Clemson vs. Wake Forest Preview

April 12, 2007

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Clemson vs. Wake Forest Clemson (23-9, 8-4 ACC), ranked as high as #14 in the nation, will travel to Winston-Salem, NC to take on Wake Forest (20-16, 7-8 ACC) this weekend in a three-game series at Hooks Stadium. Game times are 3:00 PM (Friday), 2:00 PM (Saturday), and 1:00 PM (Sunday). All three games will be shown live via webcast at ClemsonTigers.com for all three games.

The Series Clemson and Wake Forest have met 156 times on the diamond, with the Tigers holding a 112-43-1 lead in the series dating back to the 1901 season. Last year at Clemson, the Tigers swept the Demon Deacons in three games by a combined score of 39-4. The first win was a 26-1 victory in the opener. Clemson later defeated Wake Forest 13-1 in the ACC Tournament.

Two years ago at Hooks Stadium, the Tigers also swept Wake Forest by a combined score of 27-20 in three close games. Clemson has won 16 games in a row in the series since Wake Forest’s 4-2 win at Clemson in 2002, and seven games in a row at Hooks Stadium. Prior to the current 16-game winning streak, Wake Forest had won nine of the previous 13 meetings.

The Tigers hold a 42-22 advantage over the Demon Deacons all-time in games played at Wake Forest. The Tigers also hold a 95-32-1 lead in ACC regular-season games.

Tiger Head Coach Jack Leggett is 33-11 against the Demon Deacons as Clemson’s head coach, including a 13-5 mark at Hooks Stadium. Leggett was also 1-1 against the Demon Deacons as the head coach at Western Carolina, meaning he has a 34-12 all-time record against Wake Forest.

The Starting Pitchers In game-one, Wake Forest will start sophomore righthander Brad Kledzik (3-2, 5.24 ERA) on the mound. The Fairfax Station, VA native has made eight starts and two relief appearances for a total of 46.1 innings pitched. He has allowed 57 hits (.302 opponents’ batting average) and 25 walks with 34 strikeouts.

The Tigers will counter with junior lefthander Daniel Moskos (2-2, 2.45 ERA) on Friday. The Alta Loma, CA native has made 17 relief appearances and one start for a total of 25.2 innings pitched. He has allowed 21 hits (.241 opponents’ batting average) and 12 walks with 32 strikeouts.

In game-two, Wake Forest will start sophomore lefty Garrett Bullock (3-1, 5.17 ERA) on the mound. The Greenville, NC native has made eight starts and two relief appearances for a total of 47.0 innings pitched. He has yielded 61 hits (.323 opponents’ batting average) and 20 walks with 21 strikeouts.

The Tigers will counter with junior righty David Kopp (4-2, 3.22 ERA) on Saturday. The Margate, FL native has made nine starts for a total of 50.1 innings pitched. He has allowed 48 hits (.253 opponents’ batting average) and 16 walks with 39 strikeouts.

In game-three, Wake Forest will start senior righthander Charlie Mellies (1-0, 0.00 ERA) on the mound. The Clifton, VA native has made one start for a total of 2.0 innings pitched. He has allowed one hit (.167 opponents’ batting average) and two walks with no strikeouts.

Clemson will counter with sophomore lefty Ryan Hinson (2-1, 2.23 ERA) on Sunday. The Rock Hill, SC native has made eight starts for a total of 44.1 innings pitched. He has allowed 40 hits (.244 opponents’ batting average) and 14 walks with 35 strikeouts.

The Demon Deacons Wake Forest, led by third-year Head Coach Rick Rembielak, enters the series with a 20-16 overall record and 7-8 ACC mark after posting midweek victories over UNC Greensboro and #19 Coastal Carolina. The Demon Deacons, who are 13-8 at home this season, have played one of the nation’s toughest schedules. They have a 5-8 record against top-20 ranked teams. Nine of those 13 games have been against top-six teams as well.

Wake Forest is hitting .274 with a .375 on-base percentage thanks to 149 walks and 68 hit-by-pitches. Allan Dykstra (12), Willy Fox (12), and Ben Terry (11) all have double-digit hit-by-pitch figures. The team has hit 36 homers with 36 steals in 46 attempts as well.

Dykstra is among the national leaders in home runs with 13 along with 11 doubles and 43 RBIs. He has a .506 on-base percentage thanks to 33 walks. Fox is hitting .344 overall with four homers and 27 RBIs, but is batting .431 in ACC games.

The pitching staff has a 5.21 ERA and .294 opponents’ batting average. The team has allowed 156 walks with 229 strikeouts. Senior righthander Josh Ellis is 2-1 with a 1.07 ERA and six saves in 19 relief appearances. He has also struck out 38 against only seven walks. The Demon Deacons sport a .964 fielding percentage as well.

The Tigers Clemson enters the series at Wake Forest with a 23-9 overall record and 8-4 mark in the ACC after winning all five games last week, including a three-game sweep at Virginia Tech over the weekend. The Tigers, who are 5-4 on the road this season, also bring a #14 national ranking into Wednesday’s game.

The team is hitting .289 with a .373 on-base percentage. Brad Chalk is hitting a team-best .393 with a .518 on-base percentage. Doug Hogan is hitting .355 with five homers and 18 RBIs. Taylor Harbin leads the squad with 28 RBIs and 12 doubles. Marquez Smith, the lone Tiger to start all 32 games in 2007, is hitting .333 with a team-high six homers and 27 RBIs as well.

First-baseman Andy D’Alessio, who suffered a pulled groin in the second inning against Miami (FL) on April 1, did not play in any of the five games last week. D’Alessio is listed as questionable for the Wake Forest series.

The pitching staff has a 3.28 ERA and .245 opponents’ batting average. It has combined to strike out 270 against 93 walks. Daniel Moskos has a team-high six saves, while Stephen Clyne has an 0.37 ERA and .163 opponents’ batting average along with two saves in 15 relief appearances. The team is fielding at a .969 clip as well.