Clemson Baseball Team to Face Furman at Fluor Field in Greenville Monday Afternoon

May 11, 2009

Clemson vs. Furman Clemson (34-17) will travel to Greenville, SC to play Furman (21-26) at Fluor Field on Monday at 4:00 PM. The game was originally scheduled for May 6, but the threat of inclement weather caused the game to be postponed. Clemson will be the designated visiting team for the game, which is the Tigers’ fifth all-time game on that field, and occupy the third-base dugout. On March 3, 2009, the Paladins rallied for a 4-2 victory in 14 innings over the Tigers at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on the radio by WCCP (104.9 FM) out of Clemson and can be heard live on the internet at ClemsonTigers.com.

The Series Clemson and Furman have met 196 times on the diamond, with the Tigers holding a 134-58-4 advantage dating back to the 1896 season. Clemson’s first two games in school history were against the Paladins, both losses in 1896, which were the Tigers’ only games that season. The two teams have played at least one game every year since 1983.

The two teams last played on March 3, 2009 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. In that game, Clemson was one strike away from a no-hitter and 2-0 win, but an infield single and two-run homer by Brian Harrison tied the score. The Paladins went on to a 4-2 victory in 14 innings.

The two teams played two games in 2008, both Tiger victories. On March 19, 2008 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, the Tigers won 14-2 behind two homers and six RBIs by Doug Hogan. Then on May 7, 2008 at Fluor Field in Greenville, SC, the Tigers were victorious 11-5 thanks in part to four hits by Ben Paulsen.

The Tigers lead 9-3-1 in neutral-site games against Furman, including a 1-0 record at Fluor Field. Jack Leggett is 14-5 against the Paladins as Clemson’s head coach. He was also 29-7 against Furman as Western Carolina’s head coach from 1983-91, meaning he is 43-12 against the Paladins as a head coach.

The Starting Pitchers Furman will start senior righthander J.P. Goldsberry (3-4, 9.36 ERA) on the mound. The Tampa, FL native has made eight starts and four relief appearances for a total of 33.2 innings pitched. He has allowed 55 hits (.369 opponents’ batting average) and 14 walks with 22 strikeouts.

Clemson will counter with freshman righty David Haselden (0-0, 6.55 ERA) on Monday. The Spartanburg, SC native has made three relief appearances and one start for a total of 11.0 innings pitched. He has yielded 14 hits (.333 opponents’ batting average) and no walks with eight strikeouts.

The Paladins Furman, led by 16th-year Head Coach Ron Smith, enters Monday’s game against Clemson with a 21-26 overall record and 9-18 SoCon mark after winning being swept at home by The Citadel over the weekend. Furman, who has yet to play a neutral-site game, is 9-3 in one-run games.

Furman is averaging 5.7 runs per game and hitting .279 with a .403 slugging percentage and .357 on-base percentage. The team has also totaled 70 doubles, seven triples, 40 home runs, and 60 stolen bases in 81 attempts.

Matt Hemingway is hitting a team-best .335 with eight homers and 37 RBIs, while Brian Harrison is batting .292 with 12 home runs and 37 RBIs. Marcus Rose is also batting .318 with a team-high 18 steals.

The pitching staff has a 7.15 ERA and .328 opponents’ batting average along with 295 strikeouts against 188 walks in 420.1 innings pitched. Junior righthander Nick Karow has a team-high three saves in 13 relief appearances. The Paladins are fielding at a .971 clip as well.

The Tigers Clemson enters Monday’s game against Furman with a 34-17 overall record and 16-11 ACC mark after winning two of three games against UNC Wilmington at home over the weekend. The Tigers are 1-0 in neutral-site contests.

The Tigers are averaging 6.9 runs per game and hitting .299 with a .453 slugging percentage and .390 on-base percentage. Clemson has also totaled 91 doubles, 14 triples, 51 homers, and 61 stolen bases in 81 attempts.

Ben Paulsen is hitting a team-best .373 with 15 doubles, four triples, 10 homers, and 51 RBIs. Jeff Schaus is hitting .337 with a .437 on-base percentage thanks to 32 walks against only 17 strikeouts. Kyle Parker has added 11 homers and 48 RBIs, while Mike Freeman is 15-for-32 (.469) with nine walks in the last nine games.

The pitching staff has a 3.54 ERA and .250 opponents’ batting average. The staff has allowed 153 walks against 426 strikeouts, good for a 2.8-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Tomas Cruz and Matt Vaughn are tied for the team-lead with three saves apiece. The Tigers are fielding at a .967 clip as well.

ACC Standings The Tigers are in second place in the ACC Atlantic Division standings with a 16-11 record. Florida State, who has a 19-9 ACC mark and owns the ACC’s best league mark, has already clinched the division title and will either be the #1 or #2 seed in the ACC Tournament. The Seminoles have concluded their ACC regular-season slate.

Boston College is in third place in the ACC Atlantic Division with a 12-13 ACC record. The Tigers also own the fifth-best record in the conference standings among the 12 league members and have already clinched a spot in the 2009 ACC Tournament.

Delk, Vaughn Receive Degrees Senior righthander Matt Vaughn both received their undergraduate degrees in commencement ceremonies in Littlejohn Coliseum on May 8, 2009. Delk, a fifth-year senior from Elgin, SC, received his degree in psychology. Vaughn, a senior from Summerville, SC, received his degree in management. Vaughn has been a three-time member of the conference’s Academic Honor Roll as well.

Delk Delivers on Two Fronts Senior righthander Trey Delk (Elgin, SC) had a day to remember on May 8. That morning, he received his psychology degree in commencement ceremonies in Littlejohn Coliseum. Later that night, he started on the mound for the Tigers and earned the win against North Carolina-Wilmington. In 5.0 innings pitched, he allowed just five hits, one run, and one walk with two strikeouts.

Delk, Clemson’s Friday starter when healthy, missed the latter stages of March and most of April due to a back injury, but he has still been effective this season. In 35.0 innings pitched over eight starts, he is 3-1 with a 2.31 ERA and .261 opponents’ batting average. He also has allowed just one home run and 14 walks with 29 strikeouts.

Clemson Wins Two of Three Over Seahawks Clemson, ranked #19 in the nation, won two of three games against North Carolina-Wilmington at Doug Kingsmore Stadium from May 8-10. Clemson outscored the Seahawks 27-9 and outhit them .350 to .243. Jeff Schaus added five hits, including two doubles and a homer, along with seven RBIs. The Tiger pitching staff had a 2.67 ERA and 21 strikeouts against only five walks as well.

In game-one on May 8, Clemson totaled 12 hits and 12 walks en route to a 13-2 victory over North Carolina-Wilmington. The Tigers scored three runs in the second inning and five runs in the fifth inning to break the game open. Epps went 3-for-3 with two doubles, three RBIs, and a walk, while Trey Delk, who received his pyschology degree earlier in the day, earned the win, as he allowed one run on five hits in 5.0 innings pitched. The Seahawks put 14 batters on base, but they scored only two runs and left 10 runners on base.

In game-two on May 9, Clemson scored eight runs on eight consecutive hits in the third inning on its way to an 11-3 win over North Carolina-Wilmington. Already ahead 3-0, Clemson used two homers, three doubles, and three singles to score eight runs in the third inning. Kyle Parker started the scoring in the third with a long solo homer, then Schaus capped the scoring with a three-run home run. Every Tiger starter had at least one hit before the third inning ended. Schaus went 2-for-5 with a double, homer, four RBIs, and two runs to lead Clemson’s 14-hit attack. Casey Harman allowed six hits, one earned run, and one walk with nine strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched to earn the victory.

In game-three on May 10, North Carolina-Wilmington took the lead with a run in the sixth inning and held on for a 4-3 win over Clemson. Schaus’ two-run double in the fifth inning tied the score, but Michael Rooney’s sacrifice fly in the sixth gave the Seahawks the lead. The Tigers put their leadoff batter on base in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings but failed to score each time. Relievers Stephen Harrold, Ryan Walker, and Bryan Booth limited Clemson to two hits and no runs in the final 4.2 innings. They were big reasons the Tigers were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base. Boyd went 3-for-3 for Clemson, who outhit the Seahawks 10-8.