Notes (PDF)
The 2024 Tigers took another step during their 60-game journey under second-year Head Coach Erik Bakich. For the first time since 2010, Clemson won a regional and advanced to a super regional. The Tigers also hosted a regional for the second year in a row, one of only five schools that could make that claim.
Another highlight of the season was their consistent placement in the polls, as the Tigers, who had a 44-16 record, were ranked in the top 10 of at least one poll in all 18 weeks, a first for the program since 2006, and finished the season ranked as high as No. 9 in the nation, their best final ranking since 2010. Clemson ended the season with an active streak of 26 weeks in a row with a top-25 ranking.
The consistency also showed in terms of series wins, as Clemson won its first eight weekend series to extend its streak from the previous season to 15 regular-season series wins in a row, its longest streak since 2001,02. The Tigers also extended their ACC regular-season series win streak to 11, their longest streak since 1993-95. In all, Clemson won eight of 10 ACC regular-season series, more than any other team.
For the second year in a row, Clemson had a 20-10 ACC regular-season mark, but unlike 2023, it was good for first place in the Atlantic Division in 2024. Clemson claimed its first division title since 2018 and marked the first time since North Carolina’s 2017 and 2018 teams that a team totaled 20 ACC regular-season wins in back-to-back years of 30-game league schedules, quite an accomplishment in the first two years of Bakich’s tenure. He joined Jack Leggett as the only ACC coaches who could make that claim of early success.
Perhaps what fans will remember most about the 2024 Tigers was their ability to rally to victory. Clemson had 25 comeback wins, including victories when trailing by nine runs, seven runs (twice), six runs, five runs and four runs (three times).
A key to those comebacks was the long ball, as Clemson hit 109 homers, third most in school history. Its 1.8 homers per game were second most in school history and the most since 1962, and the .513 slugging percentage was its highest mark since 2002. That was a big reason it averaged 8.1 runs per game, its highest figure since 2010. Blake Wright and Jimmy Obertop both hit 22 homers to become the first Tiger duo since 2002 to hit 20+ homers in a season. In all, five Tigers hit 10+ homers, a first for the program since 1997.
Three Tigers, Cam Cannarella, Aidan Knaak and Wright, earned All-America honors, a first for the program since 2018. Wright hit .340 with 22 homers, 75 RBIs and 68 runs as the only Tiger to play all 60 games. He was a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award. Despite playing most of the season with an injury, Cannarella hit .337 with 11 homers, 60 RBIs and 58 runs.
Other offensive standouts included Jacob Hinderleider, who batted .336 with 13 homers and 60 RBIs along with a solid glove at first base and shortstop. Alden Mathes hit .308 with 10 homers, 33 RBIs, 64 runs and a .445 on-base percentage along with eight outfield assists. Obertop added a .303 batting average, 22 homers, 56 RBIs, 62 runs and a .438 on-base percentage as the primary catcher. Andrew Ciufo, whose season was cut short halfway through due to injury, did not commit an error in his last 21 games.
On the mound, Knaak dazzled, as he was named national freshman pitcher-of-the-year by NCBWA, becoming the second Tiger (Seth Beer, 2016) to earn a national freshman-of-the-year honor. He was 5-1 with a 3.35 ERA, .221 opponents’ batting average and 108 strikeouts against only 29 walks in 83.1 innings pitched over 15 starts. He became the fourth Tiger freshman and first Tiger freshman pitcher to earn All-America honors.
Knaak was also a First-Team All-ACC selection to become the first Tiger freshman pitcher so honored since 1997. He led the team in starts on the mound, innings pitched and strikeouts, as his 108 were the most by a Tiger freshman in history. Clemson had a 13-2 record in his 15 starts as well.
Austin Gordon moved to the closer role midway through the season and was dominant, as he was tied for sixth in the nation with 11 saves, tied for third most in school history. In his 17 relief outings, he had a 2.19 ERA, .131 opponents’ batting average and 35 strikeouts against nine walks in 24.2 innings pitched. Tristan Smith added 66 strikeouts in 50.1 innings pitched as a weekend starter, while freshmen Jacob McGovern and Drew Titsworth emerged as reliable relievers late in the season. Lucas Mahlstedt led the team in appearances (28), all out of the bullpen, as well.
Clemson’s difficult schedule, which featured 52 games against teams in the top 95 of the RPI, began with a three-game sweep of Xavier. That began Clemson’s outstanding first half, which saw the Tigers have records of 4-0, 15-1, 22-2 and 28-3.
A midweek win over Presbyterian, two wins in three games over Kennesaw State and a midweek victory over USC Upstate were next. Against the Spartans, Will Taylor, whose season was cut short due to injury on April 14, tied a Tiger record with three homers.
The Tigers then played rival and No. 12 South Carolina in a rain-shortened series. Clemson won both games by scores of 5-4. Ciufo’s walkoff solo homer in the 12th inning at Segra Park preceded Clemson’s win a day later at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Ciufo, who also made several highlight-reel plays in the first game to save runs, won the Bob Bradley Award as Clemson’s series MVP.
Clemson upped its season-long winning streak to 11 with wins over Kansas State (1), UNC Greensboro (3) and Manhattan (2). Tristan Bissetta emerged as an everyday starter by hitting his first two career homers in his first start of the year against UNC Greensboro.
ACC play began at No. 3 Duke on March 15. After a setback in game one, Clemson won 8-7 and 8-6 in 10 innings to claim the series. Smith totaled 10 strikeouts in Clemson’s first win. Obertop hit a home run in each win, while his long homer in extra innings in the series finale gave the Tigers the lead for good. Mathes, who had a 34-game on-base streak from March to May, also flashed his glove in the series with a spectacular catch while crashing into the wall.
Clemson downed Winthrop at home and Presbyterian at Fluor Field, as Wright tied a school record with three homers against the Blue Hose. It was one of 10 games in a row that Wright had at least one run, hit and RBI.
The Tigers then swept No. 7 Florida State, which entered with a 19-0 season record, at home in one of the most memorable series in program history. Clemson rallied from deficits of four runs (first inning), seven runs (ninth inning) and nine runs (sixth inning) in the games, respectively. In the second game, the Seminoles led 8-1 in the ninth inning, but 11 of the 12 Tigers reached base and Clemson won 9-8. Wright’s grand slam tied the score, then Hinderleider hit a walkoff single. In the series finale, Florida State led 11-2 until the Tigers scored five runs in the sixth inning and six runs in the seventh inning, which included another grand slam by Wright, to take the lead. It was Clemson’s first sweep of the Seminoles since 2015.
For his efforts, Wright was named national and ACC Player-of-the-Week. In five games, he was 13-for-22 (591) with six homers, 21 RBIs and 10 runs.
Clemson won another road series, this time at Miami (Fla.), followed by a midweek win over USC Upstate at Fluor Field and a three-game sweep at Notre Dame. In the series finale at Miami, Knaak pitched 7.0 scoreless innings of two-hit ball with 10 strikeouts. In the series opener at Notre Dame, Clemson trailed 3-1 in the eighth inning before rallying for a 7-3 win, then the Tigers won two one-run games to up their season record to 28-3. Knaak took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in the series finale at Notre Dame.
The Tigers faced their first adversity of the season by losing their next three games, one loss to USC Upstate and two losses at home to NC State to snap their series-win streak. Knaak tossed 8.0 scoreless innings of two-hit ball with 10 strikeouts in the Tigers’ lone win to earn ACC Pitcher-of-the-Week honors for the second week in a row. He retired the first 14 batters of the game and faced just two batters over the minimum.
Clemson rebounded with a midweek win over Charlotte and two wins over Pittsburgh. Obertop hit five homers in the Pittsburgh series, including three homers in the series finale to tie the school record.
After a 4-3 setback in 15 innings at No. 17 Georgia, Clemson defeated Louisville twice in three games on the road. In the series opener, Clemson trailed 11-4 in the fifth inning and 11-8 in the ninth inning before rallying for a 12-11 win. It marked the first time in Tiger history that an opponent scored 10 runs in an inning (fourth) and Clemson still won the game. During that series, Clemson began a streak of a school-record 14 consecutive games with a homer.
Following final exams, Clemson downed Georgia Tech twice at home, then the Tigers scored four runs in the ninth inning to defeat Charlotte at Truist Field. Jack Crighton’s two-out triple scored the tying run, then Jacob Jarrell hit a two-run double to put Clemson ahead.
The Tigers suffered a three-game sweep at No. 12 Wake Forest, but they bounced back to sweep Boston College at home to conclude the regular season. Knaak pitched 6.0 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts against no walks in the series finale.
Clemson went 1-1 in the ACC Tournament at Charlotte, N.C. In their win, the Tigers trailed Louisville 6-0 in the fourth inning and 7-4 in the eighth inning before rallying for an 8-7 win. Obertop hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning and had a walkoff walk.
The Tigers swept through the Clemson Regional with a 3-0 record, wins over High Point (1) and Coastal Carolina (2). Bissetta hit a walkoff single against High Point, then Cannarella hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning against the Chanticleers, while Hinderleider went 5-for-5 in that crucial win. The Tigers won the regional with a 12-5 victory over Coastal Carolina, as Clemson pulled away with six runs in the eighth inning. Hinderleider was named Clemson Regional MVP by going 9-for-15. The 34,344 fans set a Clemson Regional attendance record despite playing only six games. That was a big reason the Tigers set a school season record with 5,060 fans per home date, highest in the ACC, in 2024.
The Tigers hosted No. 13 Florida in the Clemson Super Regional, and the Gators came out on top by scores of 10-7 and 11-10 in 13 innings. In the second game, Cannarella hit a dramatic three-run homer in the ninth inning to tie the score, then he made an incredible over-the-shoulder catch in the 10th inning to extend the game. Mathes hit a solo homer in the top of the 13th inning to give Clemson the lead, but the Gators scored two runs in the bottom of the 13th inning.
Five Tigers were selected in the MLB draft after the season. Wright was drafted in the fourth round (No. 106 overall) by the Colorado Rockies, Gordon was picked in the fourth round (No. 110 overall) by the Los Angeles Angels, Taylor was chosen in the fifth round (No. 145 overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Smith was picked in the fifth round (No. 150 overall) by the Cincinnati Reds and Rocco Reid was chosen in the 15th round (No. 465 overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
