Notes (PDF)
The No. 8 Tigers host VCU and North Carolina A&T in the Clemson Baseball Invitational this weekend.
INVITATIONAL SETUP• Who (Friday) – VCU (1-3) vs. Clemson (2-1)• Who (Saturday) – North Carolina A&T (2-0) & VCU (1-3) vs. Clemson (2-1)• Who (Sunday) – North Carolina A&T (2-0) vs. Clemson (2-1)• Best Ranking – A&T – NR; VCU – NR; CU – No. 8 Baseball America, NCBWA, Perfect Game• When – Friday (4 p.m.), Saturday (Noon & 4 p.m.), Sunday (2 p.m.)• Where – Clemson, S.C. (Doug Kingsmore Stadium)• Watch – ACC Network Extra• Video Announcers – Fred Cunningham, Ron Smith• 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 (VCU)• Overall Record – 0-0
SERIES HISTORY (NORTH CAROLINA A&T)• Overall Record – Clemson leads 1-0 (2005)• Record at Clemson – Clemson leads 1-0 (2005)
STARTING PITCHERS• Friday – LHP Cade Dressler (VCU) vs. RHP Aidan Knaak (CU)• Saturday – RHP Angel Ortiz (A&T) vs. LHP Ethan Darden (CU)• Saturday – RHP Brian Yetter (VCU) vs. TBA (CU)• Sunday – RHP Mekai Griffin (A&T) vs. LHP Justin LeGuernic (CU)
CLEMSON OVERVIEW• Clemson, which has yet to play a home game, won two of three games in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown last weekend.• The Tigers are averaging 9.0 runs per game and hitting .324 with a .422 slugging percentage, .418 on-base percentage and two steals.• The pitching staff has a 9.00 ERA, .283 opponents’ batting average and 2.82 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and Clemson is fielding .990.
VCU OVERVIEW• VCU, which has played all its games on the road and is averaging 3.8 runs per game, is led by first-year Head Coach Sean Thompson.• The Rams lost at Longwood 6-3 on Tuesday. They are hitting .235 and have a 8.90 ERA and .968 fielding percentage.• Jacob Lee is hitting .429 with a homer and six RBIs and Seth Werchan is batting .333 with two steals.
NORTH CAROLINA A&T OVERVIEW• North Carolina A&T, which has yet to play a road game and is averaging 13.0 runs per game, is led by 11th-year Head Coach Ben Hall.• The Aggies defeated Delaware State in both matchups last weekend. They are hitting .382 and have a 3.50 ERA and .959 fielding percentage.• AJ Jones is 4-for-7 (.571) with two RBIs, JT Taylor is 4-for-7 (.571) with five RBIs and Bruce Wyche and Tyler Smith each have hit a homer.
QUICK HITS• The Aggies play VCU on Sunday at 10 a.m. (no live video) in the only game not involving the Tigers.• North Carolina A&T Head Coach Ben Hall was an infielder at Clemson in 2005 and 2006, hitting .266 in 78 games (11 starts) as a Tiger.• Clemson scored 15 of its 27 runs in the first and ninth innings in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown last weekend.
SHRINERS SHOWDOWN RECAP• Clemson was one of four teams in the six-team Shriners Children’s College Showdown with a 2-1 record to tie for the best record.• The showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas from Feb. 14-16 marked Clemson’s first three games in an MLB stadium and a dome.• It marked Clemson’s first regular-season tournament since 2005 and its first regular-season game outside the Eastern time zone since 2005.• Clemson defeated No. 13 Oklahoma State 6-5 in the first game, then beat No. 12 Arizona 16-5 in its second game before falling to Ole Miss.• Oklahoma State and Arizona were the top-two teams, respectively, in the Big 12 Conference coaches preseason poll.• The Tigers hit .324 with 10 doubles, 27 runs, a .418 on-base percentage, two steals and a .990 fielding percentage in the showdown.• Dominic Listi was 5-for-9 (.556) with seven RBIs, four runs, two walks, two hit-by-pitches and a .643 on-base percentage in three games.
