Notes (PDF)
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.
