Baseball Soaring in Polls

April 20, 1998

Tigers Soaring In Polls: Clemson rose to the #3 ranking in last week’s USA Today/Baseball Weekly poll, which was Clemson’s highest ranking in one of the three polls since the May 9, 1995 poll that had Clemson ranked #3 by two of the polls. That year, Clemson was ranked in the top 10 in every poll every week. Clemson was also ranked in the top 10 most of 1996, but only reached #4 in the final polls. The 1997 team got as high as #10 in mid-March. Therefore, Clemson has reached the top 10 at least in mid-March and beyond in 10 of the last 12 years. Clemson was ranked #16 by Collegiate Baseball, #22 by USA Today/Baseball Weekly, and was not ranked by Baseball America in the preseason polls. A complete week-by-week breakdown of Clemson in the polls can be found above.

Rusty Adkins To Have Jersey Retired Friday Night: Former Clemson great and infielder Rusty Adkins will have his jersey retired in pre-game ceremonies prior to the Florida State game this Friday. Adkins is the only three-time All-American in Clemson baseball history, as he wore #3 for the orange and white in 1965-67. He also hit safely in 41 consecutive games, which is the fifth longest streak in college baseball history and is the longest streak in Tiger history.

Georgia Tech Games In Atlanta Added To TV: The Clemson at Georgia Tech games on May 4 and May 5 have been added by Fox Sports South to its television lineup. Both games are scheduled to start at 7:00 PM.

The Tigers will also be on Fox Sports South on April 26 against Florida State. The game will begin at 1:00 PM, but the game will be tape delayed on TV beginning at 4:00 PM on the same day. Also, the Clemson at North Carolina game on May 10 will be televised by Fox Sports South at 4:00 PM.

Tigers Take Two In Rain Shortened Series: Clemson positioned itself firmly in second place in the ACC by picking up two wins in two games over N.C. State, as the third game scheduled for Sunday was rained out. The Wolfpack walked 30 Tiger batters in the two games

In game one, Clemson rallied from a 10-5 deficit to defeat N.C. State 11-10 on a Kurt Bultmann one out, bases loaded single in the 12th inning. Scott Clackum (6-0) ran his consecutive scoreless inning streak to 22.1 innings as he pitched 3.1 innings, allowing only one hit. The Tigers were also aided by 16 Wolfpack free passes. Justin Singleton tied the game at 10-10 with a bases clearing double in the seventh. State used seven pitchers, as the final pitcher Whitney Hughes (2-1) suffered the loss. Doug Roper, Bultmann, and Singleton had two hits to lead Clemson at the plate. The Tigers were able to overcome stranding 14 baserunners and four Wolfpack double plays.

Game two saw N.C. State walk 14 more Tigers as Clemson took it to the Pack 17-6. Clemson tied the game at 4-4 after N.C. State took a 4-0 lead in the first off starter Matt White. White (3-2) did earn the win, pitching 5.1 innings, allowing eight hits and five earned runs. Donovan Harrison relieved White and picked up his second save, pitching 3.2 scoreless innings. The Tigers broke the game wide open in the sixth with nine runs and seven hits, and were aided by three Wolfpack errors. Brian Ellis went 2-for-2 with five RBIs, including a three-run double in the nine-run sixth inning. Ellis also walked three times, meaning he walked seven times in the first two games of the series. Justin Singleton was another bright spot, as he added four RBIs and two hits. Matt Padgett also extended his hitting streak to 13 games, and the team improved to 4-0 against ranked teams and 12-0 in night games.

Clemson Cruises Over UNC Asheville: The Tigers pounded out 20 hits, including a perfect 4-for-4 night by catcher Brian Ellis, as Clemson downed UNC Asheville 14-6 Wednesday, Apr. 15 at Tiger Field.

After leaving the bases loaded in the first inning, the Tigers scored in the next seven innings for the 14-run total. Ellis had an all-around game, providing three singles, a double, two runs, and four RBIs. He also walked meaning he reached base in all five trips to the plate. Ellis raised in on base percentage to .600 in 26 games. Brian Adams (5-0) picked up the win by pitching 6.0 innings, allowing three earned runs. Jason Harris added four hits, and Henri Stanley and Patrick Boyd added three hits apiece, including two doubles by Boyd. The Buldogs used six pitchers, and was led by Ty Wigginton, who had three hits and three RBIs.

Duke Takes Two Of Three From Tigers: Clemson lost back-to-back games for the first time in 1998 as Duke took the last two games of the three game ACC set in Durham.

In game one, Ryan Mottl (8-1) was the Tiger to pitch a complete game in ’98 when he gave up only five hits, two runs, and one walk as Clemson downed Duke 8-2 Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader at Jack Coombs Field. Both runs came off solo homers by Vaughn Schill. Matt Padgett starred at the plate with four hits and three RBIs, including an opposite field home run. Jason Harris and Justin Hyde added two hits apiece. Clemson scored two runs in each of the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to put the game out of reach.

Game two featured a Blue Devil comeback as Duke evened the series with a 7-6 victory in the second game of a doubleheader. Clemson jumped out to a 4-0 lead on a bases clearing double by Kurt Bultmann and a solo shot by Matt Padgett, his second homer of the day. But Duke responded with four runs in the fourth capped by Adam Geis’ two-run scoring triple. Clemson had taken a 6-4, but after a single run by the Blue Devils in the sixth, Jordan Litrownik hit the game-winning two-run homer off reliever Donovan Harrison (4-2) to even the series at one game apiece. The Tigers could only manage five hits in the game, two by freshman leadoff hitter Casey Stone. Starter Mike Paradis started hot, striking out seven in the first three innings, but would eventually allow four runs in four innings of work.

In game three, Duke starter Stephen Cowie (9-1) pitched a complete game, allowing only two runs, 10 hits, and one walk while striking out nine as Duke to the rubber game 6-2 on Sunday, Apr. 12. Clemson starter Skip Browning (5-2) suffered the loss as he only 4.0 innings, allowing seven runs and five runs. Duke jumped out to a 2-0 Tuesday, April 21 South Carolina at Clemson *7:15 PM

South Carolina Quick Facts

Head Coach: Ray Tanner Series Record: Clemson leads 146-97-2 UPCOMING GAMES Probable Position Starters Pos # Player B-T Cl. G-GS Avg. HR RBI C 41 Brian Ellis L-R *So. 28-23 .462 1 27 or 15 Derek Borgert R-R *Jr. 36-23 .263 2 12 1B 25 Jason Harris L-L Jr. 44-44 .369 7 43 2B 18 Kurt Bultmann R-R Jr. 43-43 .329 10 49 SS 4 Doug Roper S-R *So. 43-43 .343 2 30 3B 11 Justin Singleton L-R Fr. 33-21 .380 3 29 or 8 Brian Holstad R-R *So. 36-21 .270 1 12 LF 9 Peter Nystrom R-R Fr. 42-39 .338 6 40 CF 24 Patrick Boyd S-R Fr. 44-44 .365 8 52 RF 22 Matt Padgett L-R Jr. 43-43 .416 11 45 DH 1 Henri Stanley L-L So. 39-24 .311 3 15 or 17 Justin Hyde R-R Jr. 27-9 .348 2 12

Tigers Win 33rd Game Of ’98 In Defeating The Bucs: Clemson scored four runs in the fourth inning and never looked back to defeat Charleston Southern 13-3 on Wednesday night, Apr. 8 at Tiger Field. Matt Additon (2-0) relieved starter Brian Adams to record the win. Additon pitched 3.1 innings, allowing only one hit, one walk, and no earned runs while striking out four. Charleston Southern jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning and starter Mark Cisar (4-6) retired the first 10 batters of the game, but eventually suffered the loss. Clemson ended the day with only eight hits and eight RBIs, while only five of the 13 Tiger runs were earned toward Buccaneer pitchers. Kurt Bultmann led the Tiger hitters with two doubles, three runs, and two RBIs.

Clemson Downs Upstate Rival Furman 18-0: Clemson scored nine runs in the third inning to open a 11-0 lead and cruise to an 18-0 victory over Furman Tuesday night, Apr. 7 at Tiger Field. It was Clemson’s third shutout of the season.

Starter Matt White (2-2) pitched six scoreless innings to record the victory. He also struck out nine and walked only while allowing four hits. Mike Proto and Darren Adams pitched the final three innings to finish the game.

The key third inning was capped by Clemson’s four consecutive extra base hits. Doug Roper tripled, and Casey Stone, Patrick Boyd, and Kurt Bultmann all doubled to give Clemson an 11-0 lead after three innings. The Tigers finished the game with eight extra base hits, all by different players. Stone and Bultmann had three hits apiece, while Peter Nystrom and Justin Hyde each hit homers.

Tiger Tidbits

* In ACC games, Clemson is 28-33 on stolen bases while its opponents are just 2-6.* Clemson is 4-0 against ranked teams.* The Tigers are 30-3 in home games this season.* 13 different Tigers have homered this season.* Of Justin Hyde's 16 hits, he has seven doubles, a triple, and two home runs.* Left-handed hitters are only hitting .215 against righthander Skip Browning.* First baseman Jason Harris has not committed error in 420 chances this season.* Only seven times this season has a Tiger had four or more hits in a game,   despite the team .346 batting average.* Scott Clackum has given up one or more runs only once in his 18 appearances   this season.  Also, the senior has only allowed two baserunner in 10.1 innings   pitched in ACC games and has a streak of 22.1 consecutive innings without allowing a run.* Clemson has outscored its opponents 79-16 in third innings, 59-17 in fifth innings,   and 77-20 in sixth innings of games this season.* Clemson has already stolen more bases (76) through 44 games in 1998 than it did   in all of 1997 (51) in 64 games.* Brian Ellis has thrown out seven of 13 potential base stealers this season.    He also has an on base percentage of .622 in 65 at bats.* The Tigers are 12-0 in night games this season.

Clemson Running More in ’98: The Tigers have stolen 76 bases and been thrown out only 19 times this season. Four Tigers have already reached double figures in stolen bases. Doug Roper (14-16), Brian Holstad (14-18) Jason Harris (13-14), and Patrick Boyd (11-14) have all stolen 11-plus bases and have combined to steal 52 bases in 62 attempts. In ACC play, Clemson is 28-33 on the basepaths as well, while its opponents have only stolen two bases in six attempts through 14 ACC games. The Tigers stole only 51 bases in all of 1997. The Tiger and ACC record for steals in a season is 188 set by the 1988 Clemson team.

Consistency A Key To Tigers’ Success: Clemson is averaging 10.1 runs per game in 1998 and doing so without great individual game performances, but rather a group effort. As evidence, 13 of the 15 Tigers with at least 25 at bats are batting .311 or better. Also, all six Tigers with at least 100 at bats are hitting .329 or better. Clemson currently has a team batting average of .346, just above the single-season record of .341 held by the 1991 team that finished 60-10 and went to the College World Series. Also, only seven times this season has a player had four or more hits in a game, which is amazing considering the team .346 batting average. On the mound, all 11 pitchers with a minimum of five innings pitched have a 5.44 ERA or better and have at least six appearances. Clemson’s team ERA is 4.08 in ’98, compared to last year’s 6.35 ERA.

Big Innings: Clemson has scored at least 11 runs in an inning five times 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. Clemson topped the 14-run inning with a Clemson record 19-run third inning against Maryland on Mar. 21. The run total was also the most runs in a third inning in NCAA history.

Clemson also also nearly reached the 10-run mark in an inning many other times. Clemson has scored five runs in an inning six times, six runs in an inning once, seven runs in an inning three times, eight runs in an inning twice, and nine runs in an inning three times. Therefore, the Tigers have scored five or more runs in an inning 20 times in 1998.

In the third, fifth, and sixth innings, Clemson has outscored its opponents 215-53 (79-16 in third, 59-17 in fifth, and 77-20 in sixth).

The offense has also been scoring runs at a record pace. The Tigers have scored 444 runs in 44 games, or 10.1 runs per game. The team record for runs in a season is 698 by the 1991 team. That team averaged 9.97 runs per game.

Defense Strong In ’98: Despite losing five of the eight position starters from a year ago, Clemson’s team fielding percentage has been outstanding this season. The Tigers’ .968 team fielding percentage leads the ACC and is ahead of the Clemson single-season record of .9671 figure that the 1976 team had. The defense has only committed 57 errors through 44 games, including five of which that were credited to Clemson catchers because of catcher’s interference. When the defense has not committed an error in a game, the Tigers are 10-0 this season. First baseman Jason Harris has also not committed an error in 420 chances in ’98.

Tigers Finding A Way To Get On Base: Clemson has an amazing team on base percentage of .457 this season. The key to this stat is that Clemson has walked 314 times and hit by pitch 27 times. That means that 7.8 times per game a batter reaches base via a walk and hit-by-pitch in addition to Clemson’s 12.2 hits per game. Matt Pagdett, Brian Ellis, and Justin Singleton all have on base percentages of .500 or better. In only 65 at bats, Ellis has an outstanding on base percentage of .622, which is aided by 30 walks. The ACC’s leading hitter, Padgett, has an on base percentage of .515 and Singleton has an on base percentage of .526 in 71 at bats.

Clemson Shining Under The Lights: Clemson is a perfect 12-0 in night games in 1998. This is a vast improvement from the ’97 team that finished the season 13-14 under the lights.

Leggett Reaches 600-Win Mark: 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 617-366 (.628) in five seasons at Vermont, nine at Western Carolina, and more than four seasons at Clemson. Leggett has also amassed a 240-79 (.752) record while at Clemson, including each of the first three seasons that saw him win 50 or more games. The 203 wins after four seasons at Clemson ranks second in the nation only to fellow ACC member Florida State as the most wins during that time period. Also, as Clemson’s head coach he has 57 wins against ranked teams.

Tigers 3-0 Against SEC In ’98: Clemson is 3-0 versus the Southeastern Conference this season. The three wins came against #10 Auburn (9-4 score) in the Olive Garden Classic in Kissimmee, FL on Feb. 8, Georgia (5-4 score in 10 innings) at Tiger Field on Mar. 31, and at #8 South Carolina (6-4 score) on Apr. 1. Under Head Coach Jack Leggett, Clemson has also been successful against the SEC. Leggett’s record against the SEC as the Tigers’ skipper is 32-13, including 14 of which are against ranked teams. Leggett also has at least a .500 record against all six SEC schools he has faced while at Clemson. Below is a list of Leggett’s record at Clemson against each of the six SEC member schools he has faced:

SEC Leggett's Record    WinningOpponent        at Clemson  PercentageAlabama         2-0         1.000Auburn          1-1          .500Georgia         6-3          .667Kentucky        3-0         1.000South Carolina 11-6          .647Tennessee       9-3          .750Totals        32-13          .711

Padgett Leading ACC In Hitting With .428 Average: Junior Matt Padgett has steadily raised his batting average from his freshman season as he is hitting a team and ACC best .416 in 1998. He entered the ’98 season hitting a career .278 in 109 games. The Lexington, SC native has 69 hits in 166 at bats, and has 11 homers, 12 doubles, a triple, and 45 RBIs in 43 games. He also is hitting .448 in ACC play, with three doubles, five homers, and 17 RBIs in 14 games.

He also had a streak against Maryland (3/22) and The Citadel (3/25) where he had a hit in seven consecutive at bats, just two short of the Clemson record. In the Maryland game on Mar. 22, he had a five hits in six at bats. The five hits was a team-high for the season. And in the last 19 games Padgett is 36-for-78 (.462) with 24 runs scored and 25 RBIs. Padgett has also been strong against lefthanders, batting an amazing .418 against southpaws. Padgett is also currently riding a 13-game hitting streak.

Padgett Named ACC Player-Of-The-Week On April 6: Right-fielder Matt Padgett was named the ACC Player-of-the-Week for his efforts on Mar. 31 through Apr. 5. In single games against Georgia and South Carolina and three games at Virginia, Padgett hit .450 with nine hits, six RBIs, and four runs scored, including a home run against Georgia. He also had four doubles in five games, including one against #8-South Carolina in Columbia. As of April 6, Padgett led the ACC in batting average at .424.

Ellis Has Incredible .622 On Base Percentage: Red-shirt sophomore catcher Brian Ellis missed 10 games in late March and early May due to a hand injury, but still has proved his prowess. Ellis is hitting .462 in 65 at bats, including an astonishing on base percentage of .622. Ellis has been platooning behind the plate with Derek Borgert, but is still hitting .500 (9-for18) against left-handers this season. His hitting may not be as impressive as the fact that he has thrown out seven of 13 potential base stealers in ’98. He also is only one of two players (Padgett) to have two four-hit or more games. He went 4-for-5 versus UNC Charlotte on Feb. 26 and was a perfect 4-for-4 against UNC Asheville on Apr. 15. Ellis hit .320 in 25 at bats his freshman season of 1997. Therefore, he has a career batting average of .422 (38-for-90).

Ellis had one of his best weeks in a game against UNC Asheville (Apr. 17) and two versus N.C. State. In the three games, he was 7-for-9 with nine RBIs and eight walks, therefore giving him a .833 on base percentage in 18 plate appearances. Since that week, he has batted in the leadoff spot in the Tiger lineup.

Singleton Making His Own Tracks: True-freshman third baseman Justin Singleton has been one of Clemson’s hottest hitters recently, upping his batting average to .380 in 33 games. The .380 average ranks third best on the Clemson team. In only 71 at bats, he also has three homers, two triples, and 29 RBIs to go along with a .526 on base percentage.

Singleton has been platooning at third base with right-handed hitting Brian Holstad, but has made the most of his opportunities, going 6-for-11 in the last three games with five runs and nine RBIs. Against N.C. State on April 17, he tied the game at 10-10 on a bases loaded double. The Tigers went on to win the game 11-10 in 12 innings.

Justin is the son of former Major Leaguer Ken Singleton, who played 15 seasons in the show with the Mets, Expos, and Orioles.

Clackum Saving And Winning As The Tiger Closer: Senior submariner Scott Clackum has been closing games for Clemson since the 1997 season. This season, he has topped his ’97 ERA of 1.93 with an 0.70 ERA in 18 relief appearances. He has six saves and a 6-0 record in 25.2 innings pitched. Clackum entered the South Carolina game on Apr. 1 and Virginia game on Apr. 3 and picked up wins. He also has 24 strikeouts against only four walks, and has only allowed two runs, both coming on a Tony Gsell (Old Dominion, Feb. 21) home run. That homer is also the only extra base hit he has allowed in 25.2 innings. Opposing batters are also only hitting .143, including righthanded hitters batting only .100 against the righthander. Clackum also has a streak of 22.1 innings without allowing a run. He has given up one or more runs only once in his 18 appearances this season. Also, the senior has only allowed two baserunners in 10.1 innings pitched in ACC games.

Clackum has 10 career saves, which puts him in fifth place in the Clemson record chart. He needs five more saves to move into third place in the record book.

Brian Adams Among ACC ERA Leaders: Entering the 1998 season, lefthanded sophomore pitcher Brian Adams had not started a game on the mound as a Tiger. But he has been a regular in the rotation this season as he leads the starters with a 2.47 ERA and has a perfect 5-0 record. Adams has been near or atop the ACC ERA list most of the season. Also, opponents are only hitting .234 against him, including lefthanded batters only hitting only .150. Adams has a twin brother on the Tiger pitching staff. Unlike Brian, Darren throws from the right side and red-shirted the 1997 season. Darren has pitched 6.2 innings in ’98 in six relief appearances.

Mottl Repeating All-ACC Campaign Of 1997: 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. In the game against the Seahawks, he allowed just six hits and one walk, while striking out six.

For the season, Mottl is 8-1 with a 4.63 ERA in 11 starts. He won his last four decisions of ’97 and won his first seven decisions of ’98, therefore he won 11 decisions in a row. Mottl also has 75 strikeouts against only 15 walks for a 5.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Also, in the last five starts, Mottl has struck out 48 while walking only seven batters. He pitched the first complete game by a Tiger in ’98 when he allowed only five hits, two runs, and a walk in a complete game 8-2 victory over Duke on Apr. 11. Mottl was a First-Team All-ACC starting pitcher as a freshman, and was the first freshman Tiger pitcher to ever accomplish that feat.

In his first two seasons, Mottl has accumulated an 18-4 record in 178.2 innings pitched (27 starts) and has a 4.68 ERA (93 earned runs allowed). Mottl has also struck out 174 batters and walked only 48 for a career strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.63. Below is a look at where Mottl stands in some of the Clemson career charts:

Mottl Named One Of 12 Semi-Finalists For Smith Award: Sophomore right-hander Ryan Mottl was named one of 12 semi-finalists for the Rotary Smith Award going to the premier college baseball player in the country as released on Apr. 16, 1998 in Houston, TX. Mottl is one of only five pitchers, the only sophomore, and the only ACC player on the 12-player list. The 12 semi-finalists will be narrowed to three finalists within the coming weeks. The Smith Award recipient will be announced on the final day of this year’s College World Series on June 6. Kris Benson, the former Tiger great and number-one overall pick in the Major League draft, won the same award in 1996.

Boyd Stellar As True Freshman: After starting the season 3-for-25 (.120), freshman Patrick Boyd has risen his batting average to .365 and has an outstanding on base percentage of .462. He is also hitting 62-for-153 (.405) over the last 37 games, or after the 3-for-25 slump. As the everyday centerfielder, Boyd has started all 44 games, while scoring a team best 56 runs. He has hit eight home runs, a triple, and 12 doubles as well. Boyd has also hit safely in 25 of the last 27 games and now has a team best 52 RBIs this season. 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.

Boyd Garners ACC Honor March 9: 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.

Freshman Nystrom An Instant Hit: Peter Nystrom has made an instant impact on the Tiger offense as the starting left-fielder. The freshman from Dunedin, FL is hitting .338 with 10 doubles, two triples, six home runs, and 40 RBIs in only 130 at bats. He has also walked 29 times and has an on base percentage of .470. Nystrom has played in 42 of the Tigers’ 44 games, starting 37 games in left-field.

Calitri Homers In First Career At Bat: 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-28 (.321) 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.

Roper Comes Back Strong: After missing all but one game of the 1997 season, redshirt sophomore shortstop Doug Roper has had a fine 1998. The Vidalia, GA native has 46 hits in 134 at bats for a .343 batting average. Ironically, the slick-fielding shortstop bats in the ninth-spot in the lineup. He also has a team best 14 stolen bases. Roper was a career 5-for-47 (.106) entering the ’98 season. Roper had one of his best moments as a Tiger when he homered down the right field line in the top of the ninth inning to defeat South Carolina 6-4 in Columbia on Apr. 1, 1998. He also hit the homer off star closer Jason Pomar, who had only given up one earned run in over 20 innings pitched up to that point. The homer was only the second of his career. Roper leads the team in sacrifice bunts with eight. The Tiger single-season record for sacrifice bunts in nine held by Doug Livingston, the second baseman on Clemson’s 1995 and 1996 College World Series teams. Below is a look at the single-season leaders for sacrifice bunts:

Harris Perfect In The Field: Junior Jason Harris is hitting .369 as the Tigers’ everyday first baseman. He has seven homers in his first season wearing the orange and white. He also has 43 RBIs and has 54 runs scored and 16 doubles. The Brevard College transfer also has 13 stolen bases in 14 attempts. And he has not committed an error in 420 chances.

Harris’ production is magnified by the fact that the left-handed hitter is hitting .366 against lefties. He also has 20 multi-hit games, and has 14 multi-RBI games. Harris’ 21 two-out RBIs is also best on the team.

Bultmann Doubling His Game: Kurt Bultmann is coming of the 1997 season that saw him set 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 .329 with 16 doubles, a triple, 10 home runs, and 49 RBIs in starting 43 of the 44 games at second base. His fielding percentage has also been a bright spot this season. He has committed only five errors in 178 chances for a .972 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 57 career doubles, which puts puts him in a tie for fifth place all time in the Clemson record books. Below is a look at the Clemson career doubles leaders:

Mottl, Boyd Among Nine USA Baseball Team Training Camp Invitees: 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.

Seven Current Tigers Picked In Major League Draft: The following is a list of current Clemson players selected in the Major League draft:

Player Year Team Round Patrick Boyd 1997 Seattle Mariners 2nd Mike Paradis 1996 Oakland Athletics 7th Justin Singleton 1997 Arizona Diamondbacks 9th Skip Browning 1996 Florida Marlins 11th Peter Nystrom 1997 Arizona Diamondbacks 13th Paul Stryhas 1997 San Francisco Giants 21st Ryan Mottl 1996 Tampa Bay Devil Rays 39th

Clemson’s 203 Wins Since ’94 Second In The Nation: 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.

Tiger Field Rated Among Best In The Country: 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.put notes in future about Mottl being All-American and also Boyd