Wednesday 05/31/2000
May 31, 2000
Position: Third Base Hgt.: 5-10 Wgt.: 202 Class: Sophomore Bats/Throws: R/R Hometown: Key West, Fla.
Exudes a quiet nature off the field but you would never know it while watching him on it…aggressive hitter who has been a consistent hitter and improved significantly in the field this season with only 11 errors…has a strong arm as well and makes tough plays, especially “short and in-between hops”, look routine…is the only returning infielder that starts on the 2000 team…has started all but on game at third base in his career…has power to both gaps…his .359 career batting average ranks ninth best in Tiger history…has a career ..450 on-base percentage…a career .372 hitter with seven doubles and 12 RBIs in 11 NCAA Tournament games.
2000: Second-Team All-ACC third baseman, would probably be a first-team selection in most conferences if it were not for Georgia Tech All-American Mark Teixeira…hitting .360 in starting all 64 games at third base…has 18 doubles, three triples, five homers, and 61 RBIs along with a .464 on-base percentage…has been very good defensively, committing just 11 errors for a .944 fielding percentage…has been hit by a pitch 14 times, tied for third most in Tiger history…hit a team-best .421 with a .530 on-base percentage and .621 slugging percentage against regular-season ACC competition…hitting a team-best ..429 with runners on base and .446 with runners in scoring position…32 of his 61 RBIs have come with two outs…hitting .439 away from home…has 25 multi-hit games…hit .406 with 19 RBIs in 15 May games…had an outstanding performance in the ACC Disney Blast at Lake Buena Vista, FL from Jan. 28-30, he hit a team-best .455 (5-for-11) with three RBIs…had a 20-game hitting streak (tied for 10th longest in Clemson history) from Apr. 21 to May 26, he was 38-for-83 (.458) with 25 RBIs during the streak, the hitting streak was the longest by a Tiger since Matthew LeCroy had a 22-game hitting streak that started in 1996 and ended in 1997…named to the All-ACC Tournament team by hitting .500 (11-for-22) with seven runs scored, two doubles, a triple, a homer, and six RBIs…went 3-for-5 with three RBIs against Ohio in the first game of a doubleheader on Mar. 10…went 3-for-4 with an RBI against Ohio on Mar. 11…went 3-for-4 with a double and homer at Georgia on Mar. 29…went 4-for-5 with three doubles, two runs scored, a stolen base, and six RBIs at #8 North Carolina on Apr. 1…went 3-for-4 with an RBI against Furman on Apr. 5…was 2-for-4 with four RBIs, a double, and home run against Elon on Apr. 18…went 5-for-6 with two RBIs and a double at Duke on Apr. 23…went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, two RBIs, and a homer at #5 Georgia Tech on Apr. 30…went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs against #2 Florida State on May 6…went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a stolen base against #2 Florida State on May 7…earned ACC Player-of-the-Week honors for going 6-for-8 with five RBIs in two games against #2 Florida State from May 6-7…hit two doubles and drove in three runs at Virginia on May 14…had two hits and three RBIs along with a triple against Virginia in the ACC Tournament on May 17…went 5-for-5 with a double, three runs scored, and an RBI against Virginia in the ACC Tournament on May 20.
1999: Burst onto the scene with a tremendous freshman season…was the most consistent hitter on the squad in the fall workouts before the ’99 season according to Leggett, and showed why a few months later…was a Third-Team Freshman All-American according to Baseball America…one of three Tigers to play in all 69 games (Jason Harris and Henr’ Stanley were the others), the 69 games tied for the sixth most in a season by a Tiger…started 68 games, all at third base…broke Shane Monahan’s freshman record for hits with 98…led the team with 31 multi-hit games…batted .358 overall with eight homers, 20 doubles, a triple, and 69 RBIs to go along with nine stolen bases and a .436 on-base percentage…led the team in at bats (274), hits, multi-hit games, and hit-by-pitches (11)…his 272 at bats was the 10th most in a season by a Tiger…his 98 hits tied for the ninth most, his 31 multi-hit games was sixth most, and his 69 singles tied for the seventh most in a season by a Tiger…finished fourth in the ACC in hits, and eighth in doubles and RBIs…batted .453 against lefthanders…hit .400 with four homers and 44 RBIs in 32 games at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…named to the All-ACC Tournament team by hitting .389 with four doubles, a home run, and four RBIs while not committing an error in 12 chances…named to the All-Regional Team in Fayetteville by hitting a tournament-best .611 (11-for-18) with five doubles, 10 RBIs, and no errors in five games, he was one of just two unanimous selections to the team…hit .519 (14-for-27) in the NCAA Tournament and .467 (21-for-45) in the post-season…one of the hottest Tigers in the last month of the season, as he was 33-for-69 (.478) in the last 19 games with two homers and 27 RBIs (also had 12 multi-hit games over that stretch), was down to as low as .304 but raised his average 54 points thanks to the late-season surge…had 10 doubles in his last 13 games after hitting just 10 doubles in his first 56 games…had an 11-game hitting streak from Mar. 6 (second game of a doubleheader) to Mar. 24…was 38-for-87 (.437) in his first 21 games, hitting safely in 19 of those contests…hit his first career home run, an inside-the-park homer, against Nevada in the UNLV/Coors Desert Classic on Feb. 27…had 11 hits in five games in the UNLV/Coors Desert Classic from Feb. 25-28…then had back-to-back three-hit games in the next two games against The Citadel (Apr. 3) and Liberty (Apr. 5), also drove in four runs against The Citadel…was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and four RBIs in the first game of a doubleheader against George Mason on Mar. 13…had four hits and three RBIs against Georgia on Apr. 23…went 3-for-4 with three RBIs against Duke on Apr. 18…had three hits and two RBIs against #19 Georgia Tech on Apr. 24…had three hits, including a long home run, along with three runs scored and five RBIs against #10 North Carolina on May 9…the next night on May 10, he went 3-for-4 with a homer, double, and four RBIs versus #14 North Carolina…had two hits against the #14 Tar Heels on May 11, giving him eight hits in 12 at bats in the series against North Carolina…had two hits, including a home run, and three RBIs at N.C. State on May 15…went 3-for-4 with two doubles against N.C. State in the ACC Tournament on May 19…had two hits, including a three-run homer well over the “Blue Monster” and “Bull” in left field, against #15 Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament on May 22…was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a double in the Fayetteville Regional against Delaware on May 29…was 4-for-5 with three doubles (team-season high) and three RBIs in the Fayetteville Regional at #8 Arkansas on May 29, the three doubles tied an NCAA Tournament single-game record held by many, he also became just the eighth Tiger to hit three doubles in a game…went 1-for-1 with a double, three RBIs, a sacrifice fly, and two walks in the second of two games on May 30 in the Fayetteville Regional against Southwest Missouri State.
BEFORE CLEMSON: The all-time hits and single-season runs scored leader in Key West High School history…a Dade County All-Star team selection in his senior season…played for the state champions at Key West High as a sophomore…lettered three times in baseball…coached by Brooks Carey at Key West High.
PERSONAL: Pronounced kuh-LEEL…avid professional wresting fan, favorite wrestler is Ric Flair, he, like Flair, has blonde hair…nicknamed “K.G.”…his family moved to Greer, SC during his sophomore season…major is undeclared…born Khalil T. Greene on Oct. 21, 1979 in Butler, PA.
Position: Righthanded Pitcher Hgt.: 6-4 Wgt.: 190 Class: Senior Bats/Throws: R/R Hometown: Florissant, Mo.
Two-time All-ACC righthander who had a sub-par season in ’99…returned for his senior year and has had a solid season…has turned into Clemson’s #1 pitcher thanks to his last two outings, both complete games…has 32 career wins, third most in Clemson history…has a career 4.77 ERA…has made 66 career starts, most in Tiger history…has pitched 407.2 innings in four seasons, second most in Clemson history…has 357 career strikeouts, third most in Tiger history…has faced 1,813 batters, second most in Clemson history…his 69 career appearances ranks tied for ninth in Tiger history….has led Clemson or tied for the team lead in starts in all four seasons as a Tiger, he has been a constant in the Tiger starting rotation from day one…has a 22-2 career record and 3.13 ERA in 35 starts at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…has international experience pitching for Team USA…throws a pitch termed a “Fosh”, which acts like sinker and changeup, he moves his thumb on side of the ball to get downward action on the ball, he learned the pitch from his high school pitching coach who was the pitching coach, who learned it from former Major Leaguer Al Nipper…throws in the high 80s to lower 90s.
2000: One of seven captains…has a 9-3 record in 17 starts and one relief appearance (100.1 innings pitched)…his 17 starts is tied for sixth most in a season in Tiger history…has allowed 91 hits, 24 walks, two homers, and a .249 opponent batting average along with striking out 78…has a 3.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio…has a 2.15 walks per nine innings pitched mark, 10th best in a season in Tiger history…has a team-best four pickoffs…holding opponents to a .183 batting average with two outs…is 6-0 with a 1.77 ERA and .184 opponent batting average at home, he has also allowed just 38 hits in 61.0 innings pitched at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…named to the All-ACC Tournament team for his complete game win over #4 Florida State…named to the All-Regional team at Clemson for his shutout performance against Middle Tennessee…picked up the win against #7 Rice on Jan. 28 in the ACC Disney Blast at Lake Buena Vista, FL by pitching 6.0 innings, allowing three hits, one run, and one walk while striking out six…got the win against Old Dominion on Feb. 20, he allowed just one hit and no runs in 5.0 innings…pitched 5.0 shutout innings and allowed just two hits while striking out five to get the win against James Madison on Feb. 26…notched his 300th career strikeout against UNLV on Mar. 4, he allowed two runs, four hits, and no walks while striking out seven in 8.0 innings to get the win…pitched 7.0 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks to pick up the win against #17 East Carolina on Mar. 14…allowed one hit and no runs while striking out six in 7.0 innings to get the win against N.C. State on Apr. 8, he earned ACC Pitcher-of-the-Week honors for that performance…earned his 30th career win at Duke on Apr. 23, he allowed six hits and three runs in 7.0 innings, as he moved ahead of Kris Benson into third place in Tiger history in wins…pitched a complete game to earn the win against #4 Florida State in the ACC Tournament on May 18, he allowed just six hits and four runs while striking out 10…pitched a shutout against Middle Tennessee in the Clemson Regional on May 26, he allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out eight, it was the first shutout by a Tiger since 1996 (Ken Vining)…listed as the #15 senior prospect in the country in Baseball America’s College Preview issue…won the Omaha Challenge, in the fall of ’99, for the second consecutive year.
1999: Had a 4-8 record and 6.14 ERA in 17 starts and two relief appearances (99.2 innings)…led the team in starts (17) and innings…his 99.2 innings were 10th most in the ACC…his 17 starts tied for the sixth most in a season by a Tiger…despite being 3-8 as a starter, Clemson was 9-8 when he started on the mound, therefore in his six no decisions as a starter, Clemson was 6-0…held opponents to a ..228 batting average with two outs…had a 3.51 ERA in 33.1 innings in neutral-site games…had four pickoffs, most on the squad by a righthander…drafted in the 27th round by the Texas Rangers…made his first career relief appearance against Creighton on Feb. 28, where he pitched the last 7.1 innings allowing five hits, two earned runs, and three walks while striking out eight to earn the win…picked up the win against George Mason on Mar. 12 by pitching 8.0 innings, allowing just two hits, one earned run, and two walks while striking out seven…took the loss against Virginia in the first game of a doubleheader on May 1 despite allowing only one earned run and no walks in 6.1 innings…earned his first win since Mar. 12 when he pitched 6.0 innings, allowing seven hits, two earned runs, and four walks against #14 North Carolina on May 10…despite taking the loss, he pitched 6.2 innings, allowing two runs while striking out seven against #15 Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament on May 20…pitched a complete game, the first and only by a Tiger in ’99, in the Fayetteville Regional against Delaware on May 29, allowed two earned runs on nine hits and was one of two pitchers named to the All-Regional team…struck out both batters he faced at #2 Texas A&M in the Super Regional on June 6…#29 college prospect for the 1999 Major League Draft in Baseball America’s Early Draft Preview issue…also listed as the #3 prospect in the ACC for the 1999 Major League Draft in Baseball America’s Preseason issue…Preseason Third-Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America.
1998: Named one of 12 semi-finalists for the Smith Award, which goes to the premier baseball player in the country…he was the only sophomore and the only ACC player among the 12 players…Third-Team All-American by the ACBWA…Second-Team All-ACC selection…listed by Baseball America as one of the top five sophomore starting pitchers in the nation in its mid-season report…had a 9-4 record with a 4.81 ERA in 16 starts and 101.0 innings…his .692 winning percentage tied for ninth best in the ACC…had a streak of 11 straight wins over two seasons…had 96 strikeouts against only 31 walks for a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.10…held hitters to a .196 average with two outs…allowed only six steals in 101.0 innings…had a perfect 7-0 record and 3.96 ERA in 10 starts at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…named ACC Pitcher-of-the-Week twice, once when he earned the win against UNC Wilmington on Feb. 27 and the other time when he beat #10 Florida State on Apr. 27, as he allowed just four hits and one run against the Seminoles…gave up four hits, one run, and no walks while striking out seven versus Maine on Mar. 13 to pick up the win…struck out a team season-high 13 batters against Maryland on Mar. 20…struck out 12 and walked none at Virginia on Apr. 4…pitched the team’s first complete game when he defeated Duke on Apr. 11, as he allowed only five hits, two runs, and one walk…allowed just one run and five hits in 7.0 innings pitched against #20 South Alabama in the East Regional on May 22…played for the USA National Team in the summer, as he along with fellow Tiger Patrick Boyd played in the World Championships in Italy, started seven games, one less than Alex Santos’ (of Miami (FL)) team-leading eight…was 3-0 with a 3.45 ERA in 44.1 innings, allowed 44 hits and 16 walks while striking out 40…had the only shutout by a USA Team pitcher when he threw an eight-inning shutout against Russia, he allowed three hits and four walks while striking out nine on July 25…a 1998 Preseason Second-Team All-American by The Sporting News…listed as the #10 prospect, regardless of class, in the ACC in Baseball America’s College Preview issue…Preseason Third-Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball.
1997: Named a First-Team All-ACC pitcher as a true freshman, the first freshman pitcher in Clemson history to do so…became the first Clemson freshman to win 10 games in a season with his win against Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament…Clemson’s most consistent starter…Freshman First-Team All-American by Baseball America…fourth in the ACC in strikeouts (99) and tied for third in wins (10)…averaged only 2.78 walks per nine innings pitched and had a 3.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio…pitched 31.0 more innings than the next closest Clemson pitcher…at home, he was 7-0 in eight starts with a 2.34 ERA in 57.2 innings…opponents only hit .223 against him at Doug Kingsmore Stadium…also had a 3.71 ERA and 7-1 record in day games…pitched seven innings, giving up only one earned run and striking out nine in a 17-2 win over North Carolina (May 5)…named ACC Pitcher-of-the-Week for the week of Mar. 17 for his complete game win over Virginia, during that contest, he gave up one earned run on six hits while striking out seven…won the first five starts of his career…was 5-1 in conference play…went eight innings, giving up no earned runs, striking out nine, and walking only one while picking up the win against Duke on Apr. 11…pitched 8.2 innings against Georgia Tech on Apr. 25, picked up the win, and struck out seven while giving up only four earned runs…pitched a complete game versus Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament to earn his 10th win of the season…pitched for Team USA in the summer of 1997…was one of only 24 players selected to play for Team USA, was 2-2 in 29.0 innings…one of the first nine players invited to the 1998 USA Baseball Team Training Camp.
BEFORE CLEMSON: All-conference and all-metro as a senior…struck out 97 and walked 16 in 42.0 innings pitched as a senior…39th-round pick of the 1996 Major League draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays…a 1995 “Goodwill Series” participant in Japan and Korea…played in the Area Code Games in Long Beach, CA, selected to the All-Star team out of 240 participants as an outfielder…played in the ’92, ’93, and ’94 AAU Junior Olympics and the ’93, ’94, and ’95 CABA National Championships…coached by Jim Schottmueller at McCluer North High.
PERSONAL: An academic Honor Roll member in ’97…12th player in Clemson history named First-Team All-ACC on the field and an academic Honor Roll selection in the same season…nicknamed “Motts”…pronounced MAH-tul…majoring in Management…born Ryan Matthew Mottl on Dec. 9, 1977.
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