Notes (PDF)
The No. 4 Tigers travel to Louisville for a three-game series this weekend.
SERIES SETUP• Who – Clemson (32-8, 13-5 ACC) vs. Louisville (24-16, 9-9 ACC)• Best Ranking – CU – No. 4 Baseball America, NCBWA, Perfect Game, USA Today; LOU – NR• When – Friday (6 p.m.), Saturday (1 p.m.), Sunday (4 p.m.)• Where – Louisville, Ky. (Jim Patterson Stadium)• Watch – ACC Network Extra (Friday, Saturday), ESPN2 (Sunday)• Video Announcers (Friday) – Joey Lindstrom, Jeff Milby• Video Announcers (Saturday) – Jack Kizer, Jeff Milby• Video Announcers (Sunday) – Kevin Fitzgerald, Devon Travis• Listen (Radio) – Clemson Athletic Network (locally on WCCP (105.5 FM))• Listen (Internet) – ClemsonTigers.com• Live Stats – ClemsonTigers.com• Social Media – ClemsonBaseball
SERIES HISTORY• Overall Record – Clemson leads 20-14 (1970-23)• Record at Louisville – Louisville leads 7-2 (2016-22)
STARTING PITCHERS• Friday – LHP Tristan Smith (CU) vs. LHP Sebastian Gongora (LOU)• Saturday – LHP Ethan Darden (CU) vs. LHP Evan Webster (LOU)• Sunday – TBA (CU) vs. TBA (LOU)
CLEMSON OVERVIEW• Clemson, which has a 7-3 road record, lost at No. 17 Georgia 4-3 in 15 innings on Tuesday night.• The Tigers are averaging 7.7 runs per game and hitting .286 with a .496 slugging percentage, .397 on-base percentage and 40 steals.• The pitching staff has a 3.83 ERA, .225 opponents’ batting average and 2.54 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and Clemson is fielding .968.
LOUISVILLE OVERVIEW• Louisville, which has a 20-8 home record and is averaging 8.7 runs per game, is led by 18th-year Head Coach Dan McDonnell.• The Cardinals defeated Western Kentucky 16-5 at home on Tuesday. They are hitting .325 and have a 6.16 ERA and .963 fielding percentage.• Zion Rose is hitting .391, Gavin Kilen is batting .368, JT Benson has 25 steals and Tucker Biven has a team-high four saves.
QUICK HITS• The home team has won each of the last nine regular-season games in the Clemson vs. Louisville series dating to 2021.• Clemson is in the midst of a stretch of 12 games where nine of them are on the road.• Clemson’s bullpen has a 20-4 record, 11 saves, a 3.96 ERA, .205 opponents’ batting average and 193 strikeouts in 179.2 innings pitched.
MAHLSTEDT EFFECTIVE FROM THE SIDE• Junior righty Lucas Mahlstedt transferred to Clemson from Wofford and has been one of the team’s top relievers with his sidearm delivery.• He is 3-0 with one save, a 2.84 ERA, .254 opponents’ batting average and 22 strikeouts against six walks in 31.2 innings pitched.• He leads the team in appearances (17), all out of the bullpen.• He is holding opponents to .152 with two outs.• He has not allowed a steal.• He is 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA and 10 strikeouts against two walks in 14.2 innings pitched over nine relief outings in ACC regular-season games.
