Sunday 05/21/2000
May 21, 2000
Coming off a second-place finish in the 2000 ACC Tournament, Clemson (45-16) now turns its focus to the 64-team field NCAA Tournament, which begins Friday. Pairings for the tournament will be announced Monday at 3:00 PM live on ESPN. Clemson will play at 7:00 PM Friday in the opening round regardless of opponent or seed. The first game of the regional will be Friday at 2:00 PM. The two losers Friday will play Saturday at 11:00 AM, while the two winners Friday will play Saturday at 3:00 PM. The winner of the 11:00 AM game and the loser of the 3:00 PM game will play Saturday at 7:00 PM in an elimination game. The two remaining teams will play Sunday at 2:00 PM. If necessary, a game will be played Sunday at 7:00 PM. The winner of the regional advances to a sub-regional from June 2-4.
Media requesting credentials are asked to fax their request on official company letterhead to the Clemson Sports Information Office at (864) 656-0299 no later than 12:00 PM on Wednesday, May 24.
Tigers sport 45-16 record heading into Regional
LAST WEEK (ACC Tournament – Second Place Finish)
Wednesday, May 17 Clemson vs. Virgina W, 9-5
Thursday, May 18 Clemson vs. Florida State W, 8-4
Friday, May 19 Clemson vs. Georgia Tech L, 9-8
Saturday, May 20 Clemson vs. Virginia W, 12-5
Saturday, May 20 Clemson vs. Georgia Tech L, 8-4
THIS WEEK
Friday, May 26 TBA at Clemson in Regional 7:00 PM
Saturday, May 27 TBA at Clemson in Regional 11:00 AM or 3:00 PM
Noteworthy
Clemson To Be Host Site for Regional For the fifth time in seven seasons under Head Coach Jack Leggett, the Tigers will host a regional from May 26-28 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium (5,000). Clemson hosted last in 1998 and also hosted from 1994-96. The host selection means Clemson will participate the NCAA Tournament for the 14th straight season. Of the 16 regional sites, only South Carolina and Florida State had better regular-season records. The 16 host sites are listed below.
NCAA Regional Tickets Available The Clemson ticket office is accepting reservations for tournament passes to the 2000 NCAA Regional Baseball Tournament. Each reserve seat tournament pass is $50 and can be purchased through the ticket office between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM at the Clemson Ticket office at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Single session general admission tickets will be available at $8 for adults and $6 for students high school age and under. Students who attend one of the four participating schools will be admitted for $6 with valid student identification.
The NCAA announced sites Monday, May 15, and Clemson was one of 16 chosen. The four-team regional format will feature six or seven games, to be held May 26-28. Reserved tickets can be picked up at the ticket office between May 23-25 between 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
Tickets that have not been picked up by May 26 will be available 90 minutes prior to the first game at the third base gate at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. No tickets will be mailed. For more information, call 1-800 CLEMSON or 864-656-2118.
Doug Kingsmore Stadium’s official capacity is 5,000, but over 6,000 fans packed the stadium for the South Carolina game earlier this season. The Clemson single-game attendance record is 6,223 against North Carolina on April 1, 1995. The record crowd for a regional at Clemson is 5,879 against Auburn on May 28, 1994.
NCAA Tournament History Clemson (45-16) enters this year’s NCAA Tournament with more wins already than its totaled since 1996, when Clemson finished 51-17. The Tigers have participated in 26 NCAA Tournaments overall and 14 in a row (both numbers include the 2000 season). In each of the 13 previous tournaments, Clemson has won at least one game. Only Miami (FL), Florida State, and Oklahoma State have longer current streaks. Clemson’s 26 appearances also ranks seventh in the nation, while the 14-year run ranks tied for sixth all-time in NCAA history. Clemson has a 64-53 (.547) all-time record in the tournament, including a 35-27 (.565) record during the 13-year run. Jack Leggett has a 19-13 (.594) record in NCAA Tourney play as the Tiger Head Coach as well. Leggett was 4-10 in the NCAA Tournament at Western Carolina in five seasons (1985-89), therefore is 23-23 (.500) in his career in 11 NCAA Tournaments.
Clemson, who is hosting for the first time in the new regional format, has hosted six times previously, with the last coming in 1998. Clemson went 1-2 in that regional and fell to eventual National Champion Southern California. The Tigers also hosted in 1980 (3-0), 1981 (0-2), 1994 (2-2), 1995 (4-0), and 1996 (4-0). Therefore, Clemson has a 14-6 (.700) record in tournament play as the host school. Clemson advanced to the College World Series in three of the six host seasons (1980, 1995, 1996).
Last season, Clemson lost in the opening round of the Fayetteville (AR) Sub-Regional to Southwest Missouri State by a 23-5 score. But in the next two days, Clemson won four games, including two over Southwest Missouri State to advance to the Super Regional at College Station (TX), hosted by Texas A&M. After getting blitzed in the first game 20-3, Clemson won game two 10-3 and led in game three 4-3 entering the top of the ninth inning, but two solo homers off Tiger star closer Chris Heck ended the Tiger season.
Individual Perfomers in the NCAA Tournament Khalil Greene is a career .519 hitter in the NCAA Tournament, along with six doubles, 10 RBIs, and a .583 on-base percentage in eight career games. Patrick Boyd is a career .489 hitter along with five doubles, two homers, 10 RBIs, 4-4 on stolen bases, and a .537 on-base percentage in 11 games. Bradley LeCroy has also stepped up his game in the postseason, hitting .333 with seven RBIs in nine NCAA Tournament games. Ryan Mottl has made four career starts and one relief appearance in three separate NCAA Tournaments. He has a 1-1 record and 5.48 ERA in 23.0 total innings pitched. Mike Proto has made one start and four relief appearances for a total of 13.1 innings pitched. He has a 1-0 record, .208 opponent batting average, and a 4.73 ERA. He pitched superbly in Clemson’s clinching win in the Fayetteville (AR) Regional a season ago.
Tiger Bats Come Alive in ACC Tournament Clemson’s second-place finish in the ACC Tournament was due in a huge way to the Tiger bats. Clemson hit .343 in the five games along with hitting 12 doubles, three triples, and seven home runs. Clemson also slugged at a .558 clip and had a .426 on-base percentage. Individually, Khalil Greene led the Tigers with a .500 (11-for-22) batting average along with two doubles, a triple, homer, seven runs scored, and six RBIs. Patrick Boyd hit .450 (9-for-20) with eight runs scored, two doubles, a triple, homer, and eight RBIs as well. Casey Stone added nine hits (.375 batting average), while Mike Calitri and Jeff Baker each hit two homers. Baker drove in nine runs as well despite being hampered by a nagging calf injury.
Yellow Jackets Claim ACC Crown With 8-4 Win Mark Teixeira’s two-run double on an 0-2 pitch in the seventh inning put Georgia Tech up 5-4 as the Yellow Jackets went on to win 8-4 to win the ACC Tournament championship at Fort Mill, SC on May 20. Georgia Tech scored three runs in the seventh and two in the eighth to put the game away. Patrick Boyd had tied the score at 2-2 in the fifth inning with a solo homer. Teixeira’s error in the seventh inning put Clemson ahead 4-3. Boyd led Clemson with three hits, including a homer, triple, and two RBIs. Matt Additon walked two batters, both of which scored, and suffered the loss. Clemson left 10 runners on base and had just one hit in nine at bats with runners in scoring position.
Greene, Lynn Lead Tigers Over Cavaliers 12-5 Khalil Greene went 5-for-5 with three runs scored as Clemson defeated Virginia 12-5 in the ACC Tournament at Fort Mill, SC on May 20. Clemson advanced to the championship round with the win. Kevin Lynn pitched 7.2 innings, allowing 14 hits, four runs, and one walk while striking out eight to earn the win. Clemson scored five runs in the sixth inning and three more in the seventh to blow the game open. Jeff Baker also added two homers and five RBIs. Clemson had 16 hits and Virginia had 17, but left 15 runners on base to Clemson’s 12. Four different Cavaliers had three hits apiece. Brandon Creswell, who defeated Clemson’s in his last two starts against the Tigers, suffered the loss.
Georgia Tech Rallies To Upend Tigers 9-8 in Third Round Yellow Jacket Bryan Prince scored on an error in the ninth inning to down Clemson 9-8 in the winner’s bracket of the ACC Tournament at Fort Mill, SC on May 19. Clemson jumped out to a 7-0 lead after three innings thanks to 10 hits. Clemson’s first five batters reached base in the first inning, as Clemson took a 3-0 lead. Clemson added three more runs in the third inning, highlighted by Patrick Boyd two-run single. Georgia Tech scored five runs in the sixth inning. Jason Basil hit a two-run single and Derik Goffena followed with a three-run homer to make the score 7-6. Mike Calitri hit a solo homer in the seventh to put Clemson up two, but Georgia Tech responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning. Down a run entering the ninth, Brad Stockton, who was 3-for-3 with four runs scored, led off with an infield single and Mark Teixeira followed with a double to plate Stockton, but was thrown out at third attempting to stretch it to a triple. After Prince singled and Jason Basil walked, Goffena hit a potential double play ball, but Ryan Riley throw was not handled by Calitri at first, and Prince scored all the way from second. Goffena would have been safe if Calitri held on to the ball. Nick Glaser’s suffered the loss. Casey Stone led the Tigers with three hits, while Khalil Greene added two hits to extend his hitting streak to 17 games. It was just the second time in 33 games this season this season that the Tigers totaled 10 hits or more and lost.
Mottl’s Complete Game Leads Tigers Over Seminoles 8-4 Ryan Mottl pitched a complete-game six-hitter to lead Clemson over #4 Florida State 8-4 in the second round of the ACC Tournament at Fort Mill, SC on May 18. Mottl allowed four runs and three walks while striking out 10 in his first complete game since last season’s Fayetteville Regional. Mottl held the Seminoles to just one hit in nine at bats with two outs. Mottl, who tied the Clemson record with his 65th career start, set a team-season best with his 10 strikeouts. It was also his most strikeouts in his last 40 starts. Clemson downed the Seminoles for the fourth time in four tries in 2000 and the fifth time in a row overall. The Tigers hit three homers, as Khalil Greene, Brian Ellis, and Mike Calitri all went deep. Greene extended his hitting streak to 16 games with the homer, which put Clemson ahead for good. Jeff Baker, had two hits. Six of Clemson’s 12 hits went for extra bases, while Florida State’s lone extra-base hit was Marshall McDougall’s three-run homer in the sixth inning to tie the score at 4-4.
Clemson Advances in Round One With 9-5 Win Over Virginia Casey Stone and Patrick Boyd had three hits apiece to lead Clemson to a 9-5 win in the first round of the ACC Tournament at Fort Mill, SC on May 17. Virginia took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Luis Giraldo’s two-run homer, but Clemson responded with three runs in the third and four runs in the fifth. Stone continued his torrid hitting, as he hit two doubles and scored three runs. Khalil Greene also extended his hitting streak to 15 games. As a team, the Tigers were 8-for-14 (.571) with two outs and 6-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Scott Berney allowed eight hits and four earned runs in 7.1 innings to earn the win. Kevin Lynn pitched 1.2 scoreless innings to earn his first save as a Tiger.
Injury Update
Clemson Adds Another Year to Streaks Clemson has won at least 40 games for 15 straight seasons. The Tigers reached that mark against #4 Florida State on May 8, a 7-4 Tiger win. Clemson will also participate in its 14th straight NCAA Tournament thanks to being the host of a regional in 2000. Both marks rank in the top-five in the country currently. Clemson is tied for fourth in consecutive tournament appearances, trailing only Miami (FL) (27), Florida State (22), and Oklahoma State (19). Wichita State also a 13-year run in the tournament. As far as consecutive 40-win seasons, Clemson is fourth in the country with its 15-year streak. The Tigers trail only Florida State (22), Wichita State (22), and Oklahoma State (20) in that area . Notre Dame and Louisiana State are tied for fifth with 11 straight 40-win seasons (note: the previously listed streaks for opponents are before the 2000 season).
Tigers Absent From All-ACC First-Team for First Time Since 1969 Clemson’s 30-year streak of having at least one player on the First-Team All-ACC team ended in 2000. The last time Clemson did not have a first-team selection was 1969. The nine league coaches determine the all-conference team by vote. Three Tigers were selected to the second team. Jarrod Schmidt made the second team as a starting pitcher and Khalil Greene was the only position player selected, as he was the second-team third baseman.
Tigers Finish in Second Place in Final ACC Standings Clemson’s 17-7 conference record was good for second place in the conference. The Tigers finished one game behind first place Georgia Tech, who was 18-6 in league play. Florida State finished third at 15-9 and Wake Forest fourth at 14-10. North Carolina finished fifth at 12-12, while N.C. State and Virginia were tied for sixth at 10-14. Maryland and Duke rounded out the conference standings. The Tigers have finished in the top three in the standings for 28 of the last 30 seasons. Since 1957, the season before Bill Wilhelm’s first of 36 seasons at Clemson, the Tigers have not finished worse than fifth in the ACC.
Leggett Surpasses 700-Win Mark Jack Leggett picked up his 700th career win when Clemson downed Duke 12-8 on April 23. He is in his 21st season as a head coach, including his seventh at Clemson. His 710-418 record (.629) is quite a record for a coach his age. Leggett turned 46 in March of this season and started the season as the winningest active head coach age 45 or younger. Leggett has a 333-131 (.719) record at Clemson.
Home Sweet Home Clemson is 32-5 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium this season. Clemson’s only losses have come to UNLV, #17 East Carolina, N.C. State, #2 South Carolina, and #11 Wake Forest. Clemson has a 713-155 (.821) all-time record in the facility’s 31st year.
Clemson’s longest homestand in years, 23-games long, was completed on Mar. 26 with a 6-3 win over The Citadel. Clemson was 21-2 in the 23 games. The Tigers finished another long homestand, 11-games long, on April 18 with a win over Elon. Clemson was 8-3 on that homestand. Clemson’s regular-season home schedule ended with a three-game sweep over Florida State from May 6-8. The Clemson single-season record for home wins is 34, set in 1996.
Defense Performance on Record Pace Clemson’s .969 fielding percentage is ahead of the team single-season record of .967 (set in 1976). The team has committed 75 errors in 61 games. Among some of the outstanding individual percentages overall include second baseman Ryan Riley .981 mark (four errors) and Khalil Greene .941 mark (11 errors).
Individual Player Miscellaneous Batting Stats Below is a look at Tiger batters’ batting averages in certain situations.
Bats Warming Up With the Weather Clemson’s batting average, which has hovered around the .280 mark all season, has climbed over .300 thanks to the team hitting .308 in April and .326 in May. Khalil Greene and Casey Stone have been especially hot in May. Greene is hitting .500 with a .586 on-base percentage in 12 May games, while Stone is hitting .490 in May. Clemson hit .262 to the end of February and .295 in March. Clemson, who set many offensive records a season ago, hit .306 in 1999.
Two-Out Success on the Mound and at the Plate A big part of Clemson’s success in 2000 has been in part to clutch hitting and pitching. The Tigers as a team are hitting .386 with the bases loaded and .317 with runners in scoring position. On the other hand, Tiger pitchers have limited teams to a .240 batting average with the bases loaded and .258 average with runners in scoring position.
But perhaps Clemson’s most successful clutch situation has come with two outs. Clemson is hitting .302 with two outs, while Tiger pitchers have held opponents to a .211 average with two outs. Ryan Riley has a team-best .409 batting average with two outs, while several pitchers have sub-.200 opponent batting averages with two down, including Nick Glaser’s (.171), Ryan Mottl (.190), and Jarrod Schmidt (.193).
Several players have also had great success driving in runs with two outs. Thirty of Khalil Greene 59, 25 of Jeff Baker 58, 19 of Casey Stone 41, 16 of Ryan Riley 31, and 12 of Justin Singleton 16 RBIs have come with two outs. Over 43 percent of Clemson’s RBIs in 2000 have come with two outs, while opponents have just 31 percent of its RBIs coming with two down.
Mottl Climbing Several Tiger Records Senior righthander Ryan Mottl passed Kris Benson with his 30th career victory when he beat Duke on April 23. He allowed three runs and six hits in 7.0 innings. He also pitched a complete game six-hitter against #4 Florida State in the ACC Tournament to earn All-ACC Tournament honors. He is 8-3 on the mound in 2000. He won 10 games as a freshman, nine as a sophomore, and four as a junior.
Mottl also has 349 career strikeouts, placing him in fourth place in that category in the Clemson recordbook. Mottl also has a 3.74 ERA in 16 starts and one relief appearance in 2000. With his next start, he will set the Clemson career record with his 66th start.
Mottl 21-2 On the Mound at DK There’s no place like home for Ryan Mottl. The Florissant, MO senior righthander has a 21-2 career record at Clemson’s Doug Kingsmore Stadium as opposed to 10-16 away from home. Mottl was drafted in the 27th round by the Texas Rangers but decided to return for his senior season. In 2000, Mottl is 5-0 with a 2.08 ERA and .193 opponent batting average in nine starts at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Below is a look at Mottl at home vs. away from home in his four-year career
Schmidt Having Stellar Freshman Season on the Mound Freshman Jarrod Schmidt came to Clemson with accolades such as First-Team All-American and Georgia Gatorade Player-of-the-Year out of Lassiter High School in Marietta, GA. And early on in 2000, he started at first base and outfield. But when the Tigers got into the rigorous college baseball schedule, Schmidt added another position to his repetoire…pitcher. Schmidt, who was “Mr. Do It All” at Lassiter, has done the same at Clemson. Unlike many schools, very few times in recent years has a Tiger pitcher played in the field and vice versa. But Schmidt is bucking that tradition as he has solidified himself as a weekend starter in Clemson’s rotation.
Schmidt has a perfect 8-0 record, including a complete game at #8 North Carolina on April 1, one of only two by a Tiger pitcher in 2000. Schmidt allowed no earned runs and seven hits at Chapel Hill. Overall, Schmidt has a 3.63 ERA. The Second-Team All-ACC starting pitcher throws in the high 80s to lower 90s. Schmidt is also hitting .227 with five homers and 25 RBIs at the plate.
Jack Leggett foresees a bright future for Schmidt, and not just on the mound. Schmidt has shown the ability to play catcher along with first base and outfield. Schmidt can also hit for power, and with more consistency, could find a spot in the middle of the Tiger lineup in the future. Expect to see Schmidt in the next few years…all over the field.
Glaser One Save Away From Breaking Single-Season Record Junior righthander Nick Glaser’s transferred to Clemson from Edmonds CC in Washington with the hopes of making an immediate impact. He has done just that as he has 14 saves in 30 relief appearances. The Second-Team All-ACC relief pitcher has allowed 34 hits, 10 earned runs, and 27 walks along with 38 strikeouts in 36.0 innings. Six of his 27 walks have been intentional. He pitched 4.0 innings in relief in the first game of a doubleheader against #11 Wake Forest on April 15, then pitched 2.0 more innings in game two. He earned the save in game two and did not allow a run in either game. He exudes the typical closer personality with his slingshot-type delivery and fiery attitude. His 14 saves ties him with Scott Winchester for the most in a season by a Tiger.
Greene Riding a 19-Game Hitting Streak Sophomore third baseman Khalil Greene has continued right where he left off last season. Overall, the Key West, FL native is hitting a team-best .376 with five homers and 59 RBIs. Thirty of his 59 RBIs have come with two outs thanks to his .465 batting average with runners in scoring position. Greene had a team-season high five hits at Duke on April 23 and against Virginia in the ACC Tournament on May 20. He was named to the All-ACC Tournament team after hitting .500 in the five games. He was also named Second-Team All-ACC at third base. The self-proclaimed Ric Flair and avid wresting fan is 35-for-71 (.493) in the last 17 games and is currently on a 19-game hitting streak. He is also hitting .439 away from home this season. Greene hit .358 with a Tiger freshman-record 98 hits in ’99. Greene has also made many great plays at third base. He is the only regular in the infield from a season ago. Greene has a .941 fielding percentage (11 errors) this season after having a not-so-great .881 mark in 1999.
Stone Thriving as Tiger Leadoff Hitter Junior outfielder Casey Stone (Abbeville, SC) has cemented his role as the Tiger leadoff hitter thanks to his consistent hitting of late. He has batted in the leadoff spot 36 times this season, including in each of the last 30 games. In those 30 games, he is hitting 54-for-131 (.412). He is also 28-for-his-last-54 (.519) with 13 RBIs since he lined out to right field at #5 Georgia Tech in his first at bat on April 30 13 games ago. Stone has upped his batting average to .359, second-best on the team. He has a .505 on-base percentage when leading off an inning overall and has been an excellent “table-setter” for Jack Leggett. He even hits lefties well with his ..379 batting average against Southpaws. Stone hit his first career homer at #5 Georgia Tech on April 30. It came on his 361st career at bat. He also had the game-winning hit in the ninth inning to beat #2 Florida State on May 7. Stone, who stands 5-6 and weighs 155 pounds, is a hard-nosed aggressive player in the mold of Jack Leggett himself. Stone has 11 doubles, three triples, and 21 stolen bases as well. He also has 13 sacrifice bunts this season, most in a season by a Tiger in history. He also holds the career record in that category with 24. Stone is engaged to Kimberly Stewart, a Clemson student. The wedding is set to take place in December, 2000.
Singy Hitting .362 After Starting Season 1-for-28 Junior outfielder Justin Singleton began the season 1-for-28. Then, just when he seemingly started to get his bat going, he suffered a hand injury sliding into a base and missed nearly a month. But Singleton has still managed to keep his hot bat of late, going 25-for-69 (.362) since the season-beginning slump. Singleton went 3-for-5 with four RBIs against Ohio on March 11 to begin his streaky hitting. He was 3-for-3 against #11 Wake Forest on April 16 in his first start since the Ohio game on March 11. He also had three hits at #1 South Carolina on April 19. Clemson needs Singleton to continue his torrid hitting as the everyday right fielder. Singleton hit .370 as a freshman, but struggled in 1999 with a .237 average.
Riley Rising to the Occasion Junior second baseman Ryan Riley (Seattle, WA) has raised his batting average to .300 thanks to a barrage of hits lately, many of which have gone for three bases. In the last 24 games, Riley has five triples, 23 RBIs, and is hitting .352 (31-for-88). He also has 11 multi-hit games during that stretch. He leads the team overall with seven triples. No Tiger has had seven triples since David Miller had 10 in 1995. Riley has also been a clutch hitter, with a .409 batting average with two outs and .424 average with runners in scoring position. He has committed just four errors and has a remarkable .981 fielding percentage. He had streaks of 17 games and 15 games this season without committing an error. He also had 90 and 70 chance-streaks without booting a ball as well.
Baker, Schmidt Invited to USA National Team Trials Clemson shortstop Jeff Baker and righthander Jarrod Schmidt are two of the first 20 collegiate players extended invitations to participate in the 2000 USA Baseball National Team Trials June 16-21 in Tucson, AZ. The two are among the team leaders in batting and pitching, a rare feat for freshmen. Baker, a starter in 59 games, has a .325 batting average with a team-best nine homers. Baker was the MVP of the 1999 World Junior Championship as a member of the USA Junior National World Championship team. Schmidt is a perfect 8-0 on the year and owns a 3.63 ERA in 14 appearances (13 starts) this season
Six of the 20 invitees play in the Atlantic Coast Conference and only two schools – Clemson and Georgia Tech – have more than one player invited to the trials. The national team will be selected from a pool of 35-40 players who will participate in the trials. Additional invitations, totaling 15-20, will be extended in late May.
The team will play several exhibitions against foreign countries, but this is not the team that will represent the United States in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The Olympic roster will consist of professional players from the minor leagues. Southern California’s Mike Gillespie will serve as the head coach for the team, which will begin practice on June 16. Tiger Assistant Head Coach Tim Corbin is also a coach on the team. The official team roster will be determined and announced on June 21.
Baker Providing Punch as Freshman Freshman shortstop Jeff Baker (Woodbridge, VA), who is rated as the #1 freshman in the nation by Baseball America, is hitting .325 with a team-best nine homers and 58 RBIs. Baker also has 24 multi-hit games. He also has a respectable .925 fielding percentage. Baker was a star on the USA Junior National Team that won it all in Taiwan in the summer of 1999. He teamed with South Carolina shortstop Drew Meyer. Baker actually drove home Meyer for the game-winning run in the championship game. Baker was the starting shortstop for the team as well. Baker was one of first 20 players invited for the USA National Team trials set to start in June.
On the Personal Side…
Clemson’s 288 Wins Since ’94 Fifth 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 ’94 and entering the 2000 season, the Tigers have won 288 games for a 48-win average. Leggett has led Clemson to three 50-win seasons and two appearances in the College World Series in five seasons. Included in that total is 73 wins over top-25 teams and a 38-13 (.745) record against SEC teams.
Corbin Named USA National Team Assistant Coach Assistant Head Coach Tim Corbin was named one of four assistant coaches for the USA National Team on February 1. The team, headed by Southern California Head Coach Mike Gillespie, will play on the US WEST Red, White, and Blue Summer Tour in 2000.
Corbin, Clemson’s recruiting coordinator, is in his seventh season as Jack Leggett’s top assistant. Corbin’s 1999 recruiting class was ranked #1 in the nation by Baseball America and he is a major reason Clemson has won 288 games (fifth most in the country) during his six seasons at Clemson.
Corbin, 38 and a 1984 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan, joins Southern California pitching coach John Savage, Louisville Head Coach Lelo Prado, and Loyola Marymount Head Coach Frank Cruz on the USA National Team coaching staff.
Tiger Field Renamed Doug Kingsmore Stadium Former Clemson baseball star and current Board of Trustees member Doug Kingsmore gave the Clemson athletic department a $1 million gift towards renovation of Clemson’s baseball stadium, formerly known as Tiger Field. George Bennett, executive director of IPTAY, made the announcement on January 28, 2000 at a dinner at the Madren Center on the Clemson campus. Bennett also announced that the facility would be called Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
In accepting the honor Kingsmore said, “Life has been all I could have asked for and more. I’ve been blessed to have the business and professional opportunities afforded me and doubly blessed with a family that’s truly loving and supportive. With Clemson’s strong legacy and promising future, it’s a pleasure to give something back that will affect the lives of many who participate and become part of the Clemson family in the future.”
Kingsmore played for the Tiger varsity squad from 1952-54. An All-ACC and All-District III outfielder in 1954, Kingsmore became the first Clemson player in history to hit 10 home runs in a season. He did that in 1954 while playing in just 24 games. He led the ACC in home runs and runs scored (25) that year, and led the Tigers in batting average (.371), slugging percentage (.742), and RBIs (27).
Kingsmore played three years of professional baseball in the Baltimore Oriole organization before beginning a successful business career. He is currently president and chief executive of the Graniteville Company in Aiken, SC. He is serving in his third term on the Clemson University Board of Trustees and will become Trustee Emeritus when his current elected term expires in 2002.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am about this announcement,” said Head Coach Jack Leggett. “This will be a great lift to our program. Everyone in our program is appreciative and it means so much to come from a former Clemson baseball player, and a man who has meant so much to Clemson University.”
Clemson 39-16 Against SEC Teams Under Leggett In seven seasons under Head Coach Jack Leggett, Clemson has had tremendous success against the Southeastern Conference. Leggett’s record against the SEC as the Tigers’ skipper is 39-16 (.709), including 16 wins against top-25 teams. Leggett has at least a .500 record against all seven SEC schools he has faced while at Clemson. Below is a list of Leggett’s record at Clemson against each of the seven SEC member schools he has faced:
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