No. 4 Clemson hosts Pittsburgh for the first time in a three-game series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium since 2016 this weekend.
SERIES SETUP
• Who – Pittsburgh (15-19, 4-14 ACC) vs. Clemson (30-6, 11-4 ACC)
• Best Ranking – PIT – NR; CU – No. 4 Baseball America
• When – Friday (6 p.m.), Saturday (2 p.m.), Sunday (noon)
• Where – Clemson, S.C. (Doug Kingsmore Stadium)
• Watch – ACC Network Extra
• Video Announcers – Tim Bourret (Sunday), Ron Smith (Friday, Saturday), Pete Yanity
• Listen (Radio) – Clemson Athletic Network (locally on WCCP (105.5 FM))
• Listen (Internet) – ClemsonTigers.com
• Live Stats – ClemsonTigers.com
• Social Media – ClemsonBaseball
• Tickets – ClemsonTigers.com, 1-800-CLEMSON
SERIES HISTORY
• Overall Record – Clemson leads 7-4 (2014-22)
• Record at Clemson – Clemson leads 2-1 (2016)
STARTING PITCHERS
• Friday – RHP Ryan Andrade (PIT) vs. LHP Tristan Smith (CU)
• Saturday – RHP Jack Sokol (PIT) vs. LHP Ethan Darden (CU)
• Sunday – LHP Ryan Reed (PIT) vs. RHP Aidan Knaak (CU)
CLEMSON OVERVIEW
• Clemson, which has a 20-4 home record, defeated Charlotte 8-5 on Tuesday.
• The Tigers are averaging 7.9 runs per game and hitting .284 with a .491 slugging percentage, .401 on-base percentage and 37 steals.
• The pitching staff has a 3.93 ERA, .228 opponents’ batting average and 2.57 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and Clemson is fielding .967.
PITTSBURGH OVERVIEW
• Pittsburgh, which has a 4-8 road record and is averaging 6.9 runs per game, is led by sixth-year Head Coach Mike Bell.
• The Panthers split two midweek games. They are hitting .287, have a 6.20 ERA and .967 fielding percentage.
• Josh Spiegel is hitting .333, Luke Cantwell is batting .330 with nine homers and 31 RBIs and Phil Fox has a team-high three saves.
QUICK HITS
• Clemson has a 30-2 record when scoring 3+ runs.
• Clemson’s bullpen has a 19-3 record, 10 saves, a 4.21 ERA, .216 opponents’ batting average and 159 strikeouts in 151.2 innings pitched.
• A total of 17 Tigers have started at least one game in the batting order.
CIUFO STEADY AT SHORTSTOP
• Junior Andrew Ciufo was the starting shortstop in the first half of 2024 until he suffered a season-ending injury at Notre Dame on April 6.
• He hit .280 with two homers, a triple, two doubles, 16 RBIs, 19 runs, a .378 on-base percentage and five steals in 27 games in 2024.
• He had five sacrifice bunts.
• He had a .955 fielding percentage, committing only five errors in 110 chances.
• He committed five errors in the first six games, but did not commit an error in his last 21 games of the season.
• He did not commit an error in 47 chances in 11 ACC regular-season games.
• Clemson had a 24-3 record in his 27 starts.
• He was 4-for-6 with nine RBIs with the bases loaded.
• He hit a walkoff solo homer in the 12th inning in Clemson’s 5-4 win over No. 12 South Carolina at Segra Park in Columbia, S.C. on March 2.
• He also made several highlight-reel plays on defense against the Gamecocks to save runs late in the game on March 2.
• He received the Bob Bradley Award as Clemson’s MVP of the series against South Carolina, as he was 4-for-10 at the plate.