Monday 06/21/1999
March 15, 1998
Tuesday, March 17 Western Carolina at Clemson 7:00 PM
Wednesday, March 18 Clemson at Western Carolina 3:00 PM
Head Coach: Rodney HennonSeries Record: Clemson leads 35-6
Pos # Player B-T Cl. G-GS Avg. HR RBIC 41 Brian Ellis L-R *So. 17-12 .474 1 17or 15 Derek Borgert R-R *Jr. 19-11 .200 1 51B 25 Jason Harris L-L Jr. 22-22 .423 5 262B 18 Kurt Bultmann R-R Jr. 22-22 .384 6 25SS 4 Doug Roper S-R *So. 22-22 .391 1 183B 11 Justin Singleton L-R Fr. 15-7 .423 3 12or 33 Mike Calitri R-R *Fr. 10-4 .429 1 9LF 9 Peter Nystrom R-R Fr. 21-18 .407 3 22CF 24 Patrick Boyd S-R Fr. 22-22 .333 4 25RF 22 Matt Padgett L-R Jr. 21-21 .403 4 19DH 1 Henri Stanley L-L So. 21-12 .381 2 9or 17 Justin Hyde R-R Jr. 17-6 .357 1 8
# Player Cl. W-L G-S ERA IP BB SO37 Brian Adams, LHP So. 2-0 6-2 2.45 18.1 9 939 Matt White, LHP Jr. 1-1 6-4 5.11 24.2 10 24
* 1998 Overall Record 20-2* 1998 ACC Record 0-0
* Career Record 600-361 (.624) (19th season)* Record at Clemson 223-74 (.751) (5th season)
* Baseball America 12th* Collegiate Baseball 5th* USA Today/Baseball Weekly 7thClemson in the PollsDate BA CB USAPre NR 16 222-9 23 16 NP2-16 23 16 162-23 21 14 133-2 16 10 103-9 12 5 73-163-233-304-64-134-204-275-45-115-185-26FinalNP - no poll
# Player (#) Opponent (Date) Inning Outs *Type Pitcher 1. Nystrom (1) Central Florida (2/7) 3rd 0 1 Maroth (L) 2. Harris (1) Central Florida (2/7) 9th 2 2 Victoria (L) 3. Borgert (1) Auburn (2/8) 6th 1 2 Gliemmo (L) 4. Hyde (1) East Carolina (2/14) 2nd 0 3 Fields (L) 5. Bultmann (1) East Carolina (2/14) 4th 1 1 Bucy (R) 6. Boyd (1) East Carolina (2/14) 6th 0 1 Bucy (R) 7. Harris (2) East Carolina (2/14) 6th 0 2 Bucy (R) 8. Calitri (1) East Carolina (2/14) 7th 2 2 Wood (R) 9. Harris (3) East Carolina (2/15) 3rd 2 2 Outlaw (R)10. Bultmann (2) East Carolina (2/15) 5th 0 1 Outlaw (R)11. Nystrom (2) East Carolina (2/15) 7th 1 3 Thompson (R)12. Boyd (2) Old Dominion (2/21) 6th 0 1 Dye (R)13. Padgett (1) Old Dominion (2/22) 5th 0 3 Weaver (R)14. Stanley (1) Old Dominion (2/22) 7th 0 1 Weaver (R)15. Bultmann (3) N. Carolina-Charlotte (2/26) 1st 2 1 Poplin (R)16. Ellis (1) N. Carolina Charlotte (2/26) 5th 0 1 Stanford (L)17. Stanley (2) N. Carolina-Wilmington (2/27) 2nd 0 1 Temple (R)18. Roper (1) N. Carolina-Wilmington (2/27) 3rd 1 3 Temple (R)19. Boyd (3) Florida Atlantic (3/3) 1st 1 1 Moser (L)20. Bultmann (4) Stetson (3/6) 1st 1 2 Aulet (R)21. Harris (4) Stetson (3/6) 2nd 2 2 Aulet (R)22. Bultmann (5) Stetson (3/6) 5th 0 4 Johnson (R)23. Singleton (1) Stetson (3/6) 5th 1 3 Higginbotham (R)24. Boyd (4) Stetson (3/8) (2) 1st 1 1 House (R)25. Padgett (2) Stetson (3/8) (2) 6th 1 2 House (R)26. Nystrom (3) Coastal Carolina (3/10) 1st 1 3 Crossen (L)27. Padgett (3) Coastal Carolina (3/10) 1st 1 1 Crossen (L)28. Bultmann (6) Maine (3/13) 6th 0 2 Koutrouba (L)29. Padgett (4) Maine (3/14) (1) 1st 2 2 O'Brien (R)30. Harris (5) Maine (3/14) (1) 5th 0 3 O'Brien (R)31. Singleton (2) Maine (3/14) (2) 6th 0 2 Hewey (R)32. Singleton (3) Maine (3/14) (3) 7th 0 1 Brewer (R) * - 1...Solo, 2...2-run, 3...3-run, 4...Grand Slam
Head Coach Jack Leggett won his 600th career game in his 19th season as Clemson swept three games over Maine on Mar. 13-14. Ironically, he reached the milestone against his alma mater. In the series, the Tigers scored 49 runs. Despite the run total, only two players had three hits in a game.
In game one on Friday, Clemson scored eight runs in the sixth inning to secure the win 12-2. Ryan Mottl (5-0) pitched seven innings, allowing only four hits, one earned runs, and no walks while striking out seven to earn his ninth consecutive game dating back to last season. The top eight starters in the Tiger lineup had at least two hits apiece as well. Kurt Bultmann also hit his sixth homer in the game.
Game two saw Clemson score 12 runs in the fifth inning en route to a convincing 18-2 win. Skip Browning pitched five innings, allowing only one run, to pick up his fourth victory of the season. Jason Harris led the Tiger hitting attack with a double, homer, and five RBIs.
Leggett won his 600th career game in game three, which was also the second game of the day. Clemson used another big inning to come back from a 11-4 deficit. The Tigers scored 14 runs in the sixth inning to take a commanding 18-11 lead. It was the second highest scoring inning in Clemson history. The inning featured 10 hits, including seven extra base hits. Doug Roper also reached base three times in the inning, two by hits and once via a walk. Justin Singleton, son of former Major Leaguer Ken Singleton, came off the bench in the sixth inning for an injured Kurt Bultmann and hit two home runs, one to right field and one to left. Eleven players accounted for Clemson’s 16 hits.
Clemson defeated Coastal Carolina 17-3 on Mar. 10 in a mid-week game at Tiger Field.
Brian Adams pitched seven innings, only allowing two hits and one run to earn the victory. It was only the second start of the sophomore’s career.
The Tigers ran out to a 9-1 lead in the first inning. Peter Nystrom and Matt Padgett each hit homers in the first. Clemson added two runs in the fifth inning and four more in the sixth. Clemson was also aided by 15 Coastal Carolina walks. With the win, Clemson won its 14th game in 15 tries.
Clemson improved its record to 16-2 on the season with a three-game sweep of the Stetson Hatters at Tiger Field on Mar 6 & 8. Stetson was fresh off an 8-0 victory at Georgia Tech in the previous days.
In game one, Clemson scored its most runs in almost a year by downing the Hatters 22-4. Kurt Bultmann hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs. Ryan Mottl (4-0) picked up the win, which was his eighth consecutive dating back to last season. Justing Singleton, son of former Oriole Ken Singleton, hit his first career homer, a line drive to straight-away center. Clemson used an 11-run fifth inning to put the game out of reach.
Game two saw Clemson take a commanding 10-5 win behind the bat of Matt Padgett and Peter Nystrom. Padgett had a double and a triple, while Nystrom added a double. Both players had two RBIs apiece. Skip Browning picked up his third victory of the season with his five inning outing, where he allowed three earned runs. Matt Addition pitched the final four innings, allowing only on run and four hits, t pick up his first save.
In game three, Padgett was the hero as he hit an opposite-field two-run homer in the sixth inning to put Clemson ahead 5-3. The Tigers went on to win 9-4 in a rain-shortened game. Padgett added another double along with his home run. Patrick Boyd had two hits and four RBIs, including a line-drive, opposite-field home run to left. Sophomore Mike Paradis gave up only five hits and three earned runs in seven innings to pick up his third win. Scott Clackum earned his fourth save. Tiger pitchers only allowed five hits in 30 at bats by the Hatters. Stetson entered the game hitting .340.
Clemson’s 10-game winning streak came to an end on Mar. 4 as Florida Atlantic split the two-game series.
In game one, Clemson won its fourth consecutive one-run game as the Tigers defeated the Owls 6-5. The Tigers scored single runs in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. Patrick Boyd led Clemson with three hits, including a home run and a double. Reliever Scott Clackum picked up his second win by pitching 1.2 innings without giving up a run.
Game two saw Clemson strand 13 runners on base, including the bases loaded in the eighth and ninth innings, as the Tigers’ 10-game winning streak ended by a 6-5 margin. The Tigers scored all five of its runs in the bottom of the second inning after the Owls had took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. Florida Atlantic’s Mick Celli went 3-for-4 on the day, giving him seven hits in nine at bats for the two games. Ed Bou’s seventh inning, three-run homer proved to be the difference. Ten different Tigers accounted for Clemson’s 12 hits. Reliever Donovan Harrison suffered his first loss of the season.
Head Coach Jack Leggett is only in his 19th season as a head coach and has already reached the 600-win mark in his coaching career when Clemson defeated his alma mater Maine in the second game of a doubleheader on Mar. 14. He has a career record of 600-361 (.624) in five seasons at Vermont, nine at Western Carolina, and more than four seasons at Clemson.
Leggett has also amassed a 223-74 (.751) record while at Clemson, including each of the first three seasons that saw him win 50 or more games.
The one question mark entering the 1998 season for Clemson was its ability to put runs on the board. That question has been answered emphatically thanks to many Tiger newcomers who have replaced the five graduating position starters from 1997.
Clemson’s 10 newcomers in the field have combined to hit .385 (127-for-330). Those players have also stolen 12 bases in 13 attempts, and scored 114 of the 240 runs (47.5%).
Clemson is averaging nearly 11 runs per game in 1998 and doing so without great individual game performances, but rather a group effort. Through 22 games, 11 players have at least 10 hits, 10 players have scored at least 10 runs, and 12 players have at least eight RBIs. Twelve of the 14 Tigers with at least 20 at bats are batting .333 or better at the plate.
On the mound, all 12 pitchers have under a 6.00 ERA and have at least three appearances, with no one player appearing more than eight times this season.
Sophomore pitcher Ryan Mottl earned Clemson’s first ACC Player-of-the-Week award in 1998 when he pitched seven innings and picked up his third win against UNC Wilmington on Feb. 27. The Florissant, MO native also won his seventh consecutive game dating back to the ’97 season. In the game against the Seahawks, he allowed just six hits and one walk, while striking out six.
For the season, Mottl is 5-0 with a 3.82 ERA in six starts. He won his last four decisions of ’97, therefore he has won nine decisions in a row. Mottl was a First-Team All-ACC starting pitcher as a freshman, and was the first freshman Tiger pitcher to ever accomplish that feat.
Freshman Patrick Boyd was tabbed as the ACC Player-of-the-Week on March 9. He led Clemson to a 4-1 record for the week and hit .474 (9-for-19). The Palm Harbor native also was responsible for 14 runs in the five games, scoring nine runs and batting in five.
After starting the season 3-for-25 (.120), freshman Patrick Boyd has risen his batting average well over .300. He is hitting 25-for-59 (.424) over the last 15 games. As the everyday centerfielder, Boyd has started all 22 games, and has scored 30 runs and hit four home runs. Baseball America tabbed Boyd in the preseason as the ACC’s Newcomer-of-the-Year and as one of the top-10 prospects overall in the ACC regardless of class.
Under Head Coach Jack Leggett, Clemson has gotten off to some fast starts, mainly in the month of February. In his five February’s at Clemson, Leggett has amassed a 41-7 (.854) record in the month of February. Leggett was 8-2 in 1994, 6-1 in 1995, 7-2 in 1996, 9-1 in 1997, and 11-1 in 1998.
Clemson has scored at least 11 runs in an inning an amazing four times already in 1998. The Tigers scored 12 runs in the third inning against UNC Wilmington on Feb. 28 in the 19-6 win. Clemson scored 11 runs in the fifth inning against Stetson on Mar. 6 in the 22-4 victory. Clemson then had double-digit scoring innings twice in the same day. In game one of a doubleheader against Maine on Mar. 14, Clemson scored 12 in the fifth inning en route to the 18-2 win. Then in game two, Clemson scored 14 runs in the sixth inning to overcome a 11-4 deficit to win 19-11. The 14 runs was the second most ever scored by Clemson in an inning, behind only a 18-run ninth inning in Clemson’s 41-9 win against N.C. State in 1979.
In the fifth and sixth innings, Clemson has outscored its opponents 95-18 (43-9 in 5th and 52-9 in 6th).
The offense has also been scoring runs at a record pace. The Tigers have scored 240 runs in 22 games, or 10.9 per game. The team record for runs in a season is 698 by the 1991 team. That team averaged 9.97 runs per game.
Despite being in the shadows of the highly touted Patrick Boyd, Peter Nystrom has made an instant impact on the Tiger offense. The freshman left-fielder from Dunedin, FL is hitting .407 with six doubles, one triple, three home runs, and 22 RBIs in only 54 at bats. Nystrom has played in 21 of the 22 games, starting 18 in left-field.
Red-shirt freshman Mike Calitri waited a whole year to do what few have ever done. The Canton, MA native hit an opposite field two-run homer in his first career at bat in the Tigers 16-4 win over East Carolina on Feb. 14. Calitri is 9-for-21 (.429) on the season, including two doubles, a triple, and nine RBIs at first and third base. Calitri had an outstanding game in the second game of a doubleheader against Maine on Mar. 14 when he had a double, triple, and four RBIs.
After missing all but one game of the 1997 season, redshirt sophomore shortstop Doug Roper has started 1998 with a bang. The Vidalia, GA native has 27 hits in 69 at bats for a .391 batting average. Ironically, he bats in the nine-spot in the lineup. He also has six stolen bases, third most on the team. Roper was a career 5-for-47 (.106) entering the ’98 season.
Junior Jason Harris is hitting .423 with five homers. He also leads the team with 26 RBIs and 31 runs as the Tigers’ new first baseman in 1998. The Brevard College transfer also has seven stolen bases in seven attempts. He also has not committed an error in 209 chances.
Harris’ production is magnified by the fact that the left-handed hitter is hitting .447 against lefties. He is also on a current nine-game hitting streak, has 11 multi-hit games, and has a team best nine multi-RBI games. During his hitting streak, he his hitting .412 (14-for-34), including two homers, 13 RBIs, and 17 runs scored.
Kurt Bultmann has started 1998 on a roll after setting the Clemson single-season record for doubles with 31. The junior from Seminole, FL hit two doubles in the three-game Olive Garden Classic. He also had six hits in 14 at bats and was named the tournament MVP. The second baseman has moved over from the shortstop position now that Doug Roper is back from a season-ending injury in 1997.
Bultmann is currently hitting .384 with eight doubles, a triple, six home runs, and 25 RBIs in starting all 22 games. His fielding percentage has also been a bright spot this season. He has committed only three errors in 94 chances for a .968 fielding percentage. Bultmann had one of his best games in his career against Stetson on Mar. 6, where he was 2-for-2 with two home runs, a two-run shot and a grand slam.
Bultmann now has 49 career doubles, which ties him for 12th place all time in Clemson history. Below is a look at the Clemson career doubles leaders:
Rk. Name (Years) Doubles 1. Gary Burnham (1994-97) 77 2. Bert Heffernan (1985-88) 63 3. Chuck Baldwin (1984-87) 62 4. Shane Monahan (1993-95) 60 5. Jim Crowley (1988-91) 57 6. Jim McCollom (1982-85) 56 7. Kevin Northrup (1989-92) 55 Billy McMillon (1991-93) 55 9. Brian Kowitz (1988-90) 5310. Mike Milchin (1987-89) 51 Robert Bonnette (1976-79) 5112. Kurt Bultmann (1996-present) 49 Steve Baucom (1984-87) 49 Jeff Miller (1990-93) 4915. Matthew LeCroy (1995-97) 48
1. Florida State (3) 732. Clemson (2) 70 Georgia Tech (3) 704. N.C. State 455. Wake Forest (1) 446. Duke 387. North Carolina 318. Virginia 239. Maryland 11
Clemson * #3 recruiting class by Baseball America
Patrick Boyd * Top newcomer in the ACC by Baseball America * #5 overall prospect in the ACC
Kurt Bultmann * Third-Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball
Ryan Mottl, P * #10 prospect in the ACC by Baseball America * Second-Team All-American by The Sporting News * Third-Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball
Clemson sophomore pitcher Ryan Mottl (Florissant, MO) and freshman outfielder Patrick Boyd (Palm Harbor, FL) were among the first nine players invited to the USA Baseball National Team summer camp.
Boyd, rated as the top newcomer in the ACC by Baseball America, is the only freshman amongst the nine invitees. Mottl, a First-Team All-ACC pitcher in 1997 as a freshman, was a member of the 1997 USA Baseball National Team. Both players attended the 1998 USA Baseball National Team Trials at Hi Corbett Field in November, 1997.
Camp is tentatively scheduled to open June 1 at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, AZ, home of USA Baseball and Cactus League spring training home of the Colorado Rockies. The USA Baseball National Team will begin its competition in mid-June and play approximately 30 games in preparation for the International Baseball Association’s XXXIII World Championship in Italy on July 21 – August 2.
The following is a list of current Clemson players selected in the Major League draft:
Player Year Team RoundPatrick Boyd 1997 Seattle Mariners 2ndMike Paradis 1996 Oakland Athletics 7thJustin Singleton 1997 Arizona Diamondbacks 9thSkip Browning 1996 Florida Marlins 11thPeter Nystrom 1997 Arizona Diamondbacks 13thPaul Stryhas 1997 San Francisco Giants 21stRyan Mottl 1996 Tampa Bay Devil Rays 39th
The barometer of a great season in college baseball is getting to Omaha and winning 50 games. Since Jack Leggett took over as Clemson’s head coach in 1994, the Tigers have won 203 games (excluding 1998) for an average of almost 51 per season. Included in that total is 53 wins against top 25 teams. Included among the 53 wins is 24 victories over top 10 teams.
Beautiful Tiger Field has helped Clemson gain one of the best home-field advantages in the country. The Tigers have won over 84 percent of its home ACC games and 82 percent of its overall home games, dating back to 1970.
Baseball America recently published its rankings of the top baseball stadiums in the country based on aesthetics, playing conditions, and amenities. Tiger Field was ranked #8 in the country in Baseball America’s preseason issue, which is also tops in the ACC.
# Player Pos. Games R H AB Avg HR RBI25 Jason Harris 1B 9 17 14 34 .412 2 1322 Matt Padgett OF 6 12 11 22 .500 3 1224 Patrick Boyd OF 5 12 10 21 .476 1 1218 Kurt Bultmann 2B 4 7 6 15 .400 1 6
# Player Pos. GP 2 3 4 5+ Tot18 Kurt Bultmann 2B 22 10 2 0 0 1222 Matt Padgett OF 21 8 3 0 0 1125 Jason Harris 1B 22 8 3 0 0 11 4 Doug Roper SS 22 6 1 1 0 8
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