Clemson Baseball Team to Play Host to Coastal Carolina Tuesday Evening

April 23, 2012

Clemson vs. Coastal Carolina Game Notes

Clemson vs. Coastal Carolina Clemson (24-17) will host Coastal Carolina (26-13) at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 PM. The game will be available live via webcast on ClemsonTigers.com as well.

The Series Clemson and Coastal Carolina have met 47 times on the diamond, with the Tigers holding a 40-7 lead in the series that dates back to 1986.

On April 5, 2011 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, Doug Kingsmore Stadium on March 31, 2010.

The Tigers lead 30-5 over the Chanticleers in games played at Clemson, all of which have been played at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

The Starting Pitchers Coastal Carolina will start freshman lefthander Javier Reynoso (2-1, 3.46 ERA) on the mound. The Tampa, FL native has made seven relief appearances and six starts for a total of 26.0 innings pitched. He has yielded 20 hits (.213 opponents’ batting average) and 17 walks with 15 strikeouts.

Clemson will counter with freshman righty Daniel Gossett (3-2, 5.40 ERA) on Tuesday. The Lyman, SC native has made six starts and six relief appearances for a total of 38.1 innings pitched. He has surrendered 35 hits (.241 opponents’ batting average) and 17 walks with 45 strikeouts.

The Chanticleers Coastal Carolina, led by 17th-year Head Coach Gary Gilmore, enters Tuesday’s game at Clemson with a 26-13 overall record and 9-3 Big South Conference mark after winning two of three games over High Point at home over the weekend. The Chanticleers, who are 7-4 in one-run games, are 4-6 on the road in 2012.

Coastal Carolina is averaging 5.2 runs per game and hitting .271 with a .358 slugging percentage and .374 on-base percentage thanks to 176 walks and 47 hit-by-pitches against 237 strikeouts. The team has also totaled 62 doubles, six triples, 13 home runs, 49 sacrifice bunts, and 60 stolen bases in 79 attempts.

Daniel Bowman leads the team with a .366 batting average along with eight doubles, four triples, four homers, 25 RBIs, and seven steals. Tucker Frawley is hitting .331 with one homer and 18 RBIs, while Alex Buccilli is batting .315 with three home runs and 19 RBIs. Rich Witten has a team-high 29 RBIs, while Jacob May has a team-high 15 stolen bases.

The pitching staff has a 2.44 ERA and .226 opponents’ batting average along with 276 strikeouts against 128 walks in 361.2 innings pitched. Junior righthander Ryan Connolly has nine saves and a 2.63 ERA in 41.0 innings pitched over 23 relief appearances, while junior righty Aaron Burke has six saves and a 1.09 ERA in 41.1 innings pitched over 22 relief outings. Coastal Carolina, who has allowed 15 stolen bases in 37 attempts, is fielding at a .965 clip as well.

The Tigers Clemson enters Tuesday’s game against Coastal Carolina with a 24-17 overall record and 12-9 ACC mark after sweeping Maryland on the road over the weekend. The Tigers, who are 15-11 at home, are 5-0 on Tuesday this season.

The Tigers are averaging 5.5 runs per game and hitting .275 with a .389 slugging percentage and .363 on-base percentage thanks to 174 walks and 33 hit-by-pitches against 255 strikeouts. Clemson has also totaled 66 doubles, 11 triples, 25 homers, and 40 stolen bases in 54 attempts.

Richie Shaffer is hitting a team-best .378 with 14 doubles, two triples, eight homers, 38 RBIs, 34 runs, 41 walks, a .508 on-base percentage, and five steals. Thomas Brittle is hitting .343 and is riding a 14-game hitting streak. Steve Wilkerson is batting .318, while Phil Pohl has six home runs and a team-high 40 RBIs.

The pitching staff has a 3.50 ERA and .265 opponents’ batting average in 373.0 innings pitched. The staff has allowed 150 walks against 315 strikeouts, good for a 2.10 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Junior righty Scott Firth has a 4-0 record, 1.77 ERA, and one save in 35.2 innings pitched over 15 relief appearances. The Tigers are fielding at a .971 clip as well.

ACC Standings The Tigers are in third place in the ACC Atlantic Division standings with a 12-9 league record. In the division, Florida State is in first place with a 19-2 record, while N.C. State is second at 13-8. The Seminoles also hold the overall ACC lead at 19-2. In the overall ACC standings, Clemson is tied for fourth place with Miami (FL). Virginia is sixth at 11-10, while Wake Forest and Georgia Tech are tied for seventh at 9-12. The top-eight teams in the overall ACC standings will play in the 2012 ACC Tournament.

Double the Fun Clemson has swept each of its last six doubleheaders and eight of its last nine doubleheaders since the start of the 2010 season. The only doubleheader in the last three years Clemson has not swept was at #1 Virginia on March 27, 2010. The Tigers still managed to split that doubleheader against the top-ranked Cavaliers.

The Tigers had doubleheader sweeps over UAB and Maryland this season, Boston College, Gardner-Webb, and Virginia Tech in 2011, and Florida Gulf Coast in 2010. Doubleheaders are rarely scheduled, as most are played due to inclement weather during a weekend series.