Sunday 04/09/2000
This WeekTuesday, April 11 Georgia at Clemson 7:15 PM
Wednesday, April 12 South Carolina at Clemson 7:15 PM
Friday, April 14 Wake Forest at Clemson 7:15 PM
Saturday, April 15 Wake Forest at Clemson 4:30 PM
Sunday, April 16 Wake Forest at Clemson 2:00 PM
Last Week (4-1)
Tuesday, April 4 Western Carolina at Clemson W, 11-7
Wednesday, April 5 Furman at Clemson W, 3-2
Friday, April 7 N.C. State at Clemson L, 5-1
Saturday, April 8 N.C. State at Clemson W, 9-0
Sunday, April 9 N.C. State at Clemson W, 8-4
Noteworthy * Ryan Mottl tied Kris Benson for third place in career wins in Clemson history with 29 when he allowed no runs and one hit against N.C. State in 7.0 innings on April 8.
* Freshman righthander Jarrod Schmidt has earned a win in each of his last five starts. He is 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA on the season. During that span, he is hitting .327 (16-for-49), including four homers.
* No Tiger has allowed more than 13 earned runs this season.
* Clemson sports a 2.71 team ERA.
* Clemson is missing two regulars from last season (catcher Brian Ellis (illness) & and outfielder Justin Singleton (broken finger)) and the team’s top ERA pitcher (Steve Reba) in 2000 due to injury or illness.
* Tiger pitchers are holding opponents to a .165 batting average with two outs and .139 average with the bases loaded.
* Clemson is 2-1 in one-run games and 6-0 in two-run games this year.
* Mike Calitri is 4-for-4 with the bases loaded and has 16 RBIs in only 37 at bats.
* Matt Additon set the Clemson career record for appearances with #88 against N.C. State on April 9.
* Clemson has scored just one run and had five hits combined in Scott Berney’s last two outings.
Tigers Look to Even Season Series with Georgia Tuesday Clemson (28-7) plays host to Georgia Tuesday at 7:15 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in its next action. Georgia defeated Clemson 10-6 on March 29 at Foley Field.
Advance Tickets On Sale for South Carolina Game Advance tickets for the South Carolina at Clemson baseball game on April 12, 2000 at 7:15 PM are on sale in the Clemson ticket office. The general admission tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for students high school age or under. The ticket office is open weekdays from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and is located at Gate 9 of Memorial Stadium.
Clemson 38-14 Against SEC Teams Under Leggett In six 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 38-14 (.731), 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:
SEC Leggett’s Record
WinningOpponent at Clemson PercentageAlabama 2-0 1.000Arkansas 1-0 1.000Auburn 1-1 .500Georgia 9-4 .692Kentucky 3-0 1.000South Carolina 13-6 .684Tennessee 9-3 .750Totals 38-14 .731
Tigers Regroup to Take Series Against Wolfpack Clemson won two of three games against N.C. State at Doug Kingsmore Stadium from April 7-9. The Wolfpack won game one 5-1, but Clemson responded with 9-0 and 8-4 wins.
In game one, Josh Schmitt was the hero as the Wolfpack rallied to a 5-1 win in front of 3,532 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Schmitt hit a three-run homer of Tiger ace Scott Berney in the eighth inning to give N.C. State a 3-1 lead. It was the first homer allowed by a Tiger starting pitcher all season. Schmitt also earned his fourth save of the season by pitching the final 1.2 innings. Berney received just one run of support, meaning in his last two outings, he received just one run and five hits of support for both (entire) games. Khalil Greene had two of the three Tiger hits. Ryan Combs pitched masterfully to earn the win. He allowed just two hits and one run in a season-long 7.1 innings. Michael Johnson’s 11-game hitting streak ended in the game.
Clemson responded in game two with a resounding 9-0 win thanks to the efforts of Ryan Mottl and 13 Tiger hits. On a day when the winds blew out like no other so far in 2000, Mottl pitched a one-hitter in 7.0 innings to earn the win. Mottl tied Kris Benson for third place in the Clemson career list for wins with his 29th. Clemson scored three runs in the first, two in the second, and four in the sixth. Casey Stone led Clemson with three hits and two runs. Jarrod Schmidt added his third homer and went 2-for-2 with two runs scored, a double, two walks, and three RBIs. Matt Additon tied the Clemson career appearance record with the 87th of the senior’s career.
Clemson took the rubber matchup 8-4 thanks to Jarrod Schmidt…at the plate and on the mound. Schmidt got his fifth straight win in as many starts, and had two hits and two RBIs, including a home run. Jeff Baker added three singles and three RBIs. Clemson scored four runs in the third inning to take a 5-1 lead and never looked back. Matt Additon set the Clemson career appearance record with the 88th of his career, breaking Scott Winchester’s record of 87. Clemson did not strike out in the game. Brian Wright led N.C. State with four hits. The Wolfpack had 13 hits in all, but left 13 runners on base.
Injury Update Sophomore righthander Steve Reba has the team’s best ERA at 0.55, but has seen action in only one game since March 8 due to soreness in his upper-right forearm. Reba’s status is day-to-day.
Senior catcher Brian Ellis has missed the last four games due to an illness. Ellis’ status is day-to-day.
Junior outfielder Justin Singleton has not seen action since March 18 due to a broken right “pinky” finger. Singleton, who is hitting .167 in 36 at bats this season, had started to get back on track hitting-wise until his injury, which occurred while sliding into second base. Singleton was five for his last eight at the plate before the injury.
Home Sweet Home Clemson is 25-3 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium this season. Clemson’s only losses have come to UNLV, East Carolina, and N.C. State. Clemson entered the season with a 681-150 (.819) 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 are now in the midst of an 11-game homestand, and are 4-1 on that homestand.
Leggett Approaching 700 Career Wins Jack Leggett started the season with the most career wins by any collegiate head coach age 45 or younger. He turned 46 in March and can no longer make that claim. But he is on his way to 700 career wins, as he has 693 in his 21st season as a head coach, including his seventh at Clemson. His 693-409 record (.629) is quite a record for a coach his age. Leggett has a 316-122 (.722) record at Clemson.
Pitching Vastly Improved Over 1999 Clemson’s 2.71 team ERA ranks in the top-three in the country. That is quite an accomplishment considering the stats from a year ago. Clemson struggled in 1999 with a 5.82 ERA, but 2000 has seen Kevin O’Sullivan’s pitching staff come full circle. Below is a comparison of the team’s stats from 1999 and 2000.
Category 1999 2000ERA 5.82 2.71Hits per 9 IP 10.64 7.73Homers Allowed Per Game 0.88 0.11Walks per 9 IP 4.66 3.46Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio 1.69 2.03Opp. Batting Average .299 .232
Tiger Pitchers Have Allowed Just Four Homers in 2000 It’s no secret that Clemson’s Doug Kingsmore Stadium is a large ballpark. But no one could have imagined that opponents would hit just four home runs through 35 games, just two of which have come at Clemson. Mike Proto has allowed two of the long balls, while Kevin Lynn and Scott Berney have allowed the other two. Starters Ryan Mottl and Jarrod Schmidt have yet to allow a homer in 2000. Mottl had allowed 39 career homers entering the season.
The bat performance has been reduced this season. Also, strong winds have blown almost every game straight in from centerfield, making it very difficult to hit a homer unless it is a low-line drive. Those are two main reasons for the drop in power, which has been felt not just at Clemson, but all over the country. Clemson has hit 12 of its 14 homers at home, led by Schmidt’s four.
With Schmidt, Pitching and Hitting Going Hand in Hand 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 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 earned the win in each of his last five starts, including a complete game at #8 North Carolina on April 1. Schmidt allowed no earned runs and seven hits at Chapel Hill. It was the first complete by a Tiger in 2000. Overall, Schmidt is 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA as a weekend starter. Schmidt throws in the high 80s to lower 90s.
Despite struggling at the plate in the early going (.244 batting average), Schmidt has seen his numbers rise. Since his five-game winning streak on the mound, he is hitting .327 (16-for-49) with four homers, a team-high. He is even in the lineup when he starts on the mound.
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.
Berney Outstanding of Late Despite Nothing to Show For It Senior Scott Berney earned the win in each of his first seven starts and started the season with a 32.2 scoreless inning streak. But in his last two starts, he is 0-2. But that’s where the negative stats end. In those two starts (at #8 North Carolina and agaisnt N.C. State), Clemson has scored a total of one run and had just five hits combined. Against North Carolina, he allowed just one earned run on three hits in 7.0 innings in Clemson’s 6-0 loss. Then against the Wolfpack one week later, he allowed just four runs in 7.2 innings. Three of the four runs came on a Josh Schmitt three-run homer, the first long ball allowed by the Connecticut transfer all season. Therefore, in his last two outings, he has a 3.07 ERA. Overall, Berney is 7-2 with a 1.46 ERA and .186 opponent batting average. He has allowed just 45 hits and 14 walks along with 45 strikeouts in 67.2 innings.
Mottl Ties Benson for Third Place in Career Wins Senior righthander Ryan Mottl tied Kris Benson for third place in the Tiger career win list when he got the 29th win against N.C. State on April 8. Mottl allowed just one hit and no runs in 7.0 innings against the Wolfpack. In three previous starts against N.C. State, Mottl had a 0-1 record and 12.33 ERA.
Mottl also has 322 career strikeouts, placing him in fifth place in that category in the Clemson recordbook. Mottl is 6-2 with a 2.26 ERA in 10 starts. He also has a 3.9 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2000.
Clemson Career Leaders in Wins
Rk. Player Year(s) Wins1. Brian Barnes 1986-89 442. Rusty Gerhardt 1969-72 343. Kris Benson 1994-96 29 RYAN MOTTL 1997-present 295. Andy Taulbee 1992-94 276. Jason Angel 1990-92 257. Harold Stowe 1957-59 24 Chuck Porter 1974-76 24
Clemson Career Strikeout Leaders
Rk. Player Year(s) Strikeouts1. Brian Barnes 1986-89 5132. Rusty Gerhardt 1969-72 3823. Kris Benson 1994-96 3564. Billy Koch 1994-96 3385. RYAN MOTTL 1997-present 3226. Billy O'Dell 1952-54 3007. Jason Dawsey 1993-95 2768. Ken Vining 1994-96 258
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 8-15 away from home. Mottl was drafted in the 27th round by the Texas Rangers but decided to return for his senior season. He is a key figure in Clemson’s ACC-best 2.71 ERA. Below is a look at Mottl at home vs. away from home in his four-year career.
Category Home Away from HomeRecord 21-2 8-15Appearances/Starts 32/32 29/27Innings Pitched 201.2 157.1Earned Runs Allowed 70 121ERA 3.12 6.92Hits Allowed 170 202Hits per 9 IP 7.59 11.56Walks Allowed 63 65Walks per 9 IP 2.81 3.72Strikeouts 172 150Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio 2.73 2.31
Glaser Brings More Than Throwing to Tiger Closer Role Junior righthander Nick Glaser transferred to Clemson from Edmonds CC in Washington with the hopes of making an immediate impact. He has done just that as he already has nine saves in 17 appearances. He has allowed 17 hits, three earned runs, and 10 walks along with 25 strikeouts in 19.1 innings.
He exudes the typical closer personality with his slingshot-type delivery and fiery attitude. His nine saves already places him tied for fourth in saves in a season in a Tiger history.
Clemson Single-Season Save Leaders
Rk. Player Year Saves1. Scott Winchester 1995 142. Scott Winchester 1993 10 Scott Winchester 1994 104. Scott Clackum 1998 9 NICK GLASER 2000 96. Mike Milchin 1988 8
Additon Sets Tiger Appearance Record Senior righthander Matt Additon (Turner, ME) will never win a fast-pitch contest, but his value to the Clemson program the past four seasons cannot be measured. He will probably not win any all-conference awards or honors, but “Peach” and his sharp breaking pitch have been able to shut the door on opposing teams seemingly every time out. Additon sports a 3-1 record and 1.93 ERA in 16 relief appearances this season. Additon has made 88 career relief appearances as well, one ahead of Scott Winchester’s (1993-95) Tiger record of 87. Appearance #88 came against N.C. State on April 9. All 87 of Winchester’s appearances came in a relief role. Additon has been a starter in five of those games and has done an admirable job every time Jack Leggett has called upon him. He needs five more relief appearances to set that Clemson record.
Clemson Career Leaders in APPEARANCES
Rk. Player Year(s) App.1. MATT ADDITON 1997-present 882. Scott Winchester 1993-95 873. Brian Barnes 1986-89 784. Aaron Jersild 1988-91 755. Jeff Sauve 1992-95 736. Mike Holtz 1991-94 72
Baker Leading All Tigers at the Plate Freshman shortstop Jeff Baker (Woodbridge, VA), who is rated as the #1 freshman in the nation by Baseball America, is showing more consistency every game at the plate. Baker leads the team with a .360 batting average. Baker’s average had been hovering at and above .300 all season until his recent surge, but had been somewhat inconsistent because of his over-aggressiveness. But Baker has adjusted and become more accustomed to most Jack Leggett-type hitters…which are line-drive and gap hitters. Thanks to this change, he has hit safely in 12 of the last 15 games and has gone hitless in just eight of 35 games this season. He also has 17 multi-hit games this season, a team-best. Baker has also become more consistent in the field. Baker’s fielding percentage, which was at .877 after 13 games, has risen to .923.
Greene Keeps on Rolling Sophomore third baseman Khalil Greene has been the most consistent Tiger hitter this season. He is currently riding a seven-game hitting streak, going 14-for-29 (.483) over that span. Overall, the Key West, FL native is hitting .354 with two homers and 29 RBIs.
Calitri Showing Quality Over Quantity Junior first baseman Mike Calitri (Canton, MA) has made the most of his opportunities this season. He is hitting .351 with a homer and 16 RBIs. Most noteably, he has 16 RBIs in just 37 at bats. He is also 4-for-4 with the bases loaded this season. He has started just 11 games and never complains when he doesn’t get the call.
Clemson Offers Promotional Ticket Discounts to Fans This year, Clemson offers special promotional considerations to select fans. Clemson offers a Businessperson Special on all weekday day games at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, where any fan who presents his/her business card will receive free admission. All Sunday home games are Senior Citizens’ Day, where any fan who presents his/her AARP card will receive free admission. Also on Sundays, all youngsters are invited on the field during the national anthem to stand next to their favorite Clemson player. Ticket prices for home games are $5 for adults and $2 for students. Clemson students who present their student ID will receive free admission.
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.
Clemson Looks to Keep Streaks Alive in 2000 Clemson has participated in 13 consecutive NCAA Tournaments and has won at least 40 games for 14 straight seasons. 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 14-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.
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.”
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.
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