Clemson Baseball Team to Open ACC Tournament Play Thursday Night vs. Virginia

May 19, 2009

Clemson vs. Virginia Clemson (39-17), the #3 seed, will open its ACC Tournament slate by playing #6-seed Virginia (39-12-1) on Thursday at 8:00 PM on the second day of the ACC Tournament. The Tigers will be the designated home team and occupy the third-base dugout. The game will be televised live by Fox Sports South.

The Tigers will then play #7-seed Duke on Friday at 4:00 PM. Clemson will be the designated visiting team and occupy the first-base dugout in that game. The game against the Blue Devils will be televised live by SportSouth.

Clemson’s third game will be against #2-seed North Carolina on Saturday at 4:00 PM. The home team for Saturday’s game will be determined by a coin flip. The game will also be televised live by SportSouth.

The games will be played at Durham (NC) Bulls Athletic Park. It is the sixth year the ACC Baseball Tournament will be held in Durham and the fourth time at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The event was also held at that park in 1996, 1998, and 1999.

The round-robin format, in its third year, features two separate four-team divisions that guarantees all eight teams will play a minimum of three games and maximum of four games during the ACC Tournament.

The other division is comprised of #1-seed Florida State, #4-seed Georgia Tech, #5-seed Miami (FL), and #8-seed Boston College. The winner of each division will meet in the ACC Championship Game on Sunday at 1:00 PM. The contest will be televised live by SportSouth and the winner of the game will receive an automatic bid into the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

All of Clemson’s ACC Tournament games will be broadcast live on the radio by Clemson Tiger Sports Network. Live stats will also be available at ClemsonTigers.com for all Tiger games. Ticket information is available on theACC.com. A packages is offered that includes tickets for all three of Clemson’s pool-play games at a discounted price.

The Series (Virginia) Clemson and Virginia have met 139 times on the diamond, with the Tigers holding a 101-38 lead in the series dating back to the 1955 season. The two teams have not faced off since 2007, when Virginia won two of three games at Clemson.

Clemson holds a 10-6 lead in ACC Tournament games. The last time Clemson and Virginia met in the ACC Tourney was in 2005, when the Cavaliers won twice in two games by scores of 8-1 and 5-4 at The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville (FL). Clemson also holds a 10-6 lead all-time in neutral-site games.

Jack Leggett has a 30-18 record against Virginia as Clemson’s head coach, including a 2-4 record in the ACC Tournament. Leggett was also 2-0 against Virginia as Vermont’s head coach, meaning he has a 32-18 all-time record against the Cavaliers.

The Series (Duke) Clemson and Duke have met 181 times on the diamond, with the Tigers holding a 117-62-2 lead in the series dating back to the 1904 season. Earlier this season, the Tigers defeated Duke twice in three games at home. In 2008, the two teams split the three-game series in Durham 1-1-1.

Clemson holds an 8-3 lead in ACC Tournament games. The last time the two teams met in the ACC Tourney was in 2003. The Blue Devils downed the Tigers 7-4 in Salem, VA. Prior to that 2003 meeting, the two teams’ last meeting was in the 1996 ACC Tourney. Clemson won that game by a score of 6-1 at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill, NC. Duke also holds a 12-10 lead all-time in neutral-site games.

Jack Leggett has a 37-12-1 record against Duke as Clemson’s head coach, including a 1-1 record in the ACC Tournament.

The Series (North Carolina) Clemson and North Carolina have met 171 times, with the Tigers holding a 94-76-1 lead in the series dating back to the 1901 season. Earlier this season, the Tar Heels defeated Clemson twice in three games in Chapel Hill. In 2008, North Carolina swept the Tigers at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Clemson holds a 15-11 lead in ACC Tournament games. The two teams last met in the ACC Tournament in 2004. The Tigers won the first matchup that year 7-6, then the Tar Heels eliminated Clemson by winning 6-5 two days later in games played at Salem, VA. Clemson also holds a 14-12 lead all-time in neutral-site games.

Jack Leggett has a 29-20 record against North Carolina as Clemson’s head coach, including a 3-3 record in the ACC Tournament. Leggett was also 0-3 against North Carolina as Western Carolina’s head coach, meaning he has a 29-23 all-time record against the Tar Heels.

The Starting Pitchers (Virginia) Virginia has yet to determine its starting pitcher on the mound.

The Tigers will start senior righthander Trey Delk (4-1, 2.41 ERA) on Thursday. The Elgin, SC native has made nine starts for a total of 41.0 innings pitched. He has allowed 41 hits (.258 opponents’ batting average) and 17 walks with 32 strikeouts.

The Starting Pitchers (Duke) Duke will send out senior righthander Andrew Wolcott (7-3, 2.79 ERA) on the mound. The Grayslake, IL native had made 12 starts and one relief appearance for a total of 87.0 innings pitched. He has yielded 81 hits (.247 opponents’ batting average) and 18 walks with 67 strikeouts. He has also given up just three home runs and has pitched two complete games.

Clemson has yet to determine its starter on the mound for Friday’s game.

The Starting Pitchers (North Carolina) North Carolina will start sophomore righthander Matt Harvey (6-2, 5.86 ERA) on the mound. The Mystic, CT native has made 10 starts and eight relief appearances for a total of 58.1 innings pitched. He has allowed 68 hits (.289 opponents’ batting average) and 34 walks with 70 strikeouts.

Clemson has yet to determine its starter on the mound for Saturday’s game.

The Cavaliers Virginia, led by sixth-year Head Coach Brian and ranked as high as #15 in the nation, enters the ACC Tournament with a 39-12-1 overall record and 16-11-1 ACC mark after winning one of three games at Virginia Tech over the weekend. Virginia has a 1-0 record in neutral-site games as well.

Virginia is averaging 8.3 runs per game and hitting .336 with a .411 on-base percentage. The Cavaliers have also totaled 109 doubles, 22 triples, 50 homers, and 100 stolen bases in 122 attempts.

Jarrett Parker is hitting .380 with 18 doubles, six triples, 15 homers, 58 RBIs, 71 runs, a .478 on-base percentage, and 19 stolen bases. Dan Grovatt is batting .372 with six homers, 45 RBIs, and 13 steals, while Tyler Cannon is hitting .366 with 16 stolen bases. Phil Gosselin has tallied a team-high 59 RBIs and 19 stolen bases as well.

The pitching staff has a 3.30 ERA and .236 opponents’ batting average along with 477 strikeouts against 156 walks in 463.0 innings pitched. Sophomore righthander Kevin Arico has a team-high eight saves along with a 2.72 ERA and 47 strikeouts against 17 walks in 49.2 innings pitched over 22 relief appearances. Virginia is fielding at a .970 clip as well.

The Blue Devils Duke, led by fourth-year Head Coach Sean McNally, enters the ACC Tournament with a 34-22 overall record and 15-15 ACC mark after defeating Georgia Tech twice in three games at home over the weekend. Duke has yet to play a neutral-site game this season.

Duke is averaging 6.4 runs per game and hitting .301 with a .454 slugging percentage and .382 on-base percentage. The team has also totaled 107 doubles, 16 triples, 51 homers, and 52 stolen bases in 75 attempts.

Matt Williams is hitting a team-best .355 with 12 doubles, five homers, and 46 RBIs. Alex Hassan is batting .348 with 24 walks against only 16 strikeouts, while Nate Freiman leads the ACC with 19 homers along with 61 RBIs and a .341 batting average.

The pitching staff has a 4.79 ERA and .264 opponents’ batting average along with 404 strikeouts against 225 walks in 490.2 innings pitched. Junior righthander Michael Ness has a 2.53 ERA and three in 42.2 innings pitched over 23 relief appearances. Hassan, a junior righty, has eight saves, a 4.10 ERA, and 34 strikeouts in 26.1 innings pitched over 16 appearances (one start).

The Blue Devils also sport one of the nation’s best defenses. They have a .980 fielding percentage, as they have committed just 43 errors.

The Tar Heels North Carolina, led by 11th-year Head Coach Mike Fox and ranked as high as #4 in the nation, enters the ACC Tournament with a 41-14 overall record and 19-10 ACC mark after defeating Boston College twice in three games on the road over the weekend. North Carolina has yet to play a neutral-site game this season.

North Carolina is averaging 7.3 runs per game and hitting .303 with a .473 slugging percentage and .399 on-base percentage. The team has also totaled 104 doubles, 25 triples, 58 homers, and 49 stolen bases in 72 attempts.

Dustin Ackley is hitting a team-high .405 with 14 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs, 56 RBIs, a .511 on-base percentage, and 11 stolen bases. Kyle Seager is batting .390 with 22 doubles and 10 steals, while Mark Fleury and Levi Michael have both totaled 12 homers apiece.

The pitching staff has a 3.61 ERA and .240 opponents’ batting average along with 559 strikeouts against 218 walks in 496.1 innings pitched. Sophomore righthander Colin Bates has six of North Carolina’s 16 saves along with a 3.06 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 53.0 innings pitched over 29 relief appearances. Junior lefthander Brian Moran has a 7-1 record, 1.91 ERA, and three saves in 56.2 innings pitched over 30 relief appearances. He also has a .172 opponents’ batting average and 77 strikeouts against only four walks. North Carolina is fielding at a .970 clip as well.

The Tigers Clemson, ranked as high as #13 in the nation, enters the ACC Tournament with a 39-17 overall record and 19-11 ACC mark after sweeping N.C. State on the road over the weekend. The Tigers have won five games in a row, seven of their last eight games, 11 of their last 13 games, and 14 of their last 17 games. Clemson is 2-0 in neutral-site contests.

The Tigers are averaging 7.1 runs per game and hitting .302 with a .457 slugging percentage and .393 on-base percentage. Clemson has also totaled 102 doubles, 15 triples, 56 homers, and 72 stolen bases in 95 attempts.

Ben Paulsen is hitting a team-best .369 with 15 doubles, four triples, 11 homers, and 54 RBIs. Wilson Boyd is batting .338 with 23 walks against only 11 strikeouts, while Jeff Schaus is hitting .337 with a .440 on-base percentage thanks to 37 walks against only 18 strikeouts. Kyle Parker has added 11 homers and 49 RBIs.

The pitching staff has a 3.58 ERA and .251 opponents’ batting average. The staff has allowed 171 walks against 466 strikeouts (2.7-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio). Tomas Cruz and Matt Vaughn are tied for the team-lead with four saves apiece. The Tigers are fielding at a .969 clip as well.

Three Tigers on the ACC Tournament roster hail from the state of North Carolina, Wilson Boyd (Hickory), Addison Johnson (Pfafftown), and Matt Sanders (New Bern).

Clemson’s ACC Tournament History Clemson has won nine ACC Tournaments in history, more than any other school, including in 2006 when it defeated N.C. State 8-4 in the championship game. This is the 36th ACC Baseball Tournament, and Clemson has been to the finals in 21 of the previous 35 tournaments, 10 more than any other school. Clemson has a 98-55 record in ACC Tournament games. The Tigers also have the most All-ACC Tournament selections (51) in history.

Prior to capturing the 2006 title, the Tigers had not won it all since 1994. That was Jack Leggett’s first year as Clemson’s head coach. Clemson defeated Florida State 4-1 in the championship game held in Greenville (SC) Municipal Stadium.

Leggett has been on the field to accept the championship trophy three times in all. In 1993, then Head Coach Bill Wilhelm was suspended for the championship game. Leggett, then the top assistant for the Tigers, was in charge for that 1993 title game, an 11-7 win over N.C. State. Clemson’s nine ACC Tournament titles came in 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, and 2006. Wilhelm is credited with the first seven tournament titles.

Clemson has been a consistent team in tournament play. The Tigers have won at least two tournament games in 31 of their previous 35 appearances. The only years that Clemson did not win at least two games were 1998 (0-2), 2001 (1-2), 2003 (0-2), and 2008 (1-2). While Clemson has won the title just once since 1994, the Tigers have been to the championship round six of the last 14 years.

Only 14 times in the 35-year history has the #1 seed captured the title. Clemson has done it six times, Georgia Tech and North Carolina three times, and Florida State and Miami (FL) once.

The Tigers have won the ACC Tournament with a perfect record five times. The Tigers were 3-0 in 1976 and 1978 in winning both events at Clemson, then they had a 4-0 record in winning the title at Raleigh, NC in 1980. Clemson’s only other perfect run through the tournament came in 1991, when a Tiger team that won a school-record 60 games had a 5-0 mark in the ACC Tournament held at Greenville, SC.

This will be the 13th time the tournament is held in the state of North Carolina after it was played each of the last four seasons at The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville (FL). The last time it was played in the Tar Heel State was in 1999, when it was played at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The 2010 tournament is scheduled to be played at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, NC.

Clemson has a winning record against every ACC team (excluding Boston College and Virginia Tech, who have not faced the Tigers in the event) in tournament play with the exception of Florida State. Clemson is 8-10 against the Seminoles in the ACC Tournament. The Tigers are also 8-3 against Duke, 14-9 versus Georgia Tech, 12-0 against Maryland, 2-1 versus Miami (FL), 15-11 against North Carolina, 17-10 versus N.C. State, 10-6 against Virginia, and 12-5 versus Wake Forest. That computes to a 98-55 record and 64.1-percent winning mark. Only Florida State (67.5) has a better winning percentage than Clemson in ACC Tournament play.

Clemson was the dominant team when the ACC Tournament was played at Greenville, SC from 1987-95. In those nine tournaments, Clemson posted a 36-12 record, won the event four times, and finished second on two other occasions. Clemson won at least three games in eight of the nine tournaments held in Greenville as well.

The ACC Tournament began in the 1973 season and has been held every year but one since then. In 1979, Clemson won the regular-season title and was declared the conference champion. The tournament was not held because of a scheduling conflict between school exam schedules and the tourney. Clemson has been declared conference champion 14 times in history, more than any other school.

Polls The Tigers moved up one spot to #13 in the Sports Weekly coaches poll this week after going 5-0 in five games last week. Clemson also moved up four spots to #19 in the Collegiate Baseball poll and moved up six spots to #13 in the Baseball America poll. Clemson has had at least one final top-25 ranking in 12 of Head Coach Jack Leggett’s first 15 seasons in Tigertown. The Tigers have also been ranked #1 for 20 weeks by at least one of the three major polls under Leggett.

Tigers #7 in Unofficial RPI Through games of May 17, Clemson has an unofficial RPI of #7 according to both BoydsWorld.com and WarrenNolan.com. The Tigers have also played the nation’s eighth-toughest schedule according to WarrenNolan.com.

Clemson has a 16-13 record against teams with an RPI of 50 or better and 29-16 record against teams with an RPI of 100 or better. Of Clemson’s 56 games, 45 have been against teams in the top 100 of the RPI. Clemson is also 10-1 against teams with an RPI higher than #100. There are 302 schools that play Division I baseball.

Tigers Finish Third in Overall ACC Standings Thanks to a regular-season-ending sweep at N.C. State, Clemson (19-11) finished in third place in the overall ACC standings behind only Florida State (19-9) and North Carolina (19-10). The Tigers also tied Florida State and North Carolina for the most ACC wins in 2009.

Tiger Bats Hot in the Last 13 Games The Tigers have won five games in a row, seven of their last eight games, 11 of their last 13 games, and 14 of their last 17 games thanks in part to their bats coming alive. After Clemson’s 5-4 loss to #4 Georgia Tech on April 24, the Tigers’ team batting average stood at .291. But since, Clemson has an 11-2 record. Over that 13-game stretch, the Tigers are hitting .341 with a .499 slugging percentage and .427 on-base percentage thanks to 71 walks against only 71 strikeouts. The Tigers have also averaged 8.2 runs per game and 11.9 hits per game while totaling 20 stolen bases in the last 13 games as well.

Wilson Boyd has been Clemson’s hottest hitter during the last 13 games. He is 23-for-45 (.511) with a .600 on-base percentage thanks to 10 walks against only three strikeouts. John Nester is 18-for-43 (.419). It is noteworthy that Boyd, Stolz, and Nester all bat within the bottom four spots of the batting order.

Tigers Fourth Nationally in Scoring Defense Clemson has allowed just 4.1 runs per game this season, the fourth-best mark in the nation behind only Texas, Arizona State, and Virginia. Clemson has a 3.58 ERA and has allowed just 31 unearned runs despite committing 67 errors on defense, a sign of the pitchers’ ability to overcome miscues behind them. A sign of the team concept of the Tiger pitching staff is the fact that Clemson did not have a single pitcher named First or Second-Team All-ACC despite having one of the nation’s best ERAs.

Nester Solid At & Behind the Plate Like many Tigers that bat near the bottom of the batting order, sophomore catcher John Nester (Greer, SC) has been a big reason Clemson is 14-3 in the last 17 games. He has raised his season batting average to .319 with nine doubles, five homers, and 30 RBIs in 47 games (37 starts). He shared time behind the plate during the first half of the season, but he has since cemented his role as the everyday catcher of late. In Nester’s last 30 games, he is 37-for-98 (.378) after going 7-for-40 (.175) in his first 17 games of 2009.

Nester has shown the ability to throw out potential basestealers as well. He has thrown out eight of the last 17 basestealers (47 percent) and 11 of 32 in all (34 percent).

Parker Quickest to 25 Home Runs Sophomore Doug Kingsmore Stadium, gave him 25 career home runs in just 103 career games.

That long ball established a school record for fewest games to reach 25 career home runs. The previous record was held by Matthew LeCroy, who hit his 25th career long ball in his 105th career game. LeCroy went on to an eight-year career in the Major Leagues in which he hit 60 home runs from 2000-07. LeCroy finished his Tiger career with 53 career home runs, fourth-most in school history.

Stolz Riding a 10-Game Hitting Streak Freshman Jason Stolz (Marietta, GA) shared time at third base most of the regular season. But of late, he has solidified himself as the everyday starter at the “hot corner.” He is riding a current 10-game hitting streak, tied for the longest streak by a Tiger in 2009. In his last 10 games, he is 17-for-32 (.531) with three doubles, 10 RBIs, 10 runs, five walks against only four strikeouts, a .605 on-base percentage, and five stolen bases.

What makes his streak more impressive is the fact that he has batted in the ninth spot in the batting order in all 10 games, meaning he has the best chance to have the fewest plate appearances in a game among position starters.

Prior to his 10-game hitting streak, he was hitting .277. But he has since raised his batting average to .341, second-best on the team. In 47 games (35 starts), he has totaled six doubles, one homer, 21 RBIs, 27 runs, a team-high six sacrifice bunts, and six stolen bases along with a solid .957 fielding percentage. Stolz also possesses great speed and a strong arm.

Stoneburner Mowing Them Down Sophomore righthander Graham Stoneburner (Richmond, VA) has been both a starter and reliever in 2009, and he has done well in both roles. Of late, he has served mostly as a long reliever. On the season, he has a 5-3 record, one save, and 3.51 ERA in 17 appearances (seven starts). In 56.1 innings pitched, he has allowed just two home runs and 17 walks with 63 strikeouts, good for a 3.7-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, thanks to his hard fastball. He also has a 2.72 walks-per-nine-innings-pitched mark this year.

Clemson Sweeps N.C. State on the Road Clemson, ranked #14 in the nation, swept N.C. State in a three-game series at Doak Field from May 14-16. It was Clemson’s first sweep at N.C. State since 1995. The Tigers outscored N.C. State 29-17 and outhit the Wolfpack .342 to .283. Clemson also totaled 15 runs in the first inning, totaled eight stolen bases, and committed just two errors in the series. Wilson Boyd went 6-for-12 (.500) with three doubles, five RBIs, and three walks. Chris Epps went 5-for-11 (.455) with a homer, three RBIs, and three walks.

In game-one on May 14, Clemson totaled 15 hits and nine walks en route to a 13-8 victory over N.C. State. The Tigers scored six runs in the first inning and never looked back. Clemson later built a 13-2 lead with four runs in the seventh inning before the Wolfpack scored five runs in the ninth inning. Epps, Trey Delk pitched 6.0 innings, allowing five hits and two runs to earn the win.

In game-two on May 15, Clemson scored five runs in the first inning and five runs in the third inning on its way to an 11-5 win over N.C. State. The Tigers tallied 14 hits and stole seven bases without committing an error on defense. Stolz went 3-for-3 with an RBI, two runs, and two stolen bases. Jeff Schaus, Boyd, and Matt Vaughn combined to pitch 4.0 scoreless innings to close out the game. The four Tiger hurlers combined for 12 strikeouts against no walks as well.

In game-three on May 16, Clemson scored four runs in the first inning and held on for a 5-4 win over N.C. State. Epps hit the first pitch of the game over the fence for a homer, then Boyd hit a two-out, two-run double later in the frame before Nester’s run-scoring single. The Wolfpack got within 4-3 and 5-4, but the Tigers worked out of several jams to maintain the lead. Six Tiger pitchers combined to allow just six hits. Ben Paulsen, Boyd, and Nester led Clemson’s nine-hit attack with two hits apiece, while Boyd added two doubles and two RBIs.