Clemson Baseball to Face Georgia Tech in Three-Game Road Series this Weekend

May 8, 2008

Clemson vs. Georgia Tech Clemson (25-23-1, 10-16-1 ACC) will travel to Atlanta, GA to take on #25 Georgia Tech (34-14, 12-12 ACC) in a three-game series at Russ Chandler Stadium this weekend. Game times are 7:00 PM (Friday), 7:00 PM (Saturday), and 1:00 PM (Sunday). The Friday and Sunday games will be shown live via webcast at ClemsonTigers.com for all three games.

The Series Clemson and Georgia Tech have met 193 times on the diamond, with the Tigers holding a 96-94-3 lead in the series dating back to the 1902 season. The two teams have faced at least one time every year since 1974. Clemson has not won a series at Georgia Tech since 1996 as well.

In the three-game series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium during the 2007 season, the Tigers won the first two games by scores of 3-2 (10 innings) and 10-3. The Yellow Jackets won game-three of the series by a score of 6-3. In game-one, the Tigers scored two runs in the 10th inning to tie the score, then Doug Hogan led off the 11th inning with a walkoff home run.

Two years ago at Russ Chandler Stadium, the Yellow Jackets won the final two games by scores of 12-3 and 22-4 after Clemson won game-one 7-6. The two teams also played three times in the ACC Tournament, with the Tigers winning two of the three on their way to the ACC Tournament title. Then in the College World Series, Clemson won 8-4.

The Yellow Jackets hold a 66-39-2 lead in games played at Atlanta, as 107 of the 193 all-time meetings have been played in Georgia’s capital city. The Tigers also have a 41-34 record against Georgia Tech in ACC regular-season games.

Jack Leggett is 30-24 against the Yellow Jackets as Clemson’s head coach, including a 7-14 record at Russ Chandler Stadium. Of Leggett’s 54 games coached against Georgia Tech, 47 have been against a top-25 ranked Yellow Jacket team. Leggett was also 3-5 against Georgia Tech as the head coach at Western Carolina, therefore he is 33-29 all-time against the Yellow Jackets.

The Starting Pitchers In game-one, Georgia Tech will start junior lefthander David Duncan (6-2, 4.18 ERA) on the mound. The New Richmond, OH native has made 11 starts for a total of 71.0 innings pitched. He has allowed 67 hits (.252 opponents’ batting average) and 23 walks with 60 strikeouts. He has also given up just eight stolen bases in 18 attempts.

The Tigers will counter with junior righthander D.J. Mitchell (5-3, 3.17 ERA) on Friday. The Rural Hall, NC native has made 11 starts and five relief appearances for a total of 76.2 innings pitched. He has yielded 70 hits (.244 opponents’ batting average) and 34 walks with 76 strikeouts.

In game-two, the Yellow Jackets will send out junior righthander Eddie Burns (5-4, 5.79 ERA) on the mound. The Hiram, GA native has made 11 starts for a total of 56.0 innings pitched. He has yielded 71 hits (.311 opponents’ batting average) and 16 walks with 45 strikeouts.

Clemson will counter with freshman righty Graham Stoneburner (5-3, 4.52 ERA) on Saturday. The Richmond, VA native has made 11 starts and two relief appearances for a total of 61.2 innings pitched. He has allowed 63 hits (.265 opponents’ batting average) and 16 walks with 41 strikeouts.

In game-three, Georgia Tech will start sophomore righty Zach Von Tersch (6-3, 3.39 ERA) on the mound. The Cedar Falls, IA native has made 11 starts for a total of 61.0 innings pitched. He has allowed 61 hits (.255 opponents’ batting average) and 27 walks with 42 strikeouts. He has also given up just 12 extra-base hits, including two home runs.

Clemson’s starter for game-three on Sunday has yet to be determined.

The Yellow Jackets Georgia Tech, led by 15th-year Head Coach Danny Hall, enters the series against Clemson with a 34-14 overall record and 12-12 ACC mark after defeating #8 Georgia 11-1 on the road on Wednesday night. The Yellow Jackets, who are ranked as high as #25 in the nation, also won two of three games over #15 Coastal Carolina last weekend. The squad has a 24-7 home record and is 8-3 in one-run games as well.

Georgia Tech is averaging 7.6 runs per game and hitting .305 with a .534 slugging percentage and .392 on-base percentage. The team has also totaled 106 doubles, 11 triples, and 83 homers. Georgia Tech entered the week tied for sixth in the nation in home runs. The Yellow Jackets have stolen 71 bases in 90 tries, and they have left 19 less runners on base than their opponents despite amassing 55 more hits and 37 more walks.

Charlie Blackmon is hitting a team-best .372 with eight homers, 35 RBIs, and 17 steals in 22 atttempts. Luke Murton is batting .359 with 20 doubles, 10 home runs, and 39 RBIs, while Jeff Rowland is hitting .350 with 21 steals in 24 attempts. Derek Dietrich is batting .341 with 13 doubles, 14 homers, and 57 RBIs. Tony Plagman (15) and Brad Feltes (13) also have double-digit home run totals.

The pitching staff has a 4.53 ERA and .268 opponents’ batting average along with 375 strikeouts against 165 walks in 425.0 innings pitched. Junior righthander Chris Hicks has a team-best eight saves, while senior righty Brad Rulon has totaled four saves and 34 strikeouts in 25.1 innings pitched. The team is fielding at a .971 clip as well.

The Tigers Clemson enters the series at #25 Georgia Tech with a 25-23-1 overall record and 10-16-1 ACC mark after defeating Furman 11-5 on Wednesday night at Fluor Field in Greenville, SC. The Tigers were also swept in a three-game series at home against #3 Florida State last weekend. Clemson has a 6-10-1 record on opponents’ home fields as well.

Clemson is hitting .284 with a .371 on-base percentage. The team has totaled 90 doubles, seven triples, and 48 home runs along with 47 steals in 70 attempts.

Doug Hogan has totaled 15 doubles, two triples, 11 homers, and 50 RBIs on the season.

The pitching staff has a 4.69 ERA and .284 opponents’ batting average. Righthander Matt Vaughn has struck out 37 against 11 walks in 33.2 innings pitched and has nine saves in 25 relief appearances. The Tigers are fielding at a .965 clip as well.

Three Tigers hail from the state of Georgia, including William Bond (Lawrenceville), Chris Epps (Stone Mountain), and Paulsen (Acworth).

Tigers #32 in Unofficial RPI Through games of May 7, Clemson has an RPI of #32 according to WarrenNolan.com. The Tigers have also played the nation’s toughest schedule according to the same website. Of Clemson’s 49 games, 43 have been against teams in the top-119 of the RPI. There are 297 Division I schools that play baseball.

Graduating Tigers Four current Clemson baseball palyers will graduate on Friday, including Lefthander Doug Hogan (financial management), righthander Brock Schnabel (financial management), and catcher Adam Ward (economics). Former righthander Drew Fiorenza (accounting), who lettered at Clemson in 2005 and 2006, will also receive his degree.

Clemson Tops Furman 11-5 at Fluor Field Clemson scored seven of its first eight runs with two outs on its way to an 11-5 victory over Furman at Fluor Field in Greenville, SC on May 7. The Tigers pounded out 15 hits and went 9-for-15 with two outs to defeat the Paladins for the second time in as many games in 2008. The Tigers trailed 3-0, but Matt Sanders’ two-out, two-run single enabled Clemson to tie the score 3-3 in the fourth inning. The Tigers scored in each of the next four innings and cruised to the win. Doug Hogan went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs, and two walks. Jeff Schaus added two hits apiece for the Tigers, who hit five doubles in the contest.