Notes (PDF)
The No. 7 Tigers play in the Palmetto Series, presented by the South Carolina Education Lottery, against South Carolina this weekend.
SERIES SETUP• Who – South Carolina (9-0) vs. Clemson (7-1)• Best Ranking – USC – NR; CU – No. 7 Baseball America, Perfect Game• When – Friday (7 p.m.), Saturday (1:30 p.m.), Sunday (5 p.m.)• Where – Clemson, S.C. (Doug Kingsmore Stadium) Friday; Greenville, S.C. (Fluor Field) Saturday; Columbia, S.C. (Founders Park) Sunday• Watch – ACC Network Extra (Friday), SEC Network+ (Saturday, Sunday)• Video Announcers (Friday) – Mike Freeman, Pete Yanity• Video Announcers (Saturday) – Cade Crenshaw, Stuart Lake• Video Announcers (Sunday) – Kip Bouknight, Grayson Greiner, Dave Weinstein• Listen (Radio) – Clemson Athletic Network (locally on WCCP (105.5 FM))• Listen (Internet) – ClemsonTigers.com• Live Stats – ClemsonTigers.com• Social Media – ClemsonBaseball• Tickets (Friday) – ClemsonTigers.com, 1-800-CLEMSON
SERIES HISTORY• Overall Record – Clemson leads 188-145-2 (1899-2024)• Record at Clemson – Clemson leads 104-46 (1907-2024)• Record at Neutral – Clemson leads 14-13 (1899-2024)• Record at South Carolina – South Carolina leads 86-70-2 (1900-2023)
STARTING PITCHERS• Friday – LHP Matthew Becker (USC) vs. RHP Aidan Knaak (CU)• Saturday – LHP Ethan Darden (CU) vs. LHP Jake McCoy (USC)• Sunday – LHP Justin LeGuernic (CU) vs. TBA (USC)
CLEMSON OVERVIEW• Clemson, which has a 5-0 home record and 2-1 neutral record, defeated Winthrop 20-7 in seven innings at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Tuesday.• The Tigers are averaging 9.1 runs per game and hitting .312 with a .460 slugging percentage, .441 on-base percentage and 14 steals.• The pitching staff has a 5.56 ERA, .230 opponents’ batting average and 2.76 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and Clemson is fielding .982.
SOUTH CAROLINA OVERVIEW• South Carolina has an 8-0 home record, a 1-0 road record, is averaging 8.7 runs per game and is led by first-year Head Coach Paul Mainieri.• The Gamecocks beat Gardner-Webb 14-4 in seven innings on Tuesday. They are hitting .304 and have a 2.25 ERA and .980 fielding percentage.• Ethan Petry is hitting .452, while former Tigers Nathan Hall (.433) and Nolan Nawrocki (.350) are both hitting at least .350.
STORIED RIVALRY• South Carolina is Clemson’s most-common opponent, as the two have played 335 times dating to 1899.• The two have met at least once every year since 1945, with the exception of 1984. Therefore, the two have met each of the last 40 years.• The season matchups went to a three-game, weekend-series format in 2010 after the two teams played four midweek games for decades.• South Carolina leads the series 8-7 in regular-season, neutral-site contests since 2010.• Clemson leads the series 57-29 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium (opened in 1970).• South Carolina leads the series 6-5 at Fluor Field.• South Carolina leads the series 12-6 at Founders Park (opened in 2009).
QUICK HITS• Clemson is the designated visiting team and occupies the third-base dugout at Fluor Field on Saturday.• Clemson has won seven of the last 10 season series against South Carolina from 2015-24.• Former Tiger Head Coach Monte Lee (2016-22) is the associate head coach and hitting coach at South Carolina.
TIGERS AT FLUOR FIELD• Clemson has a 31-9 all-time record in 40 games at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C.• The Tigers have outscored the opposition 319-162 at Fluor Field, an average score of 8.0-4.1.• South Carolina (2010,11,14,15,21,23), Presbyterian (2011), Michigan State (2015) and USC Upstate (2023) have beaten Clemson at Fluor Field.• Clemson has won 15 of its last 18 games at Fluor Field dating to 2015.• Clemson is 5-6 against South Carolina at Fluor Field.• Clemson is 2-2 under Erik Bakich at Fluor Field.
BOB BRADLEY AWARD PRESENTED SUNDAY• Clemson’s MVP of the South Carolina series is presented the Bob Bradley Award. The Gamecocks’ MVP receives the Tom Price Award.• The 2025 series marks the 25th year the awards are presented.• The two late athletic communications directors served as baseball contacts for their respective schools for decades.
MAHLSTEDT SOLID ON & OFF THE FIELD• Senior and sidearm righthander Lucas Mahlstedt has been one of the team’s best relievers since transferring to Clemson for the 2024 season.• He is 0-0 with two saves, an 0.00 ERA, .125 opponents’ batting average and six strikeouts against no walks in 4.2 innings pitched in 2025.• In two years as a Tiger, he is 4-1 with a 4.34 ERA and .261 opponents’ batting average in 58.0 innings pitched over 30 relief outings.• He also has 45 strikeouts against 15 walks and three saves in his two years at Clemson.• On Feb. 26, he became a Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Postgraduate Scholarship Award recipient.• He was one of only 35 ACC student-athletes and three ACC baseball players to receive the 2025 award.• He became the first Tiger baseball player to receive the accolade.
