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Clemson Baseball Team to Play Host to Furman Tuesday in Final Regular Season Home Game

Clemson Baseball Team to Play Host to Furman Tuesday in Final Regular Season Home Game

May 15, 2012

Clemson vs. Furman Game Notes

Clemson vs. Furman Clemson (31-21) will host Furman (23-28) at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Tuesday in the Tigers’ last home game of the regular season. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 PM. The game will be available live via webcast on TigerCast. The game will also 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 as well.

Watch Live on TigerCast

The Series Clemson and Furman have met 200 times on the diamond, with the Tigers leading 139-57-4 in the series 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.

Earlier this season on April 10 at Fluor Field in Greenville, SC, the Tigers downed the Paladins 12-5 despite being outhit 15-11. In 2011, the Tigers won both games. On April 26 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, the Tigers blanked the Paladins 5-0 behind Brad Miller’s three-run homer and four RBIs. Then on May 10, Clemson topped the Paladins 5-1 at Fluor Field. The Tigers have won six games in a row in the series dating to 2009.

The Tigers lead 76-26-1 at Clemson and 27-5 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Leggett was also 29-7 against the Paladins as Western Carolina’s head coach, meaning he is 49-12 all-time against Furman.

The Starting Pitchers Furman will start senior lefthander Stephen Gary (3-0, 3.48 ERA) on the mound. The Greenwood, SC native, who will be making his first start of the season, has made 28 relief appearances for a total of 31.0 innings pitched. He has yielded 20 hits (.189 opponents’ batting average), including only three extra-base hits and no homers, and 24 walks with 24 strikeouts.

Clemson will counter with senior righthander David Haselden (3-1, 3.23 ERA) on Tuesday. The Spartanburg, SC native has made 10 relief appearances and three starts for a total of 30.2 innings pitched. He has surrendered 43 hits (.336 opponents’ batting average) and eight walks with 22 strikeouts.

The Paladins Furman, led by 19th-year Head Coach Ron Smith, enters Tuesday’s game at Clemson with a 23-28 overall record and 10-17 SoCon mark after falling twice in three games at The Citadel over the weekend. The Paladins, who are 6-5 in one-run games, are 9-14 on the road this season.

Furman is averaging 5.6 runs per game and hitting .283 with a .401 slugging percentage and .365 on-base percentage thanks to 196 walks and 48 hit-by-pitches against 348 strikeouts. The team has also totaled 92 doubles, 12 triples, 32 home runs, and 75 stolen bases in 93 attempts.

Will Owens leads the team with a .330 batting average along with 10 doubles, two homers, 29 RBIs, 42 runs, and nine steals. Will Miller is hitting .309 with 10 home runs, 41 RBIs, and a team-high 17 steals. Will Muzika (15) and Hunter Burton (14) also have double-digit stolen bases as well.

The pitching staff has a 5.85 ERA and .295 opponents’ batting average along with 314 strikeouts against 214 walks in 454.0 innings pitched. Freshman righthander Elliott Warford has a 4-0 record, seven saves, and a 3.70 ERA in 41.1 innings pitched over 29 appearances (two starts). Furman, who has allowed 67 steals in 88 attempts, is fielding at a .963 clip as well.

The Tigers Clemson enters Tuesday’s game against Furman with a 31-21 overall record and 16-11 ACC mark after winning two of three games over #1 Florida State from Saturday to Monday. The Tigers, who are 13-7 in night games, are 20-14 at home in 2012.

The Tigers are averaging 6.0 runs per game and hitting .277 with a .396 slugging percentage and .366 on-base percentage thanks to 229 walks and 41 hit-by-pitches against 327 strikeouts. Clemson has also totaled 83 doubles, 15 triples, 35 homers, and 52 stolen bases in 70 attempts.

Richie Shaffer leads the team with a .350 batting average along with 16 doubles, two triples, 10 homers, 43 RBIs, 49 walks, seven steals, and a .478 on-base percentage. He has also reached base via a hit or walk in 30 consecutive games. Thomas Brittle is hitting .321 with six doubles, eight triples, two homers, and 33 RBIs. Steve Wilkerson, who is batting .324, is on a 14-game hitting streak as well.

The pitching staff has a 3.90 ERA and .272 opponents’ batting average in 478.0 innings pitched. The staff has allowed 196 walks against 388 strikeouts, good for a 1.98 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Junior righty Scott Firth has a 4-0 record, a 2.32 ERA, two saves, and a .236 opponents’ batting average in 42.2 innings pitched over 19 relief appearances. The Tigers are fielding at a .972 clip as well.

ACC Standings The Tigers are in third place in the ACC Atlantic Division standings with a 16-11 league record. Florida State has clinched the division title with a 22-5 record, while N.C. State is second at 18-9. The Seminoles also hold the overall ACC lead at 22-5. In the overall ACC standings, Clemson is tied for fourth place with Virginia. Miami (FL) is sixth at 14-13, while Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech are tied for seventh at 11-16. The top-eight teams in the overall ACC standings will play in the 2012 ACC Tournament at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, NC.

Tigers Notch Two More Wins Over Top-Ranked Team With the Tigers’ series win over top-ranked Florida State from May 12-14, Clemson has defeated the #1 team in the nation in 14 times, more than any other sport on the Tiger landscape. That list of 14 wins includes four over Miami (FL), more than any other opponent. Clemson’s 7-2 win over the top-ranked Seminoles on May 12 was its first-ever at home.

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