CLEMSON BASEBALL WEEKLY WRAPUP

March 14, 2010

Clemson University Overall Season Record: 13-1 ACC Regular-Season Record: 3-0

Last Week: 4-0

Next Week

Notes

Clemson, ranked as high as #7 in the nation, went 4-0 in four games this past week, including a 13-2 midweek win over Gardner-Webb and a three-game sweep of N.C. State over the weekend. The Wolfpack entered the weekend as the nation’s highest-scoring team.

Behind three home runs and 12 hits, Clemson blasted Gardner-Webb 13-2 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on March 11. Jeff Schaus hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Kyle Parker crushed a three-run home run in the second inning. Justin Sarratt allowed one earned run and four hits in 5.0 innings to earn the victory.

Clemson then swept N.C. State by a combined score of 31-19 in a three-game series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on March 13,14. The Tigers outhit N.C. State .314 to .267 and totaled four homers, eight steals in eight attempts, and a .466 on-base percentage thanks to 26 walks and three hit-by-pitches. John Hinson went 5-for-10 with two doubles and three RBIs in the series, while Shaffer went 6-for-14. Schaus and Brad Miller both added a homer and six RBIs. The Tigers had a 4.33 ERA as well.

In game-one on March 13, which was the first game of a doubleheader, Clemson scored 10 runs in the first four innings and held on for a 12-7 win over N.C. State. Parker hit a two-run homer in the first inning to tie the score, then Miller blasted a grand slam in the third inning. Parker was 3-for-4 with a homer, two RBIs, four runs, and one walk to pace Clemson’s 13-hit attack. Miller added two hits and five RBIs, while Shaffer went 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Clemson also stole four bases and walked seven times. Starter Casey Harman pitched 6.0 effective innings to earn the win.

In game-two on March 13, which was the second game of a doubleheader, Clemson scored seven runs in the eighth inning to rally for a 12-6 win over N.C. State. Drew Poulk’s two-run homer in the seventh inning gave the Wolfpack a 6-4 lead. But trailing 6-5 in the eighth inning, Clemson tied the score when Schaus walked with the bases loaded, then Wilson Boyd hit a two-run single to give Clemson the lead for good. Hinson, who started the inning with a double, added a three-run double to add three insurance runs in the eighth inning. Boyd had a game-high four RBIs, while Schaus and Hinson both added three RBIs apiece. Reliever Dominic Leone earned his first career win by tossing 3.0 scoreless innings of two-hit ball with six strikeouts.

In game-three on March 14, Clemson scored two runs on bases-loaded walks with two outs in the eighth inning to defeat N.C. State 7-6. The Tigers jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the second inning thanks to two-run singles by Jason Stolz and Schaus. But the Wolfpack chipped away and took a 6-5 lead with two runs in the seventh inning. The Tigers, however, loaded the bases with two outs, then Schaus and Parker both drew walks to tie the score and give Clemson the lead, respectively. Schaus had a game-high three RBIs, while Hinson came off the bench to record two hits. Freshman Jonathan Meyer earned his first career win by retiring all six batters he faced to close out the game.

During the week, the Tigers hit .319 with a .467 on-base percentage, 44 runs, seven home runs, 36 walks, and 10 stolen bases in 10 attempts over four games. The pitching staff had a 3.50 ERA and .252 opponents’ batting average.

Hinson led Clemson at the plate by going 7-for-13 (.538) with two doubles and three RBIs, while Parker went 7-for-16 (.438) with two homers and six RBIs on the week. Schaus went 6-for-14 (.429) with two homers, two doubles, eight RBIs, eight runs, and five walks against no strikeouts as well.

On the season, the Tigers sport a 13-1 overall record, including an 11-0 mark at home. The Tigers sit atop the ACC Atlantic Division standings by two games and joins Georgia Tech as the only unbeaten teams in league play.

Clemson is hitting .304 with a .509 slugging percentage and .416 on-base percentage thanks to six walks per game in 14 games. Clemson has also amassed 23 home runs, as 11 different Tigers have already gone deep in 2010.

Parker is hitting .396 with six homers, 16 RBIs, 18 runs, and a .515 on-base percentage, while Hinson is hitting .407. Schaus is batting .373 with four homers, five doubles, and a team-high 23 RBIs as well.

The pitching staff has a 3.26 ERA and .236 opponents’ batting average on the season. The Tigers are also fielding at a .957 clip.

In 7.1 innings pitched over three relief appearances, Haselden is 2-0 and has not yielded a hit or run and has six strikeouts against only one walk. Clemson’s weekend rotation of Casey Harman, Will Lamb, and Weismann have combined for a 6-0 record and all have ERAs under 3.40.

The Tigers will play 10 games during the next two weeks, including five games this week during Clemson’s Spring Break. On Tuesday night, the Tigers will play at Charlotte for the first time since 1988, then they will host Georgia Southern on Wednesday night. Over the weekend, the Tigers will host Virginia Tech in a three-game series.