgia Tech on Apr. 30 after three Tiger pitchers allowed 12 runs in the first 6.2 innings…started and went 6.0 innings against #3 Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament on May 20, he allowed eight hits, four runs, and one walk while striking out three.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Member of USA Junior National Team in 1999…drafted in the 17th round by the Chicago White Sox in the 1999 Major League Draft…#69 High School prospect in the nation according to Baseball America in its 1999 Early Draft Preview…#4 high school prospect in Maryland according to Baseball America…Maryland Gatorade Player-of-the-Year as a senior…was All-County, All-Metro, and Honorable Mention All-American according to USA Today as a senior…played on the “Super 7” National Champions as a junior at Damascus High School and was a member of the all-tournament team…played on the Regional and AAA State Champions (along with being the Most Valuable Pitcher), was also All-County, All-Area, Second-Team All-Metro, and a USA Today Honorable Mention All-America righthander as a junior…a member of the USA National Youth All-Star team that played in Taiwan in the summer of 1997…also played for Team One Showcase and played at Doug Kingsmore Stadium with the team…played on the CABA National Champions as a sophomore and was selected as the Most Valuable Pitcher…a member of the NABF World Series Champions in the eighth grade…lettered four times in baseball and twice in basketball at Damascus High…coached by Vic Mollet at Damascus High.
PERSONAL: His brother, Brandt, played baseball at Maryland and Indiana, while his sister, Kacey, performs in track & field at Iowa…majoring in Business…born Ryan Kenneth Childs on August 16, 1981 in Olney, MD.
Childs Career Stats
#6 Brandt Cook LHP * L-L * 5-11 * 200 * *So. * 1VL * Riverside HS * Mauldin, SC Lefthander who impressed coaches with his ability to get batters out without overpowering “stuff”.
2000: Saw action in just one game, that coming against Elon on Apr. 18, he struck out one batter and did not allow a run in 0.2 innings.
1999: Appeared in eight games out of the bullpen (17.1 innings) and had a 1-1 record…used primarily as a long reliever…had an 8.83 ERA…allowed just one stolen base in two attempts…had a 2.70 ERA and held ACC regular-season opponents .222 batting average in 6.2 innings (three appearances)…held righthanded batters to a .250 batting average in 48 at bats…had a 2.79 ERA and .188 opponent batting average in 9.2 innings (four appearances) at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…earned his first career win against #10 North Carolina on May 9, he pitched 4.1 innings, allowing three hits, one walk, and no runs in relief…pitched a season-high 5.0 innings at #2 Texas A&M in the Super Regional on June 4.
1998: Red-shirted…played for Florence in the Coastal Plain League in the summer of 1998, where he was 4-4 in 11 games (eight starts) with a 2.92 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 61.2 innings.
BEFORE CLEMSON: First-Team All-State selection as an infielder in 1997…also an Honorable Mention All-State pitcher in 1997…had a 1.44 ERA in 63.0 innings…also had 10 wins and 95 strikeouts on the mound…a member of the 1997 North-South All-Star team…1996 and 1997 Foothills Player-of-the-Year…also a ’96 and ’97 High School Sports Report All-State Honoree…All-Conference selection in 1995, 1996, and 1997…named the 1996 Spartanburg Herald-Journal Player-of-the-Year, also was All-Area by the same newspaper…1996 and 1997 High School Coaches Association All-State selection…led his team to a 51-6 combined record in 1996 and 1997…coached by Don Miller at Riverside High School…lettered four times in baseball, two times in football, and once in golf at Riverside High.
PERSONAL: Selected to “Who’s Who in Sports” National High School Edition in 1996…nicknamed “Cookie”…majoring in Political Science…born Jackson Brandt Cook on Sept. 21, 1978 in New Braunfels, TX.
Cook Career Stats
#52 J.D. Davis RHP * R-R * 6-1 * 205 * Fr. * HS * Riverdale Baptist HS * Huntingtown, MD Freshman righthander who has an unorthodox delivery.
BEFORE CLEMSON: All-County and Second-Team All-Metro as a senior at Riverdale Baptist High School…team MVP as a senior…All-County selection as a junior…selected to play in Team One Showcase and Team Maryland in ’98…selected as a “Hot Prospect” by Collegiate Baseball as a junior…member of the Maryland State Private School Champions as a sophomore and junior…Honorable Mention All-Metro as a junior…was 5-1 with five saves and a 1.01 ERA in 47.0 innings (16 appearances) as a junior, also allowed 21 hits, struck out 61, and walked 17 along with hitting .483 at the plate…was 2-1 with three saves and a 1.70 ERA in 33.0 innings pitched (17 games) as a sophomore, also allowed 20 hits, struck out 49, and walked 16 along with hitting .333…lettered four times in baseball, twice in soccer, and once in cross country…coached by Terry Terrill at Riverdale Baptist High.
PERSONAL: His brother, Devin Sweeney, played baseball at Palm Beach Atlantic…his father, Tom, played baseball at Maryland…family moved to Apollo Beach, FL in 1999, but grew up in Huntingtown, MD…major is undeclared…born Justin Michael Davis on July 12, 1980 in Newport News, VA.
#51 James Dawson RHP * R-R * 6-2 * 200 * Fr. * HS * Portland HS * Portland, ME
One of two pitchers on the 2000 team from the state of Maine (along with Matt Additon), which is also Jack Leggett’s alma mater.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Played in the Clark C. Griffith Collegiate Baseball (Wooden Bat) League in the summer of ’99 where he was Bethesda’s (MD) top reliever, was 2-1 with four saves, a 0.52 ERA, and .175 opponent batting average in 12 appearances (17.1 innings)…attended Choate Rosemary Hall Prep School in Connecticut in 1998-99, where he played one season, that team won the New England Prep School Championship…Maine Gatorade Player-of-the-year as a senior in 1998 at Portland High School…also team MVP and a First-Team All-State Pitcher as a senior…Telegram League Pitching MVP, and All-League pitcher and utility player as a senior…member of the Maine Senior All-Stars…led team to the Maine A State Championship, with an 18-3 record, as a senior…all-league pitcher and designated hitter as a junior…lettered four times in baseball, twice in football, and twice in track…on the gridiron, he was selected to the Maine Shriners Lobster Bowl Classic…All-League quarterback as a senior…coached by Tom Yankus at Choate Rosemary Hall…coached by Michael Rutherford at Portland High.
PERSONAL: His father, Jack, played football and baseball at Boston College from 1956-60…his mother, Gileen, played tennis at Saint Joseph’s College from 1969-73…major is undeclared…born James Philip Dawson on July 13, 1979 in Portland, ME.
#41 Brian Ellis C * L-R * 5-8 * 185 * *Gr. * 3VL * Hammond Academy * Columbia, SC
Hard-working catcher who worked through various injuries in his four seasons at Clemson…a consummate team player, he did so many things for the team that often went unseen…was exceptional at blocking balls in the dirt…had a career batting average of .297 and on-base percentage of .440…his one walk per every 4.22 at bats in his career ranks third best in Tiger history…his 138 career walks is sixth most in Tiger history…one of only two players (along with Brian Holstad) left from Clemson’s College World Series team of 1996 (both red-shirted that year and did not make the trip to Omaha)…voted “Most Dedicated” by his teammates…walked-on to the Tiger program in 1996 and was the starting catcher for most of 1998 along with the 1999 and 2000 seasons.
2000: One of seven captains…started 60 games, all at catcher, and subbed in three other games…batted in every spot in the lineup except third, fourth, and fifth…hit .283 with a .420 on-base percentage…had 11 steals in 15 attempts…hit .350 along with a .487 on-base percentage at home…hit .338 with runners in scoring position…14 of his 33 RBIs came with two outs…named one of 40 players on the Johnny Bench Catcher-of-the-Year Watch List…named to the All-Regional team at Clemson, where he was 4-for-10 (.400) with a tournament-high seven runs scored and three walks…went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs against UNC Charlotte on Mar. 22…hit two doubles and drove in a run against The Citadel on Mar. 25…had the game-winning double and went 3-for-7 with an RBI in the first game of a doubleheader against #11 Wake Forest on Apr. 15…tied the score in the ninth inning with two outs at Duke on Apr. 21, he hit a double down the left field line…had two hits and scored three runs at Virginia on May 14…hit a two-run homer, his first of the season, against #4 Florida State in the ACC Tournament on May 18…had two hits and scored three runs against Middle Tennessee in the Clemson Regional on May 28…went 3-for-5 with two RBIs against #10 Mississippi State in the Clemson Super Regional on June 3.
1999: Hit .265 in 223 at bats as a catcher and DH…had 15 doubles, a triple, four homers, 45 RBIs, and was 6-7 on stolen bases in 61 games (60 starts, 56 at catcher and four as the DH)…scored 60 runs and walked 50 times…his 50 walks tied for the ninth most in a season by a Tiger…had 19 RBIs in 19 conference games…hit a team-best .714 (5-for-7) with the bases loaded, including a grand slam…22 of his 45 RBIs came with two outs…batted .333 with 38 runs scored and 33 RBIs in 29 games at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…had 15 multi-hit games…was hampered by knee and foot injuries…had two hits and three RBIs against The Citadel on Mar. 3…had two hits and four RBIs in the first game of a doubleheader against George Mason on Mar. 13…had three hits and two RBIs at #1 Florida State on Apr. 11…after going hitless in his first four at bats against #20 South Carolina on Apr. 21, he drove in two runs with the bases loaded and two outs on a single to give Clemson a 5-4 win over the Gamecocks, he was down 0-2 in the count to Gamecock closer Jason Pomar and took three consecutive balls to set the stage…had four RBIs against Duke on Apr. 16…had three hits, including a grand slam, against #19 Georgia Tech on Apr. 24…had three hits and three RBIs against Virginia on May 2…tied a Clemson game record with five walks, doing so in five plate appearances before the sixth inning, against #10 North Carolina on May 9.
1998: Had an outstanding on-base percentage of .535 in 123 at bats…walked 42 times, meaning he walked once every 2.93 at bats, breaking the Clemson single-season record of 3.18 held by Doug Hoffman (1959)…hit in the leadoff spot, a rare occurrence for a catcher, in the last third of the season…missed 10 games in late March and early April due to a hand injury, but still managed to hit .374, just two points behind the team best…played in 43 games and started 38 (35 at catcher and three as the designated hitter)…hit .385 with a .560 on-base percentage against ACC teams in the regular season…saw most of the duties behind the plate the last half of the season due to his ..409 batting average against lefthanders…hit .450 with runners in scoring position…had a streak on the road in early May where he scored at least two runs in five consecutive games…hit a team-best ..438 with an on-base percentage of .584 and 29 RBIs in 80 at bats at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…hit a team-best .404 in night games…walked four times in a single game twice (Apr. 17 versus #24 N.C. State and at #24 North Carolina on May 9)…reached base 58.7 percent of the time he led off an inning…went 7-for-9 with an on-base percentage of .833 in three games in mid April to earn ACC Player-of-the-Week honors, also had nine RBIs that week…had five sacrifice bunts and did not ground into a double play…one of only two players (along with Matt Padgett) to have two four-hit or more games…went 4-for-5 against UNC Charlotte on Feb. 26 and was 4-for-4 against UNC Asheville on Apr. 15…was 2-for-2 with five RBIs versus #24 N.C. State on Apr. 18…tied a Clemson record held by many with two sacrifice bunts against The Citadel in the East Regional on May 21.
1997: Had eight hits in 25 at bats (.320) in limited playing time…appeared in 23 games, starting four…had three hits in eight at bats versus lefties…was 5-for-10 in his last three starts…went 1-for-1 with two RBIs and one run scored versus Coastal Carolina on Mar. 7…had two hits, including a double, against Charleston Southern on May 7 in a starting role at catcher…in the summer, he hit .310 with four doubles in 29 at bats for Winchester (VA) of the Valley League.
1996: Red-shirted.
BEFORE CLEMSON: The 1995 Carolina Independent School Baseball Coaches Association Player-of-the-Year as a senior…an all-area and all-conference selection in 1994 and 1995…Player-of-the-Year of the Charlotte Independent Schools Athletic Association in ’95 as a senior…all-state as well in ’95 by the same association…Hammond Academy team MVP in ’94 and ’95…earned three letters in football and three letters in baseball at Hammond Academy. PERSONAL: His mother (Edna) and father (Larry) traveled to all Clemson’s games in his last few years, Edna could be considered the “team mom” thanks to her warmth and kindness…nicknamed “Elly”…graduated in May, 2000 with a degree in Agriculture Economics…born Brian John Ellis on Jan. 9, 1977 in Columbia, SC.
Ellis Career Stats
#12 Kyle Frank OF * L-L * 5-9 * 175 * So. * 1VL * Kingswood Regional HS * Wolfeboro, NH
Hard-working outfielder…has a strong will to improve.
1999: Batted .255 in 94 at bats and 46 games (26 starts, 17 in right field and nine in left field)…had a .395 on-base percentage…scored 19 runs, and had six doubles, a triple, and 16 RBIs…did not commit an error while having 48 putouts in the outfield…had two four-hit games…was used as a defensive specialist in the latter part of the season…made the 25-player post-season travel roster…pitched 1.1 innings of relief in the second game of a doubleheader against Liberty on Mar. 6…was 2-for-2 with two RBIs against East Tennessee State on Apr. 1…went 4-for-5 with four RBIs at Western Carolina on Apr. 6…was 4-for-4 with two RBIs against Duke on Apr. 17 .
BEFORE CLEMSON: All-State outfielder his last four seasons at Kingswood Regional High School…team’s most outstanding offensive player and team MVP from 1996-98…Class I Player-of-the-Year as a junior…a member of the Junior Olympic Championship All-Star team in Fort Myers, FL…Team One Showcase member that played at Clemson in 1997…hit .493 with 38 runs while striking out just twice as a junior…team captain in both baseball and football as a junior and senior…earned four letters in both baseball and football…a Scholar Athlete his last four seasons and a National Honor Society member…is a black belt in karate…coached by Chip Skelley at Kingswood Regional High.
PERSONAL: Majoring in Computer Information Systems…born Kyle William Frank on Sept. 18, 1979 in Mount Kisco, NY.
Frank Career Stats
#37 Nick Glaser RHP * R-R * 6-1 * 190 * *Jr. * JC * Edmonds CC * Wishkah, WA
Experienced righthander who was one of two Edmonds CC transfers who joined the Tiger program in 2000…his 15 career saves ranks third in Clemson history…exudes a fiery nature on the mound…not afraid to show his emotions as well…has a sling-shot delivery and throws a sharp-breaking slider.
2000: Third-Team All-America relief pitcher by NCBWA…Second-Team All-ACC relief pitcher…led the ACC with 15 saves…the 15 saves is the most in a season in Clemson history…his 33 appearances and 33 relief appearances are both tied for most in a season in Tiger history…had a 2.45 ERA in 40.1 innings pitched…allowed 38 hits, 11 earned runs, 29 walks, six of which were intentional, and a .257 opponent batting average…had 40 strikeouts…only allowed one homer…had a 0.96 ERA and 12 saves in 22 relief apperances at home…held opponents to a .174 batting average with two outs…had a 2.01 ERA, five saves, and a .190 opponent batting average against top-25 ranked teams…went his first 11 outings and 12.2 innings without allowing an earned run, he also allowed just eight hits in his first 11 outings and had eight saves…picked up the save in the season opener against #7 Rice on Jan. 28 in the ACC Disney Blast at Lake Buena Vista, FL by pitching a scoreless inning…in Clemson’s second game of 2000, he struck out three and walked one in 1.0 innings to close out #4 Miami (FL) on Jan. 29 in the ACC Disney Blast at Lake Buena Vista, FL…earned the save against James Madison on Feb. 25 by striking out the two batters he faced (with the bases loaded)…picked up the save by pitching 2.0 scoreless innings against James Madison on Feb. 27…pitched a perfect ninth inning to pick up the save against Coastal Carolina on Mar. 1…pitched 2.0 shutout innings, striking out five, to pick up the save against Ohio in the second game of a doubleheader on Mar. 10…pitched 4.0 shutout innings, allowing just two hits while striking out five in the first game of a doubleheader against #11 Wake Forest on Apr. 15, Clemson went on to win 6-5 in 12 innings thanks to him keeping the Demon Deacons in check in the late innings…then he pitched 2.0 scoreless in the second game of a doubleheader against #11 Wake Forest on Apr. 15 to earn his 11th save, second most in a season in Tiger history…earned the save at #5 Georgia Tech on Apr. 30…picked up save #13 by pitching 1.2 hitless and scoreless innings against #4 Florida State on May 8…tied the Tiger single-season record for saves with 14 by picking up a save in the first game of a doubleheader at Virginia on May 13…broke the Clemson single-season record with his 15th save against #10 Mississippi State in the Clemson Super Regional on June 3, he pitched 3.0 innings, allowing two hits and no runs.
BEFORE CLEMSON: First-Team All-NWAALL Northern Division in 1999 at Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood, WA…started and relieved at Edmonds…was 5-3 with five saves and a 2.35 ERA in ’99…drafted in the 32nd round of the ’98 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks…Second-Team All-NWAALL in ’98…member of the NWAALL Champions in ’98 and was 5-4 with a 3.80 ERA and four saves…attended Washington in ’97 and was a member of the baseball team, but did not play…First-Team All-Conference in his freshman through senior seasons and was league MVP as a senior at Wishkah Valley High…lettered four times each in baseball, football, and basketball…captain of all three sports at one time…coached by Travis Jewitt and Hank King (current Clemson assistant coach) at Edmonds…coached by Ed Wolkiewicz, Sr. at Wishkah Valley High.
PERSONAL: His brother, Jay, played baseball at Washington State…pronounced GLAY-zur…majoring in Speech & Communications…born Marlo Nicholas Glaser on July 12, 1978 in Escondido, CA.
Glaser Career Stats
#14 Khalil Greene 3B * R-R * 5-10 * 202 * So. * 1VL * Key West HS * Key West, FL
Exudes a quiet nature off the field but you would never know it while watching him on it…aggressive hitter who was a consistent hitter and improved significantly in the field th in 2000 with only 14 errors…has a strong arm as well and makes tough plays, especially “short and in-between hops”, look routine…has started all but on game at third base in his career…has power to both gaps…his .361 career batting average ranks ninth best in Tiger history…has a career .453 on-base percentage…a career .450 hitter with six doubles, a triple, two homers, 10 RBIs, and a .532 on-base percentage in the ACC Tournament…a career .387 hitter with 13 doubles and 15 RBIs in 16 NCAA Tournament games.
2000: Second-Team All-ACC third baseman, would probably be a first-team selection in most conferences if it were not for Georgia Tech All-American Mark Teixeira…hit .364 in starting all 69 games at third base…had 24 doubles, three triples, five homers, and 64 RBIs along with a .470 on-base percentage…was very good defensively, committing just 14 errors for a .937 fielding percentage…was hit by a pitch 15 times, third most in a season in Tiger history…hit a team-best .421 with a .530 on-base percentage and .621 slugging percentage against regular-season ACC competition…hit a team-best ..417 with runners on base and .444 with runners in scoring position…35 of his 64 RBIs (55 percent) have come with two outs…hit a team-best .436 away from home…had 28 multi-hit games…hit a team-best .359 against top-25 ranked teams…hit .406 with 19 RBIs in 15 May games…had an outstanding performance in the ACC Disney Blast at Lake Buena Vista, FL >from Jan. 28-30, he hit a team-best .455 (5-for-11) with three RBIs…had a 20-game hitting streak (tied for 10th longest in Clemson history) from Apr. 21 to May 26, he was 38-for-83 (.458) with 25 RBIs during the streak, the hitting streak was the longest by a Tiger since Matthew LeCroy had a 22-game hitting streak that started in 1996 and ended in 1997…named to the All-ACC Tournament team by hitting .500 (11-for-22) with seven runs scored, two doubles, a triple, a homer, and six RBIs…had four doubles in three College World Series games…went 3-for-5 with three RBIs against Ohio in the first game of a doubleheader on Mar. 10…went 3-for-4 with an RBI against Ohio on Mar. 11…went 3-for-4 with a double and homer at Georgia on Mar. 29…went 4-for-5 with three doubles, two runs scored, a stolen base, and six RBIs at #8 North Carolina on Apr. 1…went 3-for-4 with an RBI against Furman on Apr. 5…was 2-for-4 with four RBIs, a double, and home run against Elon on Apr. 18…went 5-for-6 with two RBIs and a double at Duke on Apr. 23…went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, two RBIs, and a homer at #5 Georgia Tech on Apr. 30…went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs against #2 Florida State on May 6…went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a stolen base against #2 Florida State on May 7…earned ACC Player-of-the-Week honors for going 6-for-8 with five RBIs in two games against #2 Florida State from May 6-7…hit two doubles and drove in three runs at Virginia on May 14…had two hits and three RBIs along with a triple against Virginia in the ACC Tournament on May 17…went 5-for-5 with a double, three runs scored, and an RBI against Virginia in the ACC Tournament on May 20…went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two doubles against #10 Mississippi State in the Clemson Super Regional on June 2…hit two doubles against #7 San Jose State in the College World Series on June 9…had two doubles, two RBIs, and two walks in three at bats against #8 Louisiana-Lafayette in the College World Series on June 14.
1999: Burst onto the scene with a tremendous freshman season…was the most consistent hitter on the squad in the fall workouts before the ’99 season according to Leggett, and showed why a few months later…was a Third-Team Freshman All-American according to Baseball America…one of three Tigers to play in all 69 games (Jason Harris and Henr’ Stanley were the others), the 69 games tied for the sixth most in a season by a Tiger…started 68 games, all at third base…broke Shane Monahan’s freshman record for hits with 98…led the team with 31 multi-hit games…batted .358 overall with eight homers, 20 doubles, a triple, and 69 RBIs to go along with nine stolen bases and a .436 on-base percentage…led the team in at bats (274), hits, multi-hit games, and hit-by-pitches (11)…his 272 at bats was the 10th most in a season by a Tiger…his 98 hits tied for the ninth most, his 31 multi-hit games was sixth most, and his 69 singles tied for the seventh most in a season by a Tiger…finished fourth in the ACC in hits, and eighth in doubles and RBIs…batted .453 against lefthanders…hit .400 with four homers and 44 RBIs in 32 games at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…named to the All-ACC Tournament team by hitting .389 with four doubles, a home run, and four RBIs while not committing an error in 12 chances…named to the All-Regional Team in Fayetteville by hitting a tournament-best .611 (11-for-18) with five doubles, 10 RBIs, and no errors in five games, he was one of just two unanimous selections to the team…hit .519 (14-for-27) in the NCAA Tournament and .467 (21-for-45) in the post-season…one of the hottest Tigers in the last month of the season, as he was 33-for-69 (.478) in the last 19 games with two homers and 27 RBIs (also had 12 multi-hit games over that stretch), was down to as low as .304 but raised his average 54 points thanks to the late-season surge…had 10 doubles in his last 13 games after hitting just 10 doubles in his first 56 games…had an 11-game hitting streak >from Mar. 6 (second game of a doubleheader) to Mar. 24…was 38-for-87 (.437) in his first 21 games, hitting safely in 19 of those contests…hit his first career home run, an inside-the-park homer, against Nevada in the UNLV/Coors Desert Classic on Feb. 27…had 11 hits in five games in the UNLV/Coors Desert Classic from Feb. 25-28…then had back-to-back three-hit games in the next two games against The Citadel (Apr. 3) and Liberty (Apr. 5), also drove in four runs against The Citadel…was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and four RBIs in the first game of a doubleheader against George Mason on Mar. 13…had four hits and three RBIs against Georgia on Apr. 23…went 3-for-4 with three RBIs against Duke on Apr. 18…had three hits and two RBIs against #19 Georgia Tech on Apr. 24…had three hits, including a long home run, along with three runs scored and five RBIs against #10 North Carolina on May 9…the next night on May 10, he went 3-for-4 with a homer, double, and four RBIs versus #14 North Carolina…had two hits against the #14 Tar Heels on May 11, giving him eight hits in 12 at bats in the series against North Carolina…had two hits, including a home run, and three RBIs at N.C. State on May 15…went 3-for-4 with two doubles against N.C. State in the ACC Tournament on May 19…had two hits, including a three-run homer well over the “Blue Monster” and “Bull” in left field, against #15 Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament on May 22…was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a double in the Fayetteville Regional against Delaware on May 29…was 4-for-5 with three doubles (team-season high) and three RBIs in the Fayetteville Regional at #8 Arkansas on May 29, the three doubles tied an NCAA Tournament single-game record held by many, he also became just the eighth Tiger to hit three doubles in a game…went 1-for-1 with a double, three RBIs, a sacrifice fly, and two walks in the second of two games on May 30 in the Fayetteville Regional against Southwest Missouri State.
BEFORE CLEMSON: The all-time hits and single-season runs scored leader in Key West High School history…a Dade County All-Star team selection in his senior season…played for the state champions at Key West High as a sophomore…lettered three times in baseball…coached by Brooks Carey at Key West High.
PERSONAL: Pronounced kuh-LEEL…avid professional wresting fan, favorite wrestler is Ric Flair, he, like Flair, has blonde hair…nicknamed “K.G.”…his family moved to Greer, SC during his sophomore season…major is undeclared…born Khalil T. Greene on Oct. 21, 1979 in Butler, PA.
Greene Career Stats
#49 Paul Harrelson RHP * R-R * 6-2 * 176 * Fr. * HS * Spartanburg Day School * Spartanburg, SC
Intelligent righthander who saw action mostly in long relief as a freshman…highly rated pitcher who needs to develop physically, but has the mental tools and the control to succeed at the collegiate level.
2000: Had a 3-0 record with a 3.96 ERA as a long reliever and spot starter…made 13 relief appearances and two starts…allowed just one homer in 25.0 innings pitched…opposing righthanded hitters batted just .230…earned his first career victory against Ohio in the second game of a doubleheader on Mar. 10, he pitched 2.2 scoreless innings of relief…in his first career start, he earned the win against The Citadel on Mar. 26, he allowed six hits and two runs in 6.0 innings…allowed no earned runs and five hits in 5.2 innings to earn the win in a starting role against Furman on Apr. 5.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Had a 6-0 record with a 1.51 ERA in 59.0 innings in Legion in ’99, also had 73 strikeouts against only 19 walks…in his sophomore through senior seasons, he had a school-record 335 strikeouts against just 61 walks in 187.1 innings…team MVP, All-County, All-Conference, and All-State as a senior at Spartanburg Day School…also was conference MVP, Carolina Athletic Association Player-of-the-Year, and played on the conference champions as a senior…was 6-2 with a 1.01 ERA in 46.0 innings as a senior, also had 72 strikeouts and only five walks…#6 high school prospect in South Carolina by Baseball America…member of the Carolina Clippers (South Carolina’s traveling team) All-Star team in 1998, where he was 6-0 in eight starts with 33 strikeouts in 41.2 innings, also allowed 16 walks and had a 2.91 ERA…he was his Legion team’s Pitcher-of-the-Year in ’97…in his sophomore and junior seasons at Spartanburg Day School, he combined for 263 strikeouts in 141.1 innings, also allowed just 75 hits and 56 walks, and had a 1.31 ERA…in 1996 and 1997 in Legion play, he was a combined 7-3 in 79.0 innings…earned First-Team All-Conference NCISSA-CAA honors as a freshman and sophomore and was the MVP in both seasons as well…lettered a total of six times in baseball…coached by Mike Johnson at Spartanburg Day School.
PERSONAL: Majoring in General Engineering…nicknamed “Hawk” and “Woody”…born Paul Harper Harrelson on July 24, 1981 in Spartanburg, SC.
Harrelson Career Stats
#21 Matt Henrie RHP * L-R * 6-3 * 195 * So. * 1VL * Cardinal Newman HS * Jupiter, FL
Rangy righthander who saw limited action in relief in ’99…one of four Tigers from the state of Florida and one of seven Tiger pitchers who stand at 6-3 or taller.
2000: Red-shirted
1999: Appeared in five games, pitching 3.1 innings (allowed five earned runs)…traveled on a few weekend road trips with the team, but saw action in only one game on the road (against Creighton on Feb. 28 in the UNLV/Coors Desert Classic at Las Vegas, NV)…pitched 1.0 innings each against East Tennessee State (Apr. 1), Duke (Apr. 16), and #19 Georgia Tech (Apr. 23) without allowing a run…played for Winchester (VA) of the Valley League in the summer…made the All-Star team…was 1-2 with a 3.57 ERA and four saves in 10 relief appearances for Winchester…also had a 23-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and allowed 21 hits and a .236 batting average in 22.2 innings for Winchester.
BEFORE CLEMSON: A Second-Team All-County selection as a junior at Cardinal Newman High School, where he was both an oustanding pitcher and position player…led Cardinal Newman High in triples and was second in slugging percentage as a junior…lettered in baseball multiple times…coached by Jack Kokinda at Cardinal Newman High.
PERSONAL: Has lived in Singapore and Hong Kong among other cities…majoring in Management…born Matthew Scott Henrie on Nov. 28, 1979 in Brownsville, TX.
Henrie Career Stats
#29 Patrick Hogan RHP * R-R * 6-3 * 225 * Fr. * HS * Irmo HS * Columbia, SC
Imposing righthander…needs some work but has the potential to be an outstanding pitcher in the future…comes to Clemson from one of the best high school programs in the state (Irmo High School).
BEFORE CLEMSON: All-Region selection on the diamond as a senior at Irmo High School…#4 high school prospect in South Carolina according to Baseball America…team MVP for Legion Post 174 in 1998, where he had a 4-2 record on the mound…a member of the AAAA State Champions at Irmo High in his junior season, that team had a #15 final ranking by USA Today and had a final record of 32-3…that team was also Region III AAAA champions…had a 7-1 record on the mound as a junior…was 4-2 in 1997 for Post 174, that team was the Upper State champions and state runner-ups…participated in the 1997 Junior Olympics – AAU Nationals…was 4-2 on the mound as a sophomore and 3-1 as a freshman…lettered four times in baseball and twice in basketball at Irmo High…played in the North-South All-Star basketball game as a senior…was also an All-Region selection as a senior on the hardwood…coached by Strother Sligh at Irmo High.
PERSONAL: His father, Mike, played baseball at East Carolina >from 1971-74…major is undeclared…born Patrick Michael Hogan on April 10, 1981 in Greenville, NC.
#8 Brian Holstad INF/OF * R-R * 5-10 * 185 * *Gr. * 3VL * Orangeburg Prep * Cameron, SC
Fifth-year player who led by example…saw his playing time go down as a senior, but never complained…reliable player who played left and right field, and was a starter at second and third bases…had good speed, he was 31-40 in his career on the basepaths…had 15 career sacrifice bunts, tied for second-best in Tiger history…one of only two players (along with Brian Ellis) left from Clemson’s 1996 College World Series team (both red-shirted that year and did not make the trip to Omaha)…a career .264 hitter with 113 runs scored and 64 RBIs in 197 games (136 starts)…a career .385 hitter with a .469 on-base percentage in the ACC Tournament.
2000: One of seven captains…hit .200 in 37 games, including seven starts at second base…led the team with 30 games off the bench…also saw action at third base and outfield…was 7-for-35 overall with nine runs scored and four RBIs…was primarily used as a late-inning defensive replacement and pinch-runner…was 2-2 on stolen bases…hit a run-scoring single against Virginia in the ACC Tournament on May 20…had a pinch-hit, run-scoring single against Middle Tennessee in the Clemson Regional on May 28…winner among all fielders in Clemson’s “Omaha Challenge,” a preseason conditioning contest.
1999: Batted .313 as a left and right fielder…had a .444 on-base percentage…had five doubles, a triple, a homer, 16 RBIs, and scored 30 runs…played in 50 games primarily in the outfield after playing his first two seasons at second and third bases, started 38 games (21 in left field and 17 in right field)…had nine two-out RBIs…batted ..379 with a .507 on-base percentage at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…hit a team-best .421 (8-for-19) with a .593 on-base percentage in neutral-site games…hit a team-best .500 (4-for-8) in the ACC Tournament…had a nine-game hitting streak from Apr. 13 to May 1 (first game of a doubleheader)…went 2-for-5 with two RBIs in the season opener against Kansas State on Feb. 12…went 2-for-3 with two RBIs in the second game of a doubleheader against George Mason on Mar. 13…had two hits and scored three runs against #6 Miami (FL) on Apr. 4…had three RBIs against #19 Georgia Tech on Apr. 23…walked four times and scored three runs against Virginia on May 2…had two hits, including a double, and one RBI in three at bats against #14 North Carolina on May 11…went 3-for-4 with two runs scored against N.C. State in the ACC Tournament on May 19.
1998: Along with Derek Borgert, Holstad was one of the hottest hitters in the last half of the season…hit .301 overall, despite his batting average being at .228 in mid-March…had a .436 on-base percentage…tied for the team lead with 15 stolen bases…his 0.33 stolen bases per game was sixth best in the ACC…hit .375 in his last 28 games…hit a team best .545 in away games, and hit .345 at night and .364 versus top-25 teams…ended the ACC regular season with the second highest batting average on the team at .400…also had a .553 on-base percentage and .970 fielding percentage in ACC regular-season play…had a .475 on-base percentage when leading off an inning…platooned all year at third base with freshman Justin Singleton…committed only one error in his 15 ACC regular-season games…was the only Tiger to steal three bases in a game, he did so twice…tied a Clemson game record held by many with two sacrifice bunts at #24 North Carolina on May 9…went 3-for-3 at #24 North Carolina on May 10.
1997: Stepped in at second base after Kurt Bultmann moved to shortstop to replace Doug Roper, who went down with a season-ending injury…started every game at second except the first game of the season…led the team with 11 steals…only Tiger to steal two bases in a game in ’97…most consistent fielder on the team…had a .966 fielding percentage…led the team with six sacrifice bunts and tied for the team lead with five sacrifice flies…went 3-for-5 against Kentucky on Feb. 23…had two doubles, three RBIs, and two runs scored in two plate appearances on Mar. 16 against Virginia…was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and a stolen base at Wake Forest on Mar. 30…hit his first collegiate homer on Apr. 6 at Florida State…went 3-for-4 with a double, triple, and three RBIs against Duke on Apr. 11…went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base against Tennessee on Apr. 15…had a two-run single against Nevada in the Central Regional.
BEFORE CLEMSON: SCISAA Player-of-the-Year in baseball and football in 1995…1995 all-state selection in football and baseball…batted .456 his senior season at Orangeburg Prep…earned five varsity letters in baseball and three in football…MVP of his high school from 1993-1995…coached by Sam Lambrecht at Orangeburg Prep.
PERSONAL: His father, Steve, played football at South Carolina (1969-72)…brother, Chris, played baseball at UNC Wilmington (1990-93)…pronounced HOHL-stadd…graduated in May, 2000 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering…born Brian Harvey Holstad on Sept. 22, 1976.
Holstad Career Stats
#15 Ryan Hub OF * R-R * 6-1 * 177 * Fr. * HS * Sumter HS * Sumter, SC
Outfielder who has the tools and ability to make a big impact in the future when he gets more experience and develops physically…son of a father who is in the military.
2000: Hit .229 in 31 games (nine starts, all in right field) and 35 at bats…had two hits in two at bats and scored a run against Middle Tennessee in the Clemson Regional on May 28.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Played in the North-South All-Star game as a senior at Sumter High…also was All-Region and All-State as a senior…member of the 1998 Junior Showcase (High School Sports Report) All-Star team…Legion Post 15 team MVP and Legion State Tournament MVP in 1998…led Legion team in ’98 in homers (12), doubles, slugging percentage, and sacrifice bunts, he batted over .375 in 30 games…received the Sumter High Baseball Silver Bat Award, going to the best hitter, as a junior…all-region selection as a junior…led his team in homers (6), slugging percentage, and doubles as a junior…lettered three times in baseball…coached by former Clemson All-ACC outfielder Brooks Shumake (1982-84) at Sumter High, who led Clemson in doubles (14) and runs scored (60) in ’84, and stolen bases in all three seasons.
PERSONAL: Has lived in South Korea, Kuwait, and England, he is the son of a retired Air Force pilot, Michael retired in April 2000 after flying an F-111 for 27 years…Ryan hopes to pursue a career in the Marine Corps after graduation…majoring in Political Science…born Ryan Michael Hub on September 21, 1980 in Suffolk, England.
Hub Career Stats
#31 Michael Johnson 1B * L-R * 6-3 * 215 * *Fr. * RS * Georgetown HS * Georgetown, SC
Promising first baseman who showed tremendous power…with more consistency, he will be a fixture in the Tiger lineup for years to come.
2000: Missed 15 games up until the Clemson Regional with a broken hand, but returned to come off the bench in all three regional games and one Super Regional game…hit .306 with three homers and 27 RBIs in 121 at bats…made 32 starts (30 at first base and two as the DH) and subbed in 12 other games…had three multi-RBI games, two of which were five-RBI games…hit a double in his first official career at bat against #23 Central Florida on Jan. 30 in the ACC Disney Blast at Lake Buena Vista, FL…hit two homers (first two of his career and first two by Clemson in 2000) against Old Dominion on Feb. 20, one of the homers was a grand slam and he went 3-for-4 with five RBIs…scored two runs and had an RBI along with a double and triple against #17 East Carolina on Mar. 14…had five RBIs, including a triple and home run, against Maryland on Mar. 17…hit two doubles and drove in a run against The Citadel on Mar. 25…went 2-for-3 with a two-run double, which turned out to be the decisive runs in Clemson’s 3-2 win, against Furman on Apr. 5.
1999: Red-shirted.
BEFORE CLEMSON: All-Region VII AAA selection as a junior…also a member of the Sun News “Toast of the Coast” and the Post & Courier All-Lowcountry Team…a 1997 South Carolina High School Sports Report Select mini-camp invitee…played for the Region VII AAA champions with a record of 18-9, including a 10-0 record in region play, as a junior…hit .422 with 14 doubles in only 90 at bats as a junior…broke the Georgetown High School single-season record for runs scored with 40 and doubles with 14 in his junior season, also tied the school record with 38 hits that same season…lettered four times in baseball…earned three academic letters for being on the honor roll from 1995-97…inducted into the National Honor Society…attended the Clemson Baseball Camp for six years from 1992-97, and won the hitting award in 1993 and 1997…coached by his father, Mike Johnson Sr., at Georgetown High School.
PERSONAL: His father, Mike Sr., played baseball at Erskine from 1966-69…his grandfather, Farrel Owens, played football and baseball at Clemson in the early 1950s…nicknamed “M.J.”…majoring in Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Science…born William Michael Johnson, Jr. on June 25, 1980 in Georgetown, SC.
Johnson Career Stats
#18 B.J. LaMura RHP * R-R * 6-0 * 170 * Fr. * HS * Connetquot HS * Ronkonkoma, NY
Highly touted freshman righthander out of Long Island, NY…throws as high as the low 90s.
2000: Appeared in eight games, all in relief (8.0 innings pitched)…allowed 15 hits, nine earned runs, and seven walks while striking out nine…had a 2.45 ERA against regular-season ACC competition…finished five games, third most on the team…pitched a scoreless ninth inning against Maryland in the second game of a doubleheader on Mar. 18…struck out the side, all looking, in the ninth inning against N.C. State on Apr. 8…pitched 1.1 innings, allowing three hits and one run against Virginia in the ACC Tournament on May 20…pitched a scoreless inning against #1 Stanford in the College World Series on June 11, he threw just four pitches against the Cardinal.
BEFORE CLEMSON: #100 High School prospect in the nation by Baseball America in its 1999 Early Draft Preview…#3 high school prospect in New York by Baseball America…First-Team All-State, All-County, All-League, and Honorable Mention State Player-of-the-Year as a senior at Connetquot High School…Gold Glove Award Winner as a senior…played on three league championship teams and one county runner-up…FABL All-Star and Exceptional Senior All-Star as a senior…All-County, All-League, and League I MVP as a junior…All-League Academic as well…played three varsity sports as a freshman at Connetquot High…played quarterback and free safety in football…also played basketball (guard) and soccer (center forward)…was Division I All-League in basketball…coached by Bob Ambrosini at Connetquot High.
PERSONAL: Pronounced luh-MOOR-uh…major is undeclared…born William Joseph LaMura on January 1, 1981 in Mineola, NY.
LaMura Career Stats
#2 Bradley LeCroy OF/INF * R-R * 5-11 * 185 * Sr. *3VL * Walhalla HS * Walhalla, SC
Veteran shortstop who played a variety of infield positions…saw time in the outfield as well due to Clemson’s infield depth…a career .266 hitter in 173 games (97 starts)…had 14 career sacrifice bunts…local player from Walhalla, which is about a 20-minute drive from Clemson…had a steady glove and showed good power to the opposite field…one of Clemson’s most versatile players.
2000: Hit .275 in 109 at bats…started 31 games (11 at second base, 10 as the DH, five in right field, and five at shortstop) and appeared in 24 other games…hit .360 (18-for-50) in his last 22 games…hit ..358 away from home…hit .357 in day games, second best on the team…hit .348 and had a .974 fielding percentage when playing shortstop…went 2-for-3 with a run scored against UNLV on Mar. 5…went 2-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt at Duke on Apr. 22, he also made his first career start in the outfield in that game and gunned down a runner at home off a fly ball in right field…went 3-for-5 with four runs scored and two doubles against Western Carolina in Asheville, NC on Apr. 26…also had an assist in his second career start in the outfield at #5 Georgia Tech on Apr. 28…went 4-for-6 with a double, four runs scored, and two RBIs at Virginia on May 14…had two hits, including a double, against #4 Florida State in the ACC Tournament on May 18…had two hits, a double, and a stolen base against Virginia in the ACC Tournament on May 20, he started four games at shortstop in the tournament due to Jeff Baker’s leg injury.
1999: Emerged as the everyday shorstop after playing in a reserve roll his first two seasons…played in 64 games, starting 59 (57 at shortstop, one at second base, and one as the DH)…hit .286 with 14 doubles, a triple, three homers, and 44 RBIs to go along with 13-16 on stolen bases…led the team with seven sacrifice bunts, which tied for the fifth most in a season by a Tiger…had 17 multi-hit games and 15 multi-RBI games…was 5-for-12 (.417) with two doubles and four RBIs while not committing an error in 14 chances in the Super Regional at #2 Texas A&M from June 4-6…hit .333 (10-for-30) with seven RBIs in eight NCAA Tournament games…had two hits and three RBIs in the second game of a doubleheader against Liberty on Mar. 6…went 3-for-4 with three RBIs at Maryland on Mar. 19…went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and three RBIs against East Tennessee State on Apr. 1…hit a two-run homer at South Carolina on Apr. 14…had three hits and two RBIs against #19 Georgia Tech on Apr. 23…went 3-for-5 with three RBIs against Virginia on May 2…went 2-for-4 with three RBIs in the Fayetteville Regional against Delaware on May 29…had two hits and two RBIs at #2 Texas A&M in the Super Regional on June 5…had a single, double, two runs scored, and two RBIs at #2 Texas A&M in the Super Regional on June 6, his two out, two run-single tied the game in the seventh inning…played for Winchester (VA) of the Valley League in the summer, was an All-Star selection…hit .248 with 24 RBIs in 43 games for Winchester and tied with fellow Tiger Casey Stone for the team lead with 12 stolen bases.
1998: One of the most versatile players on the ’98 team, even appeared behind the plate for an inning…was 6-for-27 in 24 games (including two starts)…ended the season on a four-game hitting streak…had two hits, including a grand slam, in three at bats in games away from home…had a pinch hit at Georgia Tech on May 5…made a crucial play on a sharply hit “one-hopper” after coming in the ninth inning to preserve Clemson’s 7-6 victory at #24 North Carolina on May 10…hit a grand slam against #15 Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament on May 14, it was his first career home run…played for Florence (SC) of the Coastal Plain League in the summer of ’98, he hit .231 in 45 games.
1997: Earned playing time at shortstop and second base as a true freshman…played in 30 games, starting five…had a key two-out bases-loaded hit to drive in two runs against South Carolina on Apr. 9…had the game-winning hit, which scored two runs, against Charleston Southern on May 7.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Anderson Independent-Mail Player-of-the-Year as a junior…native of nearby Walhalla (SC), where he played baseball, football, and basketball at Walhalla High…all-state selection in all three sports as a senior…all-state baseball selection in 1995 and 1996…All-Skyline pick from 1993-96…also the 1995 Skyline Conference Player-of-the-Year…hit .424 and .413 in his sophomore and junior seasons, respectively…traveled to Holland as an East-West Ambassador in the summer of 1995 and was MVP of the Amsterdam Pirates Tournament…featured on Greenville’s Channel 4 (WYFF) on its Prep Spotlight in ’95…played Legion for Seneca Post 120 from 1993-95.
PERSONAL: No relation to former Tiger All-American Matthew LeCroy…pronounced lee-CROY…majoring in Technology Human Resource Development…born Bradley James LeCroy on Feb. 1, 1978 in Anderson, SC.
LeCroy Career Stats
#17 Alan Lindsey OF * R-R * 6-1 * 200 * Fr. * HS * Lee-Davis HS * Mechanicsville, VA
Freshman outfielder.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Drafted in the 44th round by the Boston Red Sox in ’99…Virginia High School League All-Star team member as a senior at Lee-Davis High School…All-Capital District, Second-Team All-Metro, and Second-Team All-Region as a senior…team won the Capital District championship as a senior…’98 Team One Showcase player…hit .391 in the summer of ’98 in Legion with 12 stolen bases and a .491 on-base percentage…selected to the East-West Legion All-Star game in ’98…hit .350 with three homers, 15 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases as a junior, also led team to a 17-6 record and the district championship…Gold Medal winner at the Commonwealth Games as a junior…hit .373 in Legion in ’97, also an All-Star team selection…as a sophomore, hit .307, helping his team to the Virginia AAA State Championship, team finished 20-6…lettered four times in baseball and twice in volleyball…First-Team All-District middle hitter…academic letter honor roll member for four years…coached by Kenny Lewis at Lee-Davis High.
PERSONAL: Major is undeclared…born James Alan Lindsey on November 7, 1980 in Mechanicsville, VA.
#22 Justin Lombardi LHP * L-L * 6-3 * 202 * Jr. * 1VL * Univ. of Alabama * Taunton, MA
Hard-throwing lefty…his delivery is three-quarters, which makes his pitches hard to pick up.
2000: Appeared in four games in relief (2.2 innings pitched) and had a save…did not allow a run and struck out four…pitched a scoreless ninth inning against Ohio on Mar. 11…pitched 1.1 innings, allowing no runs while striking out two to earn his first save as a Tiger in the first game of a doubleheader against Maryland on Mar. 18…appeared in games at #8 North Carolina on Mar. 31 and against #11 Wake Forest in the second game of a doubleheader on Apr. 15.
1999: Appeared in 10 games (9.1 innings) out of the bullpen…struck out 17 and allowed 12 earned runs…struck out 10 in his last three outings (4.1 innings) against #19 Georgia Tech, Winthrop, and N.C. State…allowed a run and a hit while striking out five in 2.1 innings at N.C. State on May 14.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Transferred from Alabama, where he played as a freshman in 1998…had a 2.70 ERA in 23.1 innings (eight appearances)…also was 2-0 with 22 strikeouts against 10 walks, as he picked up wins against Mercer and West Alabama…attended Coyle and Cassidy High School in Massachusetts, where he was a four-year starter…was 24-5 with a 1.80 ERA and 277 strikeouts in his high school career, pitched 175.0 innings, allowing just 117 hits, 35 walks, and 35 earned runs…set school records for most career wins, winning percentage, ERA, innings, and strikeouts, all records were previously held by his father, Randy (1976)…was 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA as a senior in limited action due to injury…was 10-3 with a 1.11 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 73.0 innings as a junior…27th-round draft pick by the Colorado Rockies…played in the 1996 Area Code games…participated in the U.S. Olympic trials…coached by Brian Nichols at Coyle and Cassidy High.
PERSONAL: Father, Randy, was a pitcher at Eckerd College (1977-81)…nicknamed “Vinny”…majoring in Marketing…born Justin J. Lombardi on Aug. 27, 1979.
Lombardi Career Stats
* – stats at Alabama
#36 Kevin Lynn RHP * R-R * 5-10 * 185 * Jr. * JC * Spartanburg Methodist College * North Augusta, SC
Junior college transfer and righthander who showed flashes of dominance in the 2000 postseason…throws a sharp-breaking slider and exhibits the poise of a seasoned starter on the mound.
2000: Appeared in 18 games, 15 of which were in a relief role…had a 5-2 record and 3.91 ERA…in 50.2 innings, he allowed 58 hits, 22 earned runs, and 15 walks while striking out 49…had a 3.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio…pitched half of his innings (25.1 of 50.2) in the postseason, where he was 3-1 with a 3.20 ERA, 20-to-4 strikeout to walk ratio, and a save…earned his first victory in the first game of a doubleheader against Maryland on Mar. 18, he pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in relief…pitched flawlessly in relief against #2 South Carolina on Apr. 12, he allowed one hit, no runs, and no walks while striking out four in 3.1 innings…made his first start at #1 South Carolina on Apr. 19, he pitched 4.2 innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out seven…allowed one hit and no runs in 1.1 innings of relief against #2 Florida State on May 6…pitched 3.0 innings in the first game of a doubleheader at Virginia on May 13, he allowed three hits and one earned run while striking out three…pitched 1.2 scoreless innings to earn the save against Virginia in the ACC Tournament on May 17…got the win against Virginia in the ACC Tournament on May 20, he started and went 7.2 innings, allowing 14 hits, four runs, and one walk while striking out eight…pitched 5.1 innings in relief against Illinois in the Clemson Regional on May 27 to earn the win, he allowed just two hits, one run, and no walks…after relieving Ryan Mottl in the second inning against #10 Mississippi State in the Clemson Super Regional on June 2, he allowed three hits, no runs, and no walks while striking out six in 7.2 innings to get the win.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Played two seasons at Spartanburg Methodist…was 21-4, breaking the school record for wins…Preseason All-American in ’99…was 11-2 with a 3.25 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 61.0 innings in ’98, also was 8-0 in conference play…led team to the AAAA state championship as a senior at North Augusta High…North-South All-Star as a senior…AAAA Player-of-the-Year, Region Player-of-the-Year, and team MVP as a senior…was 12-2 with a 1.06 ERA, 112 strikeouts, and 25 walks in 80.0 innings as a senior…Region Player-of-the-Year and team MVP as a junior…lettered three times each in baseball and basketball…coached by Tim Wallace at Spartanburg Methodist…coached by Drew Hummel at North Augusta High.
PERSONAL: Uncle, Keith, played football at Georgia (1975,76)…majoring in Elementary Education…born Kevin Lee Lynn on November 12, 1978 in Augusta, GA.
Lynn Career Stats
#27 Ryan Mottl RHP * R-R * 6-4 * 190 * Sr. * 3VL * McCluer North HS * Florissant, MO
Two-time All-ACC righthander who had a sub-par season in ’99…returned for his senior year and had a solid season…turned into Clemson’s #1 starter thanks to his 2000 postseason performances, including two complete games…had 33 career wins, third most in Clemson history…had a career 4.82 ERA…made 68 career starts, most in Tiger history…pitched 414.1 innings, second most in Clemson history…had 360 career strikeouts, third most in Tiger history…faced 1,851 batters, second most in Clemson history…his 72 career appearances ranks tied for sixth in Tiger history….led Clemson or tied for the team lead in starts in all four seasons as a Tiger, he was a constant in the Tiger starting rotation from day one…had a 22-2 career record and 3.15 ERA in 36 starts at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…had international experience pitching for Team USA…threw a pitch termed a “Fosh”, which acts like sinker and changeup, he moves his thumb on side of the ball to get downward action on the ball, he learned the pitch from his high school pitching coach who was the pitching coach, who learned it from former Major Leaguer Al Nipper…threw in the high 80s to lower 90s.
2000: One of seven captains…had a 10-4 record in 19 starts and two relief appearances (107.0 innings pitched)…his 19 starts tied for the most in a season in Tiger history…allowed 103 hits, 28 walks, three homers, and a .259 opponent batting average along with striking out 81…had a 2.9 strikeout-to-walk ratio…had a 2.36 walks per nine innings pitched mark…had a team-best four pickoffs…held opponents to a .215 batting average with two outs…drafted in the sixth round by the Reds…was 6-0 with a 1.87 ERA and .183 opponent batting average at home, he also allowed just 39 hits in 62.2 innings pitched at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…named to the All-ACC Tournament team for his complete game win over #4 Florida State…named to the All-Regional team at Clemson for his shutout performance against Middle Tennessee…picked up the win against #7 Rice on Jan. 28 in the ACC Disney Blast at Lake Buena Vista, FL by pitching 6.0 innings, allowing three hits, one run, and one walk while striking out six…got the win against Old Dominion on Feb. 20, he allowed just one hit and no runs in 5.0 innings…pitched 5.0 shutout innings and allowed just two hits while striking out five to get the win against James Madison on Feb. 26…notched his 300th career strikeout against UNLV on Mar. 4, he allowed two runs, four hits, and no walks while striking out seven in 8.0 innings to get the win…pitched 7.0 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks to pick up the win against #17 East Carolina on Mar. 14…allowed one hit and no runs while striking out six in 7.0 innings to get the win against N.C. State on Apr. 8, he earned ACC Pitcher-of-the-Week honors for that performance…earned his 30th career win at Duke on Apr. 23, he allowed six hits and three runs in 7.0 innings, as he moved ahead of Kris Benson into third place in Tiger history in wins…pitched a complete game to earn the win against #4 Florida State in the ACC Tournament on May 18, he allowed just six hits and four runs while striking out 10…pitched a shutout against Middle Tennessee in the Clemson Regional on May 26, he allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out eight, it was the first shutout by a Tiger since 1996 (Ken Vining)…got the win against #7 San Jose State in the College World Series on June 9, he pitched 5.0 innings, allowing five earned runs on nine hits…listed as the #15 senior prospect in the country in Baseball America’s College Preview issue…won the Omaha Challenge, in the fall of ’99, for the second consecutive year.
1999: Had a 4-8 record and 6.14 ERA in 17 starts and two relief appearances (99.2 innings)…led the team in starts (17) and innings…his 99.2 innings were 10th most in the ACC…his 17 starts tied for the sixth most in a season by a Tiger…despite being 3-8 as a starter, Clemson was 9-8 when he started on the mound, therefore in his six no decisions as a starter, Clemson was 6-0…held opponents to a ..228 batting average with two outs…had a 3.51 ERA in 33.1 innings in neutral-site games…had four pickoffs, most on the squad by a righthander…drafted in the 27th round by the Texas Rangers…made his first career relief appearance against Creighton on Feb. 28, where he pitched the last 7.1 innings allowing five hits, two earned runs, and three walks while striking out eight to earn the win…picked up the win against George Mason on Mar. 12 by pitching 8.0 innings, allowing just two hits, one earned run, and two walks while striking out seven…took the loss against Virginia in the first game of a doubleheader on May 1 despite allowing only one earned run and no walks in 6.1 innings…earned his first win since Mar. 12 when he pitched 6.0 innings, allowing seven hits, two earned runs, and four walks against #14 North Carolina on May 10…despite taking the loss, he pitched 6.2 innings, allowing two runs while striking out seven against #15 Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament on May 20…pitched a complete game, the first and only by a Tiger in ’99, in the Fayetteville Regional against Delaware on May 29, allowed two earned runs on nine hits and was one of two pitchers named to the All-Regional team…struck out both batters he faced at #2 Texas A&M in the Super Regional on June 6…#29 college prospect for the 1999 Major League Draft in Baseball America’s Early Draft Preview issue…also listed as the #3 prospect in the ACC for the 1999 Major League Draft in Baseball America’s Preseason issue…Preseason Third-Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America.
1998: Named one of 12 semi-finalists for the Smith Award, which goes to the premier baseball player in the country…he was the only sophomore and the only ACC player among the 12 players…Third-Team All-American by the ACBWA…Second-Team All-ACC selection…listed by Baseball America as one of the top five sophomore starting pitchers in the nation in its mid-season report…had a 9-4 record with a 4.81 ERA in 16 starts and 101.0 innings…his .692 winning percentage tied for ninth best in the ACC…had a streak of 11 straight wins over two seasons…had 96 strikeouts against only 31 walks for a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.10…held hitters to a .196 average with two outs…allowed only six steals in 101.0 innings…had a perfect 7-0 record and 3.96 ERA in 10 starts at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…named ACC Pitcher-of-the-Week twice, once when he earned the win against UNC Wilmington on Feb. 27 and the other time when he beat #10 Florida State on Apr. 27, as he allowed just four hits and one run against the Seminoles…gave up four hits, one run, and no walks while striking out seven versus Maine on Mar. 13 to pick up the win…struck out a team season-high 13 batters against Maryland on Mar. 20…struck out 12 and walked none at Virginia on Apr. 4…pitched the team’s first complete game when he defeated Duke on Apr. 11, as he allowed only five hits, two runs, and one walk…allowed just one run and five hits in 7.0 innings pitched against #20 South Alabama in the East Regional on May 22…played for the USA National Team in the summer, as he along with fellow Tiger Patrick Boyd played in the World Championships in Italy, started seven games, one less than Alex Santos’ (of Miami (FL)) team-leading eight…was 3-0 with a 3.45 ERA in 44.1 innings, allowed 44 hits and 16 walks while striking out 40…had the only shutout by a USA Team pitcher when he threw an eight-inning shutout against Russia, he allowed three hits and four walks while striking out nine on July 25…a 1998 Preseason Second-Team All-American by The Sporting News…listed as the #10 prospect, regardless of class, in the ACC in Baseball America’s College Preview issue…Preseason Third-Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball.
1997: Named a First-Team All-ACC pitcher as a true freshman, the first freshman pitcher in Clemson history to do so…became the first Clemson freshman to win 10 games in a season with his win against Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament…Clemson’s most consistent starter…Freshman First-Team All-American by Baseball America…fourth in the ACC in strikeouts (99) and tied for third in wins (10)…averaged only 2.78 walks per nine innings pitched and had a 3.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio…pitched 31.0 more innings than the next closest Clemson pitcher…at home, he was 7-0 in eight starts with a 2.34 ERA in 57.2 innings…opponents only hit .223 against him at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…also had a 3.71 ERA and 7-1 record in day games…pitched seven innings, giving up only one earned run and striking out nine in a 17-2 win over North Carolina (May 5)…named ACC Pitcher-of-the-Week for the week of Mar. 17 for his complete game win over Virginia, during that contest, he gave up one earned run on six hits while striking out seven…won the first five starts of his career…was 5-1 in conference play…went eight innings, giving up no earned runs, striking out nine, and walking only one while picking up the win against Duke on Apr. 11…pitched 8.2 innings against Georgia Tech on Apr. 25, picked up the win, and struck out seven while giving up only four earned runs…pitched a complete game versus Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament to earn his 10th win of the season…pitched for Team USA in the summer of 1997…was one of only 24 players selected to play for Team USA, was 2-2 in 29.0 innings…one of the first nine players invited to the 1998 USA Baseball Team Training Camp.
BEFORE CLEMSON: All-conference and all-metro as a senior…struck out 97 and walked 16 in 42.0 innings pitched as a senior…39th-round pick of the 1996 Major League draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays…a 1995 “Goodwill Series” participant in Japan and Korea…played in the Area Code Games in Long Beach, CA, selected to the All-Star team out of 240 participants as an outfielder…played in the ’92, ’93, and ’94 AAU Junior Olympics and the ’93, ’94, and ’95 CABA National Championships…coached by Jim Schottmueller at McCluer North High.
PERSONAL: An academic Honor Roll member in ’97…12th player in Clemson history named First-Team All-ACC on the field and an academic Honor Roll selection in the same season…nicknamed “Motts”…pronounced MAH-tul…majoring in Management…born Ryan Matthew Mottl on Dec. 9, 1977.
Mottl Career Stats
#44 Johnny Pack C * R-R * 6-0 * 195 * Fr. * HS * Landrum HS * Landrum, SC Rookie catcher and team player who provided depth behind the plate in 2000…one of 15 players on the 2000 squad from the state of South Carolina…walked-on to the Tiger program before the 2000 season.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Hit six homers and batted over .400 for Post 45 in the summer of ’99 and was an all-region selection that same year…lettered three times in baseball, three times in football, and two times in basketball at Landrum High School…played fullback and had over 800 yards rushing as a junior on the gridiron…had 170 yards rushing and three touchdowns in a game against Polk County (NC) as a junior…played several positions, including defensive end and fullback, his senior season…coached by Mike O’Shields at Landrum High School.
PERSONAL: His father, John, played one season as a running back at Clemson (as a freshman) on the gridiron (1967) before transferring to Georgia and then Georgia Southern…nicknamed “Packman”…majoring in Business…born John Ervin Pack on January 17, 1981 in Greenville, SC.
#10 Mike Proto LHP * L-L * 5-10 * 175 * *Jr. * 2VL * Peabody Veterans Memorial HS * Peabody, MA
Crafty lefthander who has shown the ability to strike batters out despite not having overpowering pitches…has seen time as a starter and reliever in his career…has made 53 career appearances and has just two decisions (2-0 record) and one save in three seasons…also has 95 career strikeouts in 99.2 innings pitched…has a 5.06 career ERA…had Clemson’s top returning ERA in 1999 and 2000.
2000: Appeared in 15 games out of the bullpen and made one start…in 16.1 innings pitched, he allowed 21 hits and 14 runs while striking out 14…held righthanded hitters to a .234 batting average…opponents hit just .238 with two outs…earned his first career save in 2.1 innings of work at Duke on Apr. 22…made his first start at Virginia on May 14, he allowed four runs in 4.0 innings…pitched a scoreless inning in relief against #3 Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament on May 20.
1999: Appeared in 16 games out of the bullpen and started seven games (64.2 innings)…his 23 appearances tied for the second most on the team…had a 5.43 ERA and 2-0 record…struck out 64 and walked 27…15 of his 23 appearances were made away from home…allowed just four stolen bases in 11 attempts…had six pickoffs, tied for the team lead…had a 4.05 ERA in 13.1 innings pitched against ACC competition in the regular season…had a 2.82 ERA along with 28 strikeouts against just seven walks in 22.1 innings (eight appearances) at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…held opponents to a .174 batting average in NCAA Tournament play…held opponents to a .231 batting average with two outs…struck out three, walked none, and allowed one hit in 2.2 innings against Kansas State on Feb. 14…against Liberty in the first game of a doubleheader on Mar. 6, he allowed one hit, one walk, and no earned runs while striking out five in 3.0 innings…made his first career start at Georgia on Mar. 30, he went 4.2 innings and allowed two runs…pitched 4.2 innings of relief at #1 Florida State on Apr. 9, allowing one run while striking out six…pitched a career-high 8.0 innings against Coastal Carolina on May 8, he allowed one run, five hits, and three walks while striking out eight…picked up his first career win (and decision) at N.C. State on May 16 by pitching 6.0 innings, allowing four runs while striking out six…pitched 2.1 innings in the Fayetteville Regional at #8 Arkansas on May 29, allowing one hit, one run, and no walks while striking out four…pitched 4.2 scoreless innings in relief, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out three to pick up the win in the second of two games in the Fayetteville Regional against Southwest Missouri State on May 30 with the season hanging in the balance, giving the Tigers the tournament championship…pitched 6.1 innings in a starting role at #2 Texas A&M in the Super Regional on June 6, allowing two earned runs on six hits in a no decision.
1998: Made the most of his opportunities with a 1.45 ERA in 14 relief appearances (18.2 innings), including an opponent batting average of ..206…did not allow an extra-base hit…did not allow an earned run in 9.2 innings pitched against ACC competition, also held ACC hitters to a ..094 batting average…only gave up earned runs in two of his 14 appearances and had a streak of 12.1 innings without allowing an earned run…in 10.0 innings pitched at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, he allowed just one run…did not give up an earned run in 7.1 innings at night…only allowed four singles and one walk to the 28 batters he faced playing for top-25 teams…held right-handed hitters to a .176 batting average…opponents only hit .208 against him with two outs…struck out four in 2.0 innings in the first game of a doubleheader against Maine on Mar. 14…allowed just a single hit against #24 N.C. State in 2.1 innings on Apr. 17…pitched 1.1 perfect innings, including three strikeouts, at #24 North Carolina in the first game of a doubleheader on May 9…allowed no earned runs, one walk, and one hit while striking out four in 3.2 innings against #15 Georgia Tech on May 14 in the ACC Tournament.
1997: Red-shirted…had a 2.65 ERA in 17 innings pitched in the Valley League in the summer of 1997…also struck out 21 batters and had a 1-1 record.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Massachusetts Division I All-Star selection in ’96…USA Today, Boston Globe, and Boston Herald All-Star in ’96…named by coaches as the MVP of the state tournament…played in the Massachusetts All-Star game in Fenway Park…played on the 1996 state final runner-up team at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School…set his high school’s record for wins in a season (10)…participated in the Bay State Games from 1994-95 and the Area Code Games in 1995…Greater Boston League All-Star…also a Salem Evening News and Lynn Item All-Star…lettered in baseball every year since his freshman year…also received two letters in soccer (team captain).
PERSONAL: His cousin, Jeff Becker, played baseball at Nichols College…pronounced PROH-toh…nicknamed “Pro”…majoring in Education…born Michael Paul Proto on Mar. 14, 1978.
Proto Career Stats
#9 Steve Pyzik C * R-R * 5-10 * 170 * Fr. * HS * Loyola HS * Mount Airy, MD
Freshman catcher who backed up Brian Ellis in 2000…will be looked upon to be a starter at catcher in the future…hits to all fields.
2000: Started nine games (all at catcher) and appeared in 17 others as the backup catcher…hit .265 with a double, six runs scored, and five RBIs…was 6-for-13 (.462) against lefties…was 3-for-10 (.300) with runners in scoring position…was 2-for-2 in a pinch-hitting role…only struck out four times in 33 at bats…hit a pinch-hit single to drive home what turned to be the winning run in the second game of a doubleheader against #11 Wake Forest on Apr. 15…had a pinch-hit single to bring in a run against Elon on Apr. 18…had a hit and scored a run in his only at bat against #1 Stanford in the College World Series on June 11.
BEFORE CLEMSON: All-Metro selection as a senior at Loyola High School…chosen for Team Maryland as a second baseman as a junior at Loyola High, started every game at second base and was the leadoff batter…played shortstop, second base, catcher, and pitcher at Loyola High School…received the Coaches Award and MVP in 1995…chosen junior varsity team MVP in ice hockey as a freshman, it was his first year playing the sport…varsity starter on the soccer squad as a junior and senior…lettered four times in baseball and two times in soccer…lettered in ice hockey at Loyola High as well…coached by Tim Nordbroock at Loyola High.
PERSONAL: Pronounced PI-zihk…nicknamed “Pyzo”…majoring in Accounting…born Steven Mark Pyzik on May 18, 1981 in Baltimore, MD.
Pyzik Career Stats
#43 Steve Reba RHP * R-R * 6-3 * 170 * So. * 1VL * Concordia Lutheran HS * Fort Wayne, IN
Lanky righthander who has been a spot starter and middle reliever in his two seasons at Clemson…has Cape Cod League experience…has an outstanding breaking pitch and is especially tough against lefthanded batters…has an 8-4 career record and two saves in nine starts and 31 relief appearances for a total of 98.2 innings pitched.
2000: Made two starts and 17 relief appearances for a total of 42.0 innings pitched…was Clemson’s “go-to” pitcher out of the bullpen in the postseason…had a 3-0 record, two saves, and a 2.79 ERA as a middle reliever and set-up man…had a .217 opponent batting average, allowing just 33 hits…allowed 15 walks while striking out 33…only allowed two stolen bases in four attempts and did not allow a home run (only allowed seven extra base hits)…opponents had only six hits in 48 at bats (.125 batting average) with two outs…kept his pitches down in the strikezone, as he threw 65 ground-ball outs and only 20 fly-ball outs…had a 0.78 ERA and .148 opponent batting average in 23.0 innings pitched at home…picked up the win against Old Dominion on Feb. 19 in relief by pitching 3.0 innings, allowing one hit, no runs, and no walks while striking out five…started and went 5.0 scoreless and hitless innings against Coastal Carolina on Mar. 1…allowed one earned run, five hits, and one walk while striking out seven against William & Mary on Mar. 8, he ran his scoreless inning streak to 13.1 and hitless streak to 10.1 innings in the outing before both streaks ended…in 1.1 innings of relief at Duke on Apr. 21, he allowed one hit and one run while striking out four, it was his first outing in nearly a month after recovering from a sore arm…picked up his first career save by striking out the only batter he faced against #2 Florida State on May 6…retired all eight batters he faced while striking out two in 2.2 innings pitched to earn the win against #2 Florida State on May 7…earned the win in relief against #10 Mississippi State in the Clemson Super Regional on June 3, he pitched 4.2 innings, allowing five hits and one earned run…earned the save against #7 San Jose State in the College World Series on June 9, he pitched 4.0 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and one walk…listed as the #5 ACC prospect for the 2001 Major League Draft in Baseball America’s College Preview issue.
1999: Had a 5-4 record and 7.46 ERA in 14 relief appearances and seven starts (56.2 innings)…had a 4-0 record with a 3.46 ERA in 26.0 innings at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…pitched 2.0 perfect innings (faced just five batters) in his first appearance as a Tiger against Kansas State on Feb. 13…earned the win in his first career start against George Mason on Mar. 13 in the second game of a doubleheader, he allowed just one hit, one walk, and no runs while striking out eight in 5.0 innings…pitched 2.2 innings, allowing one hit, one walk, and no runs at East Carolina on Mar. 16…got the win in his second career start against Georgia on Mar. 23…earned the win in relief against Furman on Apr. 13 in 2.0 innings of work…pitched 6.0 scoreless innings to earn the win over Winthrop on May 7…picked up the win in the Fayetteville Regional at #8 Arkansas on May 29 by pitching 6.2 innings, allowing eight hits, three runs, and a walk while striking out six.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Drafted in the ninth round of the ’98 Major League Draft by the Chicago Cubs out of Concordia Lutheran High School…unanimous Conference Pitcher-of-the-Year as a junior…all-conference as well…received the Mr. Control Award…preseason All-State selection in 1998…was 9-1 with 112 strikeouts and a 0.72 ERA in 67.2 innings as a junior, also allowed just 16 walks and 38 hits…his team was the runner-up in the state, which has only one class, as a freshman…his high school won the conference championship his senior season…lettered multiple times in baseball in high school…coached by David Bahr in high school.
PERSONAL: His father, Mike, is a bond salesman and actually rents an apartment and lives in Clemson during Clemson’s seasons, he had not missed any of Steve’s games (home or away) since he was eight years-old until he missed the Middle Tennessee game on May 28, 2000 to attend his daughter’s graduation ceremony at Brown…pronouced REE-buh…nicknamed “Reebs”…majoring in English…born Stephen Michael Reba on Mar. 23, 1980 in Fort Wayne, IN.
Reba Career Stats
#13 Grant Redding OF * R-R * 5-10 * 175 * *Fr. * RS * Homewood HS * Homewood, AL
Hard-working second-year player who has been used primarily as a pinch-runner and late inning, defensive specialist.
2000: Appeared off the bench in 15 games…was 1-for-5 with a run scored and a double…made three putouts…doubled in his first career at bat against James Madison on Feb. 26.
BEFORE CLEMSON: A First-Team 6A All-State selection as a senior, where he was the team MVP on the 22-12 team…was 53-for-102 (.520 batting average) with 46 runs, 11 doubles, five triples, seven home runs, 42 RBIs, only nine strikeouts, and nine stolen bases in 10 attempts as a senior…played in the East-West All-Star game…All-Metro Birmingham team selection…a USA Today and High School Baseball USA Magazine Honorable Mention All-American…holds the school career record for batting average, hits, runs, RBIs, hitting streak, and triples, and is second in doubles and sixth in home runs…attended the Team One Showcase in Clemson in June of 1997…a member of the 1995 Alabama Legion State Championship team…selected as the Birmingham area Player-of-the-Week on Apr. 10, 1998 when he hit ..700 at the plate with five homers…also played basketball at Homewood High School where he was named the team’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player as a sophomore…lettered three times in baseball and three times in basketball…also a tremendous student in the classroom…a member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club, and Spanish National Honor Society at Homewood High School…had a 3.88 GPA and was academic All-State…ranked 10th in his class academically and made a 1,200 on his SAT…coached by Bobby Statum at Homewood High School…Statum on Redding: “Grant has great quickness through the zone with the bat, an above average arm, and was a team leader. He is a dedicated student-athlete who is committed to excellence on and off the field.”
PERSONAL: Nicknamed “Buddy”…majoring in General Engineering…born Grant Edmond Redding on Jan. 29, 1980 in Chapel Hill, NC.
Redding Career Stats
#46 Mike Rhue LHP * L-L * 6-6 * 230 * *So. * 1VL * Buchholz HS * Gainesville, FL
One of the tallest pitchers in Clemson history at 6-6…made the Tigers’ 1998 postseason roster and red-shirted in 1999.
2000: Appeared in one game, as he recorded the game’s final out by striking out a batter against Elon on Apr. 18.
1998: Had a 3.68 ERA in eight relief appearances, allowed seven runs in all, but only three were earned…had a 2.70 ERA in seven appearances at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…pitched scoreless innings against North Carolina-Wilmington (Feb. 27), Stetson (Mar. 6), Maine (first game of a doubleheader on Mar. 14), and Charleston Southern (Apr. 8).
BEFORE CLEMSON: Team Florida All-Star…lettered multiple times in baseball, basketball, and swimming at Buchholz High School…a member of two district championship baseball teams at Buchholz High…coached by Bob Smith…also coached by Roger Maris’ son, Kevin, at Buchholz High School.
PERSONAL: His sister, Marcy, was a swimmer at West Virginia >from 1993-97…pronounced ROO…nicknamed “Rooster”…majoring in Political Science…born Michael Vinson Rhue on Jan. 8, 1979 in Gainesville, FL.
Rhue Career Stats
#42 Ryan Riley 2B/SS * R-R * 5-10 * 188 * Jr. * JC * Edmonds CC * Seattle, WA
Mid-season transfer who was outstanding defensively in 2000…has good speed and range, and turns the double play extremely fast…has above average power, despite his numbers showing otherwise…transferred to Clemson in January, 2000, and is one of two players from Edmonds CC (Nick Glaser).
2000: Hit .298 with seven doubles, seven triples, a homer, 39 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases in 55 games (52 starts, 50 at second base and two as the DH)…no Tiger has had seven triples since David Miller had 10 in 1995…his seven triples is tied for eighth most in a season by a Tiger in history…committed just four errors for an outstanding .984 fielding percentage…went the first 90 chances (over 18 games) as a Tiger without committing an error at second base…also went 70 straight chances and 15 straight games without committing an error later in the season…hit .349 with a .571 slugging percentage in ACC regular-season games…hit .408 with two outs and .405 with runners in scoring position…hit .317 away from home…hit a team-best .415 with a .660 slugging percentage and .466 on-base percentage in April, he also did not commit an error in 67 chances in that month…had an 11-game hitting streak in April…was Clemson’s leadoff hitter in 11 games, as Clemson was 10-1 in those 11 games…named to the All-Regional team at Clemson, where he was 4-for-8 (.500) with five runs scored and five RBIs…in his first game as a Tiger, he went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases against Old Dominion on Feb. 18…went 2-for-3 with an RBI against James Madison on Feb. 25…had a key two-run single, scored two runs, and stole a base against Ohio in the second game of a doubleheader on Mar. 10…went 2-for-2 with a three runs scored, an RBI, triple, and stolen base against UNC Charlotte on Mar. 22..went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base against The Citadel on Mar. 25…went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs in the first game of a doubleheader against #11 Wake Forest on Apr. 15…went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI against #11 Wake Forest on Apr. 16…went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, two RBIs, a double, triple, and a stolen base against Elon on Apr. 18…went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, a double, and a triple at Duke on Apr. 23…had two hits, including his first homer as a Tiger at #5 Georgia Tech on Apr. 28…went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a stolen base at #5 Georgia Tech on Apr. 29…went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBIs, and a triple at Virginia on May 14…went 2-for-2 with three runs scored and five RBIs against Middle Tennessee in the Clemson Regional on May 28…had two hits, an RBI, and a double against #1 Stanford in the College World Series on June 11.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Played one season at Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood, WA along with fellow signee Nick Glaser…All-NWAACC selection while at Edmonds, where he hit .383 with eight doubles, six triples, and 15 stolen bases…played at Division II Lewis-Clark State in 1998, where he hit .370…also had 15 doubles and five triples for the Warriors of Lewiston, ID…an NAIA All-Region selection at Lewis-Clark State…member of the state championship team in ’98 (Connie Mack League)…had an outstanding baseball career at Seattle Prep…was First-Team All-State as a senior and voted offensive MVP at the Washington All-State Series…lettered four times in baseball at Seattle Prep…coached by Ed Paulter at Seattle Prep…coached by Ed Cheff at Lewis-Clark State…coached by Hank King, current Clemson assistant coach, while playing at Edmonds Community College.
PERSONAL: Nicknamed “Riles”…majoring in Speech & Communications…born Ryan Robert Riley on November 10, 1978 in Spokane, WA.
Riley Career Stats
#25 Jarrod Schmidt RHP/OF/1B * R-R * 6-1 * 215 * Fr. * HS * Lassiter HS * Marietta, GA
Highly touted freshman from one of the most successful high school programs in the country (Lassiter High in Marietta, GA)…showed great power and a strong arm…throws over 90 miles per hour and has above average speed on the basepaths as well…one of the few Tigers in recent years to see significant action in both pitching and hitting roles…one of the top freshmen in the nation in 2000 and has many outstanding tools that will allow him to play baseball for years to come.
2000: Had one of the finest freshman seasons for a pitcher in Clemson history…Freshman All-America pitcher according to Collegiate Baseball…Second-Team All-ACC starting pitcher…was 9-0 in 15 starts and one relief appearance…his nine wins without a loss ranks fourth best in a season in Tiger history…won in seven consecutive outings >from Mar. 11 to Apr. 22…had a 3.61 ERA…pitched 92.1 innings overall, allowing 97 hits and 43 walks while striking out 63…allowed just five homers and had a .272 opponent batting average…was 6-0 with a 4.00 ERA in ACC regular season games…had a team-best 2.38 ERA and 7-0 record in day games…held opponents to a .213 batting average with two outs…at the plate, he hit .230 with 26 RBIs in 152 at bats…hit five homers…started 26 games as the DH, seven in right field, and six at first base…hit .284 with a .402 on-base percentage in ACC regular season games…was 3-for-9 in a pinch-hitting role…in his first career start on the mound against Old Dominion on Feb. 19, he allowed four hits, one run, and run walk while striking out three in 5.0 innings…broke an 0-for-19 slump to drive in the first of Clemson’s 10 runs in the fifth inning against James Madison on Feb. 26, he had two hits and three RBIs in the game…did not factor in the decision, yet still pitched effectively against UNLV on Mar. 5, he allowed just three hits and one earned run while striking out six in 7.0 innings…picked up the win in relief against Ohio on Mar. 11, he pitched 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing three hits while striking out six…picked up the win in the first game of a doubleheader against Maryland on Mar. 18, he allowed six hits and two earned runs in 7.0 innings…went 2-for-5 with an RBI against The Citadel on Mar. 24…pitched the first complete game by a Tiger in 2000, doing so at #8 North Carolina on Apr. 1, he allowed seven hits, no earned runs, and one walk while striking out five to earn the win…had two hits, including a homer, and two RBIs against Western Carolina on Apr. 4…went 2-for-2 with a homer, double, two runs scored, two walks, and three RBIs…earned his fifth win in his fifth straight start against N.C. State on Apr. 9, he allowed two runs in 5.1 innings and went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, including a homer…went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs in the first game of a doubleheader against #11 Wake Forest on Apr. 15…earned his sixth victory in as many starts in the second game of a doubleheader against #11 Wake Forest on Apr. 15, he pitched 5.2 innings, allowing three runs…picked up his seventh straight win at Duke on Apr. 22, he gave up six hits and two runs in 6.2 innings…went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a homer at #5 Georgia Tech on Apr. 29…hit two doubles and drove in two runs at Virginia on May 14…got the win against Middle Tennessee in the Clemson Regional on May 28, after allowing three first-inning runs, he did not allow another run in 6.0 innings, he also allowed eight hits and one walk while striking out five…pitched 7.0 innings against #8 Louisiana-Lafayette in the College World Series on June 14, he did not factor in the decision despite allowing six hits, two earned runs, and a walk while striking out four…listed as the #12 freshman prospect in the country in Baseball America’s College Preview issue…listed as the #4 newcomer in the ACC in Baseball America’s College Preview issue…one of the first 20 players invited to the USA National Team trials.
BEFORE CLEMSON: #22 High School prospect in the nation by Baseball America in the 1999 Early Draft Preview…also listed by Baseball America as one of the best raw power hitters in the nation…#4 high school prospect in Georgia by Baseball America…First-Team All-American according to Baseball America…a USA Today Preseason Top-25 Player in ’99…MVP of the Connie Mack World Series held in New Mexico in the summer of 1999…drafted in the 23rd round by the Florida Marlins in the ’99 June Draft…was team MVP as a senior at Lassiter High School…also was team captain, First-Team All-State, Region Player-of-the-Year, and Georgia Gatorade Player-of-the-Year as a senior…his team finished 35-2 and won the state title as a senior…as a sophomore, Lassiter High won the Region Championship, with a 24-6 record, and was the state runner-up…was the Player-of-the-Year of East Cobb County as a sophomore…was also on the All-Tournament Team in the AAU World Series…was the MVP of his summer league team in 1995, 1996, and 1997…his ’97 AAU team won the World Series and finished with an 85-10 record…high school teammate of fellow Tiger teammate Chad Bendinelli, grew up next door to Bendinelli in Marietta as well, the two have lived next door to each other since the age of one…also from the same hometown as former Tiger star Shane Monahan…Lassiter High had sent 13 players to college baseball in the four years prior to Schmidt’s arrival…lettered four times in baseball…coached by Mickey McMurtry at Lassiter High.
PERSONAL: Pronounced JAIR-uhd…nicknamed “Jay-rod” and “Schmitty”…majoring in Business…born Jarrod Scott Schmidt on October 2, 1980 in Washington, D.C.
Schmidt Career Stats
#50 Rob Sine RHP * R-R * 6-7 * 210 * So. * TR * Univ. of Richmond * Ballwin, MO
One of the tallest players in Clemson history, standing 6-7.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Played his freshman season (1999) at Richmond under Head Coach Ron Atkins…pitched in just one game and one inning for the Spiders…was an American Legion All-Star…at Lafayette High School, he was league MVP, and led the league in strikeouts, innings pitched, and complete games as a senior…set school single-season record for strikeouts (62) and had a 2.33 ERA in 42.0 innings as a senior…lettered in football, baseball, swimming, and water polo at Lafayette High…member of two swimming state championship and three conference championship teams…all-state in swimming…coached by Rusty Ryan at Lafayette High.
PERSONAL: Brother-in-law of former Tiger football player Matt McLeod (1994-96)…his father, Bob, lettered multiple times in swimming at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania…majoring in General Engineering…born Robert Bradley Sine on December 3, 1979 in Toledo, OH.
Sine Career Stats
* – stats at Richmond
#11 Justin Singleton OF/INF * L-R * 6-1 * 180 * Jr. * 2VL * Saint Paul’s School * Sparks, MD
Has the versatility to play any outfield and infield position…has a strong arm…a career .294 hitter with 82 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 383 at bats through three seasons…has outstanding bloodlines and tools…when healthy, he is one of the top talents on the team…intelligent on and off the field and well-spoken…has been in many Major League clubhouses…a career .327 hitter with a .433 on-base percentage and 19 RBIs in 19 NCAA Tournament games.
2000: One of seven captains…hit .292 despite being in a long slump to start the season…he hit .374 (34-for-91) after startng the season 1-for-28…started 33 games in right field and subbed in 17 others…had 24 RBIs, six doubles, and two triples…hit .414 ACC regular season games…hit .400 (8-for-20) against lefties…hit a team-best .392 with a .500 on-base percentage at home…hit .395 with runners in scoring position…hit .313 in March and .379 in April…had four three-hit games…was injured, with a broken finger suffered when sliding into a base, from mid March to mid April, and did not play…13 of his 24 RBIs came with two outs…named to the All-Regional team at Clemson, where he was 4-for-6 (.667) with five runs scored and four RBIs…after starting the season 1-for-28, he went 3-for-5 with a triple and four RBIs against Ohio on Mar. 11…went 3-for-3 with a double against #11 Wake Forest on Apr. 16, that game made him 7-for-his-last-8 at the plate after starting the season 2-for-31…went 3-for-6 with two RBIs at #1 South Carolina on Apr. 19…went 2-for-3 with a three-run double at #5 Georgia Tech on Apr. 30…had two hits against #2 Florida State on May 7, he had a clutch hit in the ninth inning off lefty Mike DiBlasi, it was just his fourth at bat against a lefty all season…hit a key two-run triple off lefthander Andy Dickinson and later scored against Illinois in the Clemson Regional on May 27…went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs against Middle Tennessee in the Clemson Regional on May 28…went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two stolen bases against #10 Mississippi State in the Clemson Super Regional on June 2…had two RBIs and two runs scored against #7 San Jose State in the College World Series on June 9…made two home-run saving catches against #8 Louisiana-Lafayette in the College World Series on June 14.
1999: Batted .237 in 156 at bats and 57 games (36 starts, 35 in right field and one at third base)…also had 10 doubles, three homers, and 32 runs scored…stole seven bases in nine attempts…had a .465 on-base percentage when leading off an inning…had a productive Regional at Fayetteville despite hitting just .235 there, he had a double, home run (inside-the-park), and eight RBIs in five games…was 2-for-5 with a double and five runs scored in three games in the Super Regional at #2 Texas A&M from June 4-6…was 2-for-2 against #24 Washington on Feb. 25…went 3-for-6 against The Citadel on Mar. 3…had two hits against Liberty in the second game of a doubleheader on Mar. 6…went 2-for-3 at East Carolina on Mar. 16…went 3-for-4 with two RBIs at Georgia on Mar. 30…hit an opposite-field home run against #6 Miami (FL) on Apr. 2…went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored against Winthrop on May 7…hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer (estimated at 475 feet) to tie the game in the ninth inning against N.C. State in the ACC Tournament on May 19…went 2-for-2 with with a double against #2 Florida State in the ACC Tournament on May 22…had two hits and three RBIs in the Fayetteville Regional against Delaware on May 29…hit an inside-the-park, three-run home run to centerfield in the second of two games in the Fayetteville Regional against Southwest Missouri State on May 30…had two hits, including a double, and three runs scored at #2 Texas A&M in the Super Regional on June 5.
1998: Hit .370 in 108 at bats as a third baseman…the .370 average was third-best on the squad…had 35 RBIs, meaning he drove in a run almost once every three at bats…also had an outstanding on-base percentage of .496…walked once every 3.72 at bats, good for 10th best in a single season in Clemson history…an Honorable Mention Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball…platooned most of the season at third base with Brian Holstad, he started 29 games and appeared in 16 others…hit .439 (18-for-41) in his last 11 starts, including 10 runs scored and 14 RBIs…hit .394 with 12 RBIs in nine games against top-25 teams…hit .500 with two outs and .526 with runners in scoring position…left only 10 men on base all season…was 6-for-10 against lefthanders and 4-for-5 with the bases loaded…hit .353 against ACC pitchers in the regular season…started the season with four hits in his first four at bats…hit a team-best .386 in non-conference games…was 2-for-3 with four RBIs versus Stetson on Mar. 6…was 2-for-2 with three RBIs in the second game of a doubleheader against Maine on Mar. 14, the two hits were both home runs and he did not even start the game, he was one of only two Tigers to hit two homers in a single game in 1998…against N.C. State on Apr.17, he tied the game at 10-10 on a bases-clearing double, the Tigers went on to beat #24 N.C. State 11-10 in 12 innings…had a two-game stretch against the Wolfpack where he was 4-for-7 with nine runs batted in…was 2-for-2 with two walks against North Carolina on May 13 in the ACC Tournament.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Team One Showcase All-Star in 1996…also a 1996 Baltimore Metro League Summer All-Star…drafted in the ninth round of the Major League Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1997…lettered in baseball and basketball at Saint Paul’s School…played for the 1995 and 1996 MIAA B Conference Champions in baseball…also was the MIAA First-Team shortstop in 1995 and 1996…hit .328 with 33 RBIs and 23 stolen bases as a junior…hit .397 with five homers in 1996…1993 NABF World Series MVP…named the Second-Team All-Metro shortstop…coached by Paul Bernstorf at Saint Paul’s School.
PERSONAL: His father, Ken, played baseball in the Major Leagues for 15 seasons, including nine years with the Baltimore Orioles…also played for the New York Mets and Montreal Expos…Justin was a bat boy for the Expos in his early teens…Ken was a career .286 hitter in the Major Leagues…Ken also hit 240 career home runs…Ken is currently a television broadcaster, providing color commentary, for the Yankees’ MSG Network, he has been able to make several trips to Tigertown to watch his son play, but only in the early stages of Clemson’s season due to his commitment with broadcasting Major League games…nicknamed “Singy”…majoring in Secondary Education…entered the spring 2000 semester with a 3.26 GPA…born Justin Charles Singleton on Apr. 10, 1979 in Towson, MD.
Singleton Career Stats
#40 Jon Smith C * R-R * 5-11 * 185 * *So. * RS * Lenoir CC * Kinston, NC
Reserve catcher…well-respected by teammates and is a hard worker…quiet player who does whatever is asked of him.
2000: Appeared in eight games…was 0-for-4 overall…had 13 putouts at catcher.
1999: Red-shirted…played in the Clark C. Griffith Collegiate Baseball (Wooden Bat) League in the summer, he was 1-for-13 in 12 games for Bethesda (MD)…also pitched 4.0 scoreless and hitless innings while striking out four and walking only one in two outings for Bethesda.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Attended Lenoir Community College in 1998 and used one year of eligibility there…had a 5-1 record and 3.58 ERA on the mound at Lenoir CC…First-Team All-Region selection as a pitcher as well…played baseball at South Lenoir High School in Eastern North Carolina…all-conference selection and team captain in his sophomore through senior seasons…received the Most Outstanding Athlete Award, going to the school’s best all-around athlete, as a senior…played in the Area Code Games in the summer before his senior season…played quarterback, linebacker, and kicker on the gridiron…all-conference quarterback selection and team captain as a senior…lettered four times in baseball and four times in football…attended the Clemson baseball camp two times…coached by Lind Hartsfell at Lenoir CC…coached by Troy Eason at South Lenoir High.
PERSONAL: His father, Lannis, played basketball and baseball for two seasons at East Carolina…nicknamed “Smitty”…majoring in Marketing…born Jonathan Lee Smith on Sept. 25, 1979 in Goldsboro, NC.
Smith Career Stats
#1 Henr’ Stanley OF * L-L * 5-10 * 190 * Sr. * 3VL * Richland Northeast HS * Columbia, SC
A mainstay in the Tiger program for four seasons…showed flashes of tremendous “pop” in his bat…when he was “on”, there was no better player on the field…showed power to all fields…had outstanding speed on the basepaths, as he was 57-64 (89-percent success rate) on stolen bases in his career…a career .293 hitter with a .422 on-base percentage and 144 walks (fourth most in Clemson history)…scored a run every 3.49 at bats in his Tiger career and 191 runs (10th most in Tiger history) in all…his 231 games played ranks fourth most in Tiger history…his one walk per 4.63 at bats for his career ranks ninth best in Tiger history…played mostly in left field and as a designated hitter in his career…a career .393 hitting with 21 runs scored, 16 walks, seven stolen bases, and a .519 on-base percentage in NCAA Tournament play…his arm strength improved significantly since his freshman season…wrote journal entries for Clemson’s official athletic website (www.clemsontigers.com) during the 2000 postseason, the journal was called “Stanley’s Stance” and kept Tiger fans informed about on and off the field happenings with Stanley and other teammates.
2000: One of seven captains…hit .322 in 37 starts and 55 games overall (143 at bats)…was Clemson’s hottest hitter in the postseason…made 15 starts in left field and 22 as the DH…missed several games in late April due to a sore hand…was 5-for-11 (.455) against lefthanders…stole 16 bases in 19 attempts…signed a free-agent contract with the Houston Astros…hit .632 (12-for-19) with an .696 on-base percentage and four stolen bases in the NCAA Tournament…hit .583 (14-for-24) with a .667 on-base percentage in the postseason…Clemson was 19-3 when he started as the DH and 15-1 when he batted and started sixth in the lineup…named to the All-Regional team at Clemson, where he was 5-for-8 (.625) with four runs scored, three walks, and four stolen bases…went 2-for-3 with an RBI against UNC Charlotte on Mar. 22…went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases and an RBI against The Citadel on Mar. 24…went 2-for-4 with a double and stolen base against The Citadel on Mar. 25…hit a towering home run over the scoreboard at Georgia on Mar. 29…walked three times and scored three runs against Georgia on Apr. 11…went 3-for-5 with a double and three runs scored at #1 South Carolina on Apr. 19…went 4-for-5 with four runs scored and two stolen bases against Middle Tennessee in the Clemson Regional on May 28…came off the bench to go 3-for-3 with a double and three RBIs against #10 Mississippi State in the Clemson Super Regional on June 3…went 3-for-5 with a double against #1 Stanford in the College World Series on June 11.
1999: Batted .296 with 20 doubles, two triples, eight homers, and 60 RBIs…one of three Tigers to play in all 69 games (Jason Harris and Khalil Greene were the others), the 69 games tied for the sixth most in a season by a Tiger…started 65 games, 35 in centerfield, 15 in left field, and 15 as the DH…was the leadoff batter in 43 games…scored a team-best 85 runs (fourth most in a season in Clemson history)…walked 64 times, tying Jason Harris for the Clemson single-season record (who also had 64 in ’99)…had a .441 on-base percentage…led the team in runs scored, and was tied for the team lead in games played, triples, and walks…also stole a team-high 27 bases in 30 attempts…finished second in the ACC in runs scored, third in stolen bases, and eighth in doubles…had 21 multi-hit games and 17 multi-RBI games…played centerfield during Patrick Boyd’s absence (first half of the season), which was due to a torn labrum…batted .313 when playing in the outfield compared to .259 as the DH…was 7-for-10 with the bases loaded…hit .360 with runners in scoring position and .375 with runners on base…batted .321 against lefthanders…hit .439 in his first 17 games…did a tremendous job getting on base in the Fayetteville Regional, despite hitting just .235, he had a .519 on-base percentage thanks to 10 walks in five games…was 4-for-11 (.364) with a double, homer, and three RBIs in three games in the Super Regional at #2 Texas A&M from June 4-6…scored a team-high 16 runs in 13 post-season games despite hitting just .217 (10-for-46)…had a 10-game hitting streak >from Apr. 18 to May 7…had three RBIs against Kansas State on Feb. 13…went 4-for-4 with three runs scored, a homer, double, two stolen bases, and four RBIs against Creighton on Feb. 28…was 3-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBIs against George Mason in the second game of a doubleheader on Mar. 13…his ninth inning single, which broke and 0-for-15 slump, broke a 6-6 tie in the Clemson’s 7-6 win at Georgia on Mar. 19…was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBIs, including a three-run homer, in the Tigers’ 7-5 win over #6 Miami (FL) on Apr. 3…had three more hits and three runs the next day against the Hurricanes on Apr. 4…was 7-for-13 with six runs scored and four RBIs in three games against the #6 Hurricanes from Apr. 2-4…was 2-for-6 with two runs scored and two runs batted in along with three stolen bases (tied for the most by a Tiger in ’99) against Western Carolina on Apr. 7…was 3-for-6 with three RBIs against Furman on Apr. 13…was 2-for-3 with four runs scored against Duke on Apr. 16…had two hits and four runs batted in against #19 Georgia Tech on Apr. 23…went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a stolen base at N.C. State on May 15…scored four runs and walked three times in the Fayetteville Regional at #8 Arkansas on May 29…had a home run, double, and three RBIs at #2 Texas A&M in the Super Regional on June 5.
1998: Saw most of his action as a designated hitter…hit .284 in 116 at bats and 51 games (29 starts)…had a .410 on-base percentage and was 5-6 on stolen bases…was 4-for-13 (.308) against lefthanders…walked four times and stole two bases in the first game of a doubleheader against Maine on Mar. 14…had three hits and three RBIs versus North Carolina-Asheville on Apr. 15…made a leaping catch at the top of the wall to help Clemson past #24 North Carolina on May 10.
1997: Was 26-for-82 (.317) in his last 26 games…also started 20 of the last 22 games of the season…platooned with Derek Borgert as the designated hitter, but still managed to go 7-for-14 against lefthanders…was a perfect 9-9 on stolen bases…had a .409 on-base percentage…was 4-for-5 with three RBIs and four runs scored versus Duke on Apr. 13…had a homer and a triple at Davidson on May 2…hit a three-run homer versus Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament on May 14…played in 11 games in the Cape Cod League in the summer of ’97.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Among Baseball America’s top 100 prospects in 1996…High School Sports Report All-State selection in 1995 and 1996…tabbed by that publication as the #3 prospect in the state in 1996…All-Area and All-Region 4-AAAA in 1995 and 1996 at Richland Northeast High School…as a junior, his team had a 23-5 record and was the Region 4-AAAA champions…a High School Sports Report Underclassmen Showcase team member…Area Code Games participant and South Carolina High School World Series team member…Co-MVP in the 1996 North-South All-Star game…batted .412 with 37 runs scored, seven doubles, 25 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases as a junior…lettered four times in baseball and once in cross country…coached by Barry Mizzell at Richland Northeast High.
PERSONAL: Made the honor roll in the fall of ’96…pronounced ahn-REE…nicknamed “Hank” and “Ree”…majoring in Sociology…entered the spring 2000 semester with a 3.20 GPA…born Henry Ronald Stanley III on December 15, 1977 in Columbia, SC.
Stanley Career Stats
#26 Casey Stone OF * L-R * 5-6 * 155 * Jr. * 2VL * Abbeville HS * Abbeville, SC
Scrappy outfielder who was one of the most pleasant surprises in 2000…worked his way through various backup roles to become a constant in the Tiger outfield in 2000…Clemson’s smallest player in terms of height (5-6), but has a giant-sized heart…goes all-out on every play, whether it be at the plate, on the basepaths, or in the outfield…is in the mold of Head Coach Jack Leggett in the type of player he is on the field…has tracked down many foul balls in Clemson’s spacious foul territory and made many diving catches…has 10 career outfield assists…has 25 career sacrifice bunts, most in Tiger history…a career .314 hitter in 462 at bats…has outstanding speed, he is 34-41 in stolen bases in three seasons…is even faster from home to first and hits many infield singles…has struck out just once every 12.83 at bats in his career, eighth best in Tiger history…a very approachable and outgoing person off the field.
2000: Perhaps the most improved player on the team…cemented his spot at the Tiger leadoff hitter the last 38 games, during that stretch, he hit .396 (67-for-169)…hit .357 overall with 11 doubles, three triples, and a homer along with 51 RBIs in starting all 69 games (272 at bats)…his 82 singles was the second most in a season in Tiger history…made 54 starts in left field and 15 in right field…struck out just 15 times, or once every 18.13 at bats…scored a team-high 65 runs…hit .342 against lefties…had 14 sacrifice bunts, most in a season in Clemson history…hit .376 away from home and a team-best ..376 at night…had 28 multi-hit games and a team-best 14 three-hit games…had a team-best 25 steals in 30 attempts…hit safely in his last 10 and 16 of his last 17 games at home, he had at least two hits in eight of his last nine home games…had a team-best 79.2 percent success rate of driving home runners on third with less than two outs…had a team-best four outfield assists…hit a team-best .460 with 15 RBIs in 15 May games…named the MVP of the Clemson Regional and made the All-Regional team at Clemson, where he was 5-for-14 (.357) with six RBIs and two stolen bases…hit a single, double, and triple against UNLV on Mar. 3…had a two run single and sacrifice bunt against UNLV on Mar. 5, the sacrifice broke the Clemson career record with his 16th…went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs against William & Mary on Mar. 8, he gave the Tigers a 7-5 lead in the eighth inning with a clutch two-out, two-run single…went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and a stolen base against Ohio in the second game of a doubleheader on Mar. 10…went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases against The Citadel on Mar. 24…had two hits, including a two-run triple, at Georgia on Mar. 29…had three hits and scored two runs against N.C. State on Apr. 8…walked three times and scored three runs against Georgia on Apr. 11…went 3-for-6 with an RBI in the first game of a doubleheader against #11 Wake Forest on Apr. 15…went 3-for-4 with four runs scored and two stolen bases against Elon on Apr. 18…went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and a sacrifice bunt at Duke on Apr. 22…went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, two RBIs, a triple, a stolen base, and a sacrifice bunt at Duke on Apr. 23, the sacrifice was his ninth of the season, tying the Clemson single-season record…went 3-for-5 with a double, stolen base, and four RBIs against Western Carolina in Asheville, NC on Apr. 26…went 4-for-6 with two runs scored, four RBIs, and his first career homer at #5 Georgia Tech on Apr. 30…went 2-for-4 with two runs scored against #2 Florida State on May 6, he also set a Clemson single-season record with his 10th sacrifice of the year…went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and the game-winning hit in the ninth inning against #2 Florida State on May 7…went 2-for-2 with three RBIs against #4 Florida State on May 8, he went 7-for-11 with five RBIs in the three-game series against the Seminoles…had three hits and a stolen base in the first game of a doubleheader at Virginia on May 13…went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs at Virginia on May 14…went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three runs scored against Virginia in the ACC Tournament on May 17…went 3-for-4 against #3 Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament on May 19…had two hits, scored two runs, and had three RBIs against Middle Tennessee in the Clemson Regional on May 28…had two hits and drove in two runs along with a stolen base against #10 Mississippi State in the Clemson Super Regional on June 2…went 3-for-5 against #1 Stanford in the College World Series on June 11.
1999: Came alive in the College Station Super Regional at #2 Texas A&M, he batted .455 (5-for-11) with a double, five RBIs, and two stolen bases after entering the series with just a .215 batting average…hit ..367 (11-for-30) with nine RBIs and three stolen bases in eight NCAA Tournament games, started seven of the eight tournament games…batted ..240 overall in 104 at bats with 17 RBIs and seven stolen bases…also had four doubles and five sacrifice bunts…had 47 putouts, three outfield assists, and did not commit a single error in 49 games (24 starts, 21 in left field, two as the designated hitter, and one in centerfield, 16 of the starts came from May 7 to the end of the season)…hit .341 with the bases empty…had a .450 on-base percentage when leading off an inning and a .420 on-base percentage at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…only struck out nine times in 104 at bats…started in left field in four of the five games in the Regional at Fayetteville, AR, where he was 6-for-19 (.316) with a double and four RBIs…had two hits and a run scored in four at bats against Kansas State on Feb. 14…had two RBIs despite not having a hit against George Mason in the first game of a doubleheader on Mar. 13…had three hits, two of which were doubles, against Coastal Carolina on May 8…walked three times and scored three runs against #10 North Carolina on May 9…went 3-for-6 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBIs in the Fayetteville Regional against Delaware on May 29…had two hits, a run scored, and an RBI in the Fayetteville Regional at #8 Arkansas on May 29…made a great catch at full speed while running towards the side wall down the left-field line in the eighth inning in the second of two games in the Fayetteville Regional against Southwest Missouri State on May 30, Clemson held on to win 7-5 and advance to the Super Regional…had two hits, including a double, four RBIs, and two runs scored at #2 Texas A&M in the Super Regional on June 5…had three hits, including the key go-ahead run-scoring single in the seventh inning, at #2 Texas A&M in the Super Regional on June 6, he entered the contest just 1-for-15 (.067) against lefthanders, but all three hits came against lefthanded pitching…played for Winchester of the Valley League in Virginia in the summer…made the All-Star team…led Winchester with a .342 batting average (47 points higher than the next closest teammate) in 37 games…also tied Tiger teammate Bradley LeCroy for the team lead in stolen bases with 12.
1998: Started 11 of Clemson’s last 12 games…had six sacrifice bunts in only 86 at bats…hit .275 against ACC regular-season competition, he started nine of the Tigers’ 23 conference games…hit .483 with runners in scoring position…went 2-for-2 with a run scored against Florida Atlantic on Mar. 4, it came in his first career start…had three hits, two runs, and two RBIs against Furman on Apr. 7…had two hits, a run scored, and an RBI at Duke in the second game of a doubleheader on Apr. 11…tied a Clemson single-game record held by many with two sacrifice bunts at #24 North Carolina on May 9…had a triple and two RBIs against The Citadel in the NCAA East Regional on May 21, he helped the Tigers win their 2,000th game in school history with his efforts…a First-Team All-Star centerfielder of the Coastal Plain League in the summer of 1998 playing for Florence (SC), as he hit ..307 in 40 games with 14 runs batted in and 12 stolen bases.
BEFORE CLEMSON: First-Team Coaches Association All-State as an infielder in his senior season at Abbeville High School…played in the High School Sports Report All-Star Game…led the state in runs scored (48), at bats (101), and hits (49) as a senior at Abbeville High…All-State selection as a junior…hit .420 as a junior and won the Abbeville High Hitting Award in both his sophomore and junior seasons…also Coaches Association All-Region 3-AA as a sophomore and as a junior…tabbed as the top sophomore in Region 3-AA by the High School Sports Report…won the Greenwood Legion batting title (.445) as a junior and was a perfect 28-28 on stolen bases…led American Legion Post 20 (Greenwood, SC) in hitting with a .433 clip to garner team MVP honors in the summer after his sophomore season…played on the Upper State champions as a freshman, that team had a final record of 24-6…lettered four times in baseball and three times in football…a member of the 1996 Football State Champions at Abbeville (15-0 record) as a senior…All-Lakelands selection according to the Index Journal as a senior…Abbeville High was the region champions in his freshman through junior seasons on the gridiron…coached by Mark Smith at Abbeville High.
PERSONAL: Engaged to marry his fiance’, Kimberly Stewart, in December, 2000, Stewart is a senior majoring in PRTM from North Augusta, SC…majoring in Secondary Education…born Marion Casey Stone on September 10, 1978 in Abbeville, SC.
Stone Career Stats
#5 Russell Triplett INF * R-R * 5-11 * 167 * Fr. * HS * Brookland-Cayce HS * West Columbia, SC
Freshman middle infielder…can play either the shortstop or second base positions…comes to Clemson from a very successful Brookland-Cayce High program…one of nine Tigers that live within an hour’s drive of Columbia, SC.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Batted .543 with 53 runs scored, 13 doubles, three triples, eight homers, 42 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases in just 94 at bats as a junior at Brookland-Cayce High School…Region Player-of-the-Year as a junior…was also the AAA State Player-of-the-Year by both the High School Sports Report and the Coaches Association as a junior, leading his team to the AAA State Championship and region title…was also All-State, All-Region, and All-Area as a junior…was an All-Region selection as a sophomore…helped his team to the region titles in his freshman and sophomore seasons…lettered four times in baseball and three times in football…coached by Charlie Assey at Brookland-Cayce High.
PERSONAL: Majoring in Mathematics Teaching…nicknamed “Trip”…born Calvin Russell Triplett III on January 18, 1981 in Aiken, SC.
#23 Anthony Urrico LHP * R-L * 5-10 * 167 * So. * TR * Long Island Univ. * Staten Island, NY
Lefthander and transfer…played one season at Long Island University and has three years of eligibility remaining…features an oustanding breaking pitch from the left side of the rubber…one of nine Tigers from the Northeast part of the country.
BEFORE CLEMSON: Played one season at Long Island University…was 4-2 with a 6.75 ERA in 45.1 innings pitched for the Blackbirds…pitched three complete games…threw just two wild pitches and walked 20 batters in the 45.1 innings…picked off two baserunners and allowed just two of eight base-stealers to be successful…a top recruit in the New York area out of Saint Joseph by the Sea High School…1998 All-Borough selection by the Daily News…was 6-2 with a 1.28 ERA as a senior…also played in the outfield and batted .353…led Saint Joseph by the Sea to a second-place finish in the Staten Island Catholic League as a senior…played for the Bayside Yankees in the summer of ’98 and was 10-1…two-time All-World Series Team participant in both the Babe Ruth World Series and CABA World Series…lettered three times and was team captain twice in baseball in high school…lettered twice in football…played many positions on the gridiron…coached by Frank Giannone at Long Island…coached by Gordon Rugg at Saint Joseph by the Sea High.
PERSONAL: Pronounced yur-EE-coh…nicknamed “Reeks”…majoring in Financial Management…born Anthony Joseph Urrico on November 9, 1980 in Brooklyn, NY.
Urrico Career Stats
YearERAW-LG-GSCGSHOSVIPHRERBBSO1999*6.754-29-730045.15838342029 * – stats at Long Island
April 15, 2024
April 14, 2024
April 13, 2024
