Clemson Baseball Team to Play Host to Wake Forest Friday, Saturday & Sunday

April 21, 2011

Clemson vs. Wake Forest Clemson (23-13, 9-9 ACC) will host Wake Forest (15-23, 6-12 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 contests 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 online at ClemsonTigers.com for all three contests as well.

TigerCast Broadcast Links:Friday | Saturday | Sunday

The Series Clemson and Wake Forest have met 169 times on the diamond, with the Tigers holding a 119-49-1 advantage in the series dating back to the 1901 season. The two teams have faced each other at least one time every year since 1954.

In 2010 at Winston-Salem, NC, the Demon Deacons won two of three games by scores of 9-5 (game-one) and 11-2 (game-three) while the Tigers won game-two 17-5. In the three-game series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in 2009, Clemson won all three games by scores of 4-1, 6-1, and 7-3.

The Tigers hold a 59-18-1 advantage over the Demon Deacons in games played at Clemson and a 47-7 lead at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Tigers also hold a 102-37-1 advantage in ACC regular-season contests. Doug Kingsmore Stadium. He had a 1-1 record against the Demon Deacons as Western Carolina’s head coach, meaning he is 41-18 all-time against Wake Forest.

The Starting Pitchers In game-one, Wake Forest will start sophomore lefthander Brian Holmes (2-2, 3.47 ERA) on the mound. The Lawrenceville, GA native has made six starts and four relief appearances for a total of 36.1 innings pitched. He has allowed 34 hits (.258 opponents’ batting average), no home runs, and 15 walks with 38 strikeouts.

The Tigers will counter with sophomore righthander Dominic Leone (1-1, 4.94 ERA) on Friday. The Norwich, CT native has made five starts and three relief appearances for a total of 23.2 innings pitched. He has surrendered 23 hits (.261 opponents’ batting average) and 13 walks with 25 strikeouts.

In game-two, the Demon Deacons will send out junior lefty Tim Cooney (4-2, 2.80 ERA) on the mound. The Collegeville, PA native has made nine starts for a total of 61.0 innings pitched. He has surrendered 62 hits (.265 opponents’ batting average) and 14 walks with 60 strikeouts.

Clemson will counter with sophomore righthander Scott Firth (3-0, 3.21 ERA) on Saturday. The Buffalo Grove, IL native has made five starts and four relief appearances for a total of 33.2 innings pitched. He has allowed 26 hits (.205 opponents’ batting average) and 21 walks with 24 strikeouts.

In game-three, Wake Forest will start junior lefthander Austin Stadler (1-6, 10.34 ERA) on the mound. The Midlothian, VA native has made nine starts and two relief appearances for a total of 42.2 innings pitched. He has yielded 75 hits (.387 opponents’ batting average) and 23 walks with 41 strikeouts.

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

The Demon Deacons Wake Forest, led by second-year Head Coach Tom Walter, enters the series at Clemson with a 15-23 overall record and 6-12 ACC mark after defeating Winthrop at home 9-8 in 11 innings on Tuesday. The Demon Deacons, who won one of three games over Georgia Tech at home over the weekend, are 4-10 on opponents’ home fields in 2011.

Wake Forest is averaging 4.8 runs per game and hitting .222 with a .360 slugging percentage and .334 on-base percentage thanks to 189 walks and 29 hit-by-pitches against 369 strikeouts. The team has also totaled 59 doubles, three triples, 36 home runs, and 67 stolen bases in 84 attempts. Wake Forest entered the week tied for 10th in the nation in homers.

Mac Williamson is hitting .313 with seven homers, 36 RBIs, and nine steals. He leads the team in batting average, home runs, and RBIs. Carlos Lopez is batting .258 with six home runs and 18 RBIs. Steven Brooks is among the ACC leaders in steals with 22 in 24 attempts, while Pat Blair has swiped 13 bases. Matt Conway has added six home runs and 30 RBIs as well.

The pitching staff has a 5.00 ERA and .284 opponents’ batting average along with 296 strikeouts against 152 walks in 340.1 innings pitched. Righthanders Michael Dimock and Chris Willson have two saves apiece, while Dimock is 3-1 with a 1.85 ERA, .230 opponents’ batting average, and 36 strikeouts against only six walks in 34.0 innings pitched over 19 relief appearances. Wake Forest is fielding at a .961 clip as well.

The Tigers Clemson enters the series against Wake Forest with a 23-13 overall record and 9-9 ACC mark after defeating Georgia on the road 5-2 on Wednesday night. The Tigers, who have won five games in a row, also swept Boston College on the road over the weekend. The Tigers sport a 17-5 home record as well.

The Tigers are averaging 7.4 runs per game and hitting .317 with a .455 slugging percentage and .414 on-base percentage thanks to 192 walks and 31 hit-by-pitches. Clemson has also totaled 74 doubles, 13 triples, 23 homers, and 65 stolen bases.

Brad Miller is hitting a team-best .412 with a .525 on-base percentage and 13 steals. Will Lamb is riding an 11-game hitting streak, while John Hinson is riding a 10-game hitting streak. Hinson has a team-high 15 stolen bases, while Richie Shaffer has a 12-game scoring streak.

The pitching staff has a 3.53 ERA and .239 opponents’ batting average in 318.2 innings pitched. The staff has allowed 110 walks against 275 strikeouts, good for a 2.50 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Senior righty Alex Frederick has a team-high three saves, a 3.00 ERA, and .186 opponents’ batting average in 16 relief appearances. The Tigers are fielding at a .967 clip as well.

Worth Noting Clemson’s pitching staff has held opponents to a .198 batting average with two outs in 2011. Will Lamb (13), John Hinson (10) all have double-digit hitting streaks at home.

Schaus Finding His Way On Base Jeff Schaus has started all 36 games in 2011 and has hit safely in 26 of the 36 games. But in the 10 games when he was hitless, he reached via a walk in each of those 10 contests, meaning he has reached base via a hit or walk in all 36 games in 2011. Schaus is hitting .318, leads the team with 28 walks against only nine strikeouts, and has a .437 on-base percentage this season.

Tigers Outpitch Georgia in 5-2 Victory on the Road Brad Miller hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Justin Sarratt tossed 6.0 solid innings to lead Clemson to a 5-2 win over Georgia at Foley Field on April 20. Miller went 2-for-3 to lead Clemson’s eight-hit attack. Sarratt allowed just six hits, one run, and no walks with three strikeouts to earn the victory. Four other Tiger hurlers combined to allow no earned runs in the final 3.0 innings to close out the game. Scott Weismann struck out the only batter he faced to record the save. The five Clemson pitchers combined to yield one earned run and no walks with seven strikeouts.