Clemson Baseball Weekly Wrap-Up

May 1, 2006

Overall Season Record: 33-13 ACC Regular-Season Record: 15-6

Last Week: 4-0 Wed. W home vs. Wofford, 10-1 Fri. W home vs. Virginia Tech, 11-2 Sat. W home vs. Virginia Tech, 11-4 Sun. W home vs. Virginia Tech, 7-3

Next Week Sun. Away vs. Duke, 7:00 PM

Notes Clemson went 4-0 in four games at home last week, including a 10-1 win over Wofford on Wednesday and a three-game sweep of Virginia Tech by a combined score of 29-9 over the weekend. The Tigers won by scores of 11-2, 11-4, and 7-3 and improved to 15-6 in the ACC. Clemson is in second place in the overall ACC standings behind only North Carolina (18-6), while the Tigers are in first place in the Atlantic Division, a game ahead of Wake Forest (14-7).

In the three games against the Hokies, Clemson hit .337 to Virginia Tech’s .257 average. Clemson also stole seven bases and committed just one error, with that being on a pickoff attempt by a pitcher. The Tiger offense hit six home runs and walked 12 times while striking out just 13 times. It also was 16-for-33 (.485) with runners in scoring position and left just 11 runners on base to the Hokies’ 23. The pitching staff struck out 30 and walked only seven, and allowed just four extra-base hits.

Tyler Colvin was 5-for-9 (.556) with two doubles and three RBIs in the series. Andy D’Alessio was 5-for-10 with a homer and six RBIs, while Marquez Smith was 4-for-10 with two homers and five RBIs. Travis Storrer added two homers and four RBIs as well.

During the week (four games), Clemson hit .343 and hit as many home runs (10) as its opponents scored runs (10). Colvin was 8-for-14 (.571) with four doubles and six RBIs. Storrer was 5-for-11 (.455) with seven runs scored, a double, three homers, six RBIs, three walks, an no strikeouts, while Smith was 6-for-14 (.429) with four homers, including two multi-homer games, and seven RBIs. Andy D’Alessio was 5-for-12 (.417) with a homer and six RBIs.

The pitching staff had a 2.25 ERA and 42 strikeouts against only seven walks (6-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio). The Tigers committed just one error and had a .994 fielding percentage as well.

Clemson scored 10 runs or more in three-straight games during the week, the first time a Tiger team did that since 2001. Even the 2002 team that featured Khalil Greene, Jeff Baker, and Michael Johnson never accomplished that feat.

In Clemson’s last seven games (6-1 record), Tiger relievers have combined for 21.2 innings pitched and have allowed just 15 hits (.197 opponents’ batting average), one earned run (0.42 ERA), and four walks with 25 strikeouts. The lone earned run came in Virginia Tech’s last inning at-bat in the series finale off Tiger closer Daniel Moskos.

Clemson has a 33-13 overall record and has won five games in a row after suffering through a 1-5 stretch. The team is hitting .291 with a .364 on-base percentage and 64 stolen bases in 81 attempts. The team also has 49 home runs and 92 doubles. A non-pitcher has not committed an error in the last six games, as Clemson has raised its fielding percentage to .970.

Colvin leads the club with a .337 batting average, 19 doubles, three triples, seven homers, 39 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases. Brad Chalk is hitting .329 with a .441 on-base percentage and 14 sacrifice bunts, one shy of the school single-season record he set as a freshman in 2005. Storrer is up to .319 with nine homers and 36 RBIs. In the last 10 games, Storrer has hit seven home runs. D’Alessio leads the squad in both home runs (13) and RBIs (58). All nine Tiger regulars in the lineup are hitting between .273 and .337.

The pitching staff has a 3.45 ERA and .252 opponents’ batting average along with 377 strikeouts and 156 walks. David Kopp made a weekend start in place of Stephen Faris, who is 5-2 with a 2.82 ERA. Faris pitched 7.0 scoreless innings of five-hit ball, no walks, and eight strikeouts to earn the win against Wofford on Wednesday. Jason Berken (6-3, 2.65 ERA), and Josh Cribb (8-0, 2.66 ERA) also earned wins against Virginia Tech. Moskos has a team-high seven saves.

A special moment for Head Coach Jack Leggett came on Friday against Virginia Tech. His son, Tanner, who is a reserve infielder, hit a pinch-hit solo home run to left field. It was the red-shirt junior’s first hit of the season and first career home run. Jack Leggett gave his son an extra-long handshake after rounding third base.

Clemson, along with seven other teams, clinched berths in the 2006 ACC Tournament over the weekend. Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami (FL), North Carolina, N.C. State, Virginia, and Wake Forest will comprise the eight-team field. Seedings will be determined at the end of the regular season.

Clemson will be off for six days for final exams before returning to action at Duke in a three-game series starting Sunday at 7:00 PM. The two teams will also play games on the following Monday and Tuesday, both at 1:00 PM. The break will help some injured Tigers heal. Shortstop Stan Widmann missed the final two games of the Virginia Tech series with a sprained ankle. Taylor Harbin filled in at shortstop and did not commit an error in the two games. Chalk was also hampered with a wrist injury among other Tigers with bumps and bruises.