Clemson vs. Furman Preview

May 9, 2007

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Clemson vs. Furman Clemson (32-16), ranked as high as #16 in the nation, will play host to Furman (15-34) on Wednesday night at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 PM. The game will be broadcast live on the radio by WCCP (104.9 FM) out of Clemson and can be heard live on the internet at ClemsonTigers.com as well.

The Series Clemson and Furman have met 192 times on the diamond, with the Tigers holding a 132-56-4 advantage dating back to the 1896 season. Clemson’s first two games in school history were against the Paladins, both losses in 1896, which were the Tigers’ only games that season. The two teams have played at least one game every year since 1983.

The two teams last played in 2006, as Furman won 5-4 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on April 19. The Paladins scored four runs in the seventh inning and held on for the victory. The Tigers have won two of the last three meetings after the Paladins snapped a 29-game losing streak to Clemson by winning both games in 2003.

The Tigers lead 74-25-1 in games played at Clemson and 24-3 in games played at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Jack Leggett is 12-3 against Furman as Clemson’s head coach. He was also 29-7 against Furman as Western Carolina’s head coach from 1983-91, meaning he is 41-10 against the Paladins as a head coach.

The Starting Pitchers Both Furman and Clemson have yet to determine their starting pitchers.

The Paladins Furman, led by 14th-year Head Coach Ron Smith, enters Wednesday’s game with a 15-34 overall record and 9-15 SoCon mark after defeating Charleston Southern 9-7 on Tuesday. The Paladins, who are 8-18 on the road this season, are also coming off one win in three games at Wofford over the weekend.

The Paladins are hitting .268 as a team with a .337 on-base percentage. The team has also totaled 154 walks, 29 hit-by-pitches, and 47 sacrifice bunts along with 42 stolen bases in 63 attempts.

Joe Daysh and Bobby Hubbard are both hitting .301, while Hubbard has totaled six homers and 36 RBIs. Tony Maccani is batting .294 with seven homers and 41 RBIs, and Marcus Rose leads the squad with 10 stolen bases.

The pitching staff has a 6.08 ERA and .306 opponents’ batting average on the season. The team has allowed 174 walks with 280 strikeouts. Senior righthander Nick Hollstegge has a team-high three saves and 4.93 ERA in 23 appearances. The team is fielding at a .962 clip as well.

The Tigers Clemson enters Wednesday’s game against Furman with a 32-16 overall record and 15-9 ACC mark after downing Wofford 12-3 behind five homers on Tuesday night at West End Field in Greenville, SC. The Tigers are also coming off two wins in three games at home against Boston College over the weekend. The Tigers, who are 24-10 at home, are ranked as high as #16 in the nation.

The team is hitting .290 with a .373 on-base percentage. Brad Chalk is hitting a team-best .407 with a .531 on-base percentage, but has sat out eight of the last nine games due to a back injury. Doug Hogan is hitting .333 with nine homers and 29 RBIs, while Andy D’Alessio hit two homers in a game for the 10th time in his career on Tuesday against Wofford. D’Alessio is hitting .299 with 11 homers and 33 RBIs. Marquez Smith has also totaled 10 homers and a team-high 43 RBIs.

The pitching staff has a 3.38 ERA and .252 opponents’ batting average. It has combined to strike out 414 against 157 walks. Daniel Moskos has a team-high six saves and 2.20 ERA, while Stephen Clyne has a 1.57 ERA along with two saves in 23 relief appearances. The team is fielding at a .971 clip as well.

Two Tigers To Receive Degrees on Friday Seniors Stephen Clyne (RHP) and David Bunnell (INF) will receive their undergraduate degrees in commencement ceremonies on Friday morning in Littlejohn Coliseum. Clyne, the team’s lone fifth-year senior, will receive his degree in management, while Bunnell will receive his diploma in marketing.

The Tigers will play at #2 Florida State on Friday at 7:00 PM, therefore the two will not travel to Tallahassee with the rest of the team on Thursday. Clyne and Bunnell will join the team after the conclusion of the commencement ceremonies on Friday.

Tigers Hit Five Homers to Pound Wofford 12-3 Behind five home runs, including two by Doug Hogan, Ben Paulsen, and Taylor Harbin also hit long balls. Clemson totaled 15 hits, including nine extra-base hits, and nine walks. Six different Tigers had at least two hits. D’Alessio went 3-for-4 with a double, two homers, and three RBIs. Alex Lee went 2-for-3 and reached base four times as well. Starter D.J. Mitchell pitched 5.0 scoreless innings with five strikeouts to earn the win.