Clemson Baseball Team to Play Host to Duke in Three-Game Series This Weekend

March 17, 2011

Clemson vs. Duke Clemson (7-7, 0-3 ACC), ranked as high as #16 in the nation, will host Duke (15-4, 2-1 ACC) in a three-game series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium this weekend. Game times are 6:30 PM (Friday), 6:30 PM (Saturday), and 1:00 PM (Sunday). All three games will be available live via webcast on TigerCast at ClemsonTigers.com. All three games will also be broadcast live on the radio by Clemson Tiger Sports Network. Live stats will be available at ClemsonTigers.com for all three games as well.

The Series Clemson and Duke have met 185 times on the diamond, with the Tigers holding a 118-65-2 lead in the series dating back to the 1904 season. Last year in Durham, the Blue Devils won two of three games despite both teams scoring 22 runs in the series. In 2009 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, the Tigers won two of three games, then the Blue Devils topped Clemson 10-4 in the ACC Tournament.

The Tigers hold a 61-24-1 lead over the Blue Devils in games played at Clemson and a 42-6 lead at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Clemson also holds a 92-34-2 advantage in ACC regular-season games. Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

The Starting Pitchers Duke’s starting pitchers for all three games have yet to be announced. The Tigers will start junior righthander Scott Weismann (2-2, 4.98 ERA) on Friday. The Boxborough, MA native has made four starts for a total of 21.2 innings pitched. He has allowed 22 hits (.268 opponents’ batting average) and five walks with 14 strikeouts.

Clemson will start junior righty David Haselden (1-1, 2.79 ERA) on Saturday. The Spartanburg, SC native has made three starts and three relief appearances for a total of 19.1 innings pitched. He has given up 17 hits (.250 opponents’ batting average) and four walks with 10 strikeouts.

The Tigers’ starting pitcher for game-three on Sunday has yet to be determined.

The Blue Devils Duke, led by sixth-year Head Coach Sean McNally, enters the series at #16 Clemson with a 15-4 overall record and 2-1 ACC mark after winning midweek home games over North Carolina Central (11-3) on Tuesday and Charlotte (4-1) on Wednesday. The Blue Devils, who are 2-1 on opponents’ home fields, have won four games in a row. Their four losses on the season have been by a combined 11 runs.

Duke is averaging 6.9 runs per game and hitting .310 with a .424 slugging percentage and .406 on-base percentage. The team has totaled 43 doubles, 10 triples, three home runs, and 38 stolen bases.

Freshman Anthony D’Alessandro is hitting .403 with 15 RBIs, while freshman Jordan Betts is batting .392 with eight doubles and 14 RBIs. Freshman Chris Marconcini is hitting .324 with four doubles, six triples, one homer, and 20 RBIs, while Will Piwnica-Worms has added a team-high 10 steals.

The pitching staff has a 2.70 ERA and .253 opponents’ batting average along with 144 strikeouts against 68 walks in 170.0 innings pitched. Freshman righthander Drew Van Orden has a team-high two saves in eight appearances (two starts). Duke is fielding at a .974 clip as well.

The Tigers Clemson, ranked as high as #16 in the nation, enters the series against Duke with a 7-7 overall record and 0-3 ACC mark after falling to Presbyterian College 4-3 at Fluor Field in Greenville, SC on Wednesday night. The Tigers, who have lost five games in a row, sport a 6-4 home record.

The Tigers are averaging 7.5 runs per game and hitting .310 with a .425 slugging percentage and .418 on-base percentage. Clemson has also totaled 22 doubles, four triples, eight homers, and 22 stolen bases. The Tigers have outscored their opposition by 48 runs (+3.4 per game) despite their .500 record.

Brad Miller and Chris Epps are tied for the team lead with five stolen bases apiece.

The pitching staff has a 3.48 ERA and .238 opponents’ batting average in 124.0 innings pitched. The staff has allowed 30 walks against 100 strikeouts, good for a 3.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Justin Sarratt has 11 strikeouts against one walk. The Tigers are fielding at a .963 clip as well.

Sarratt Making the Most of His Fifth Year Graduate righthander Justin Sarratt (Gaffney, SC) is in his fifth year in a Tiger uniform. As a senior in 2010, he suffered a season-ending injury early in the season and received a medical red-shirt. He returned for a fifth season in 2011 and can become the first Tiger in history to earn five career letters.

Sarratt has shown excellent control throughout his career. In 126.1 innings pitched over 68 appearances (13 starts) in his career, he has a 6-6 record, one save, a 4.99 ERA, and 82 strikeouts against only 28 walks. His 1.99 walks-per-nine-innings-pitched mark is second-best in school history.

In 2011, Sarratt is 0-1 with a 1.93 ERA in 14.0 innings pitched over six appearances (one start). He has allowed 11 hits (.212 opponents’ batting average), including only one extra-base hit, and one walk with 11 strikeouts.

Blue Hose Capitalizes on Error to Edge Clemson 4-3 Tony Micklon scored the go-ahead run on an error with two outs in the eighth inning to lift Presbyterian College to a 4-3 win over #16 Clemson at Fluor Field in Greenville, SC. It was the Blue Hose’s first win over Clemson since 1949. Justin Sarratt pitched 5.1 strong innings in relief, allowing four hits, one earned run, and no walks with eight strikeouts. Four Tiger pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts against only one walk.