Milestones Reached as Clemson Downs Virginia 5-3

May 13, 2002

Charlottesville, VA – Head Coach Khalil Greene set the ACC record for career doubles and Jeff Baker tied the Clemson career home run record in a 5-3 win over Virginia on Monday at Davenport Field. Freshman Tyler Lumsden, a Roanoke, VA, native, made his second start of the year and dominated in earning his second victory. The top-ranked Tigers improved to 43-9 and 16-5 in the ACC after sweeping the three-game series from Virginia (24-26, 8-13 ACC).

Leggett, who has also coached at Vermont and Western Carolina, improved his career record to 800-451 in 23 seasons, including a 423-164 record in his nine seasons at Clemson. Greene took out his second record in two days when he stepped to the plate in the first inning. His double to the gap drove in Kyle Frank, extended his hitting streak to 18 games and gave him 83 career doubles, a new ACC mark. The hit was also Greene’s seventh straight. Jarrod Schmidt entered the game with seven straight hits but popped out in his first at bat.

Singles by David Slevin and Jeff Hourigan put runners at the corners with one out in the second in the second inning. Steve Pyzik then hit a ground ball that Virginia first baseman Robert Word picked up. He stepped on first and threw to second, but Hourigan stayed in a rundown long enough to let Slevin score from third and give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.

The game was delayed due to weather for 55 minutes in the top of the third inning. When play resumed with Frank on first, Virginia’s Greg Hansard walked Greene and Jeff Baker to load the bases. The pitcher then hit Michael Johnson on a 1-2 count to score one run. Hansard struck out Slevin and got Schmidt to fly out to escape the inning with only one run given up.

Greene led off the fifth inning with his eighth straight hit and reached base for the 13th straight time. Baker followed him with a towering home run to left center that put Clemson up 5-0. The bomb was his 19th of the year and 53rd of his career, tying the Clemson career record held by Matthew LeCroy.

Lumsden (2-0) returned to his home state triumphantly by pitching six scoreless innings, allowing just five hits and no walks while striking out six. In two starts against ACC opponents Wake Forest and Virginia, Lumsden has not allowed a run 13.1 innings.

After Paul Harrelson pitched a scoreless seventh, Virginia finally got on the board with three runs in the eighth. The Cavaliers connected for three doubles and a single off of Tiger reliever Thomas Boozer before Patrick Hogan got Clemson out of the inning. Hogan pitched a scoreless ninth for his fourth save of the year. Hansdard (1-2) got the loss for Virginia.

Greene’s bid to tie the Clemson record for consecutive hits ended with a flyout in the sixth inning and the senior finished the day 2-4. Hourigan tied his career high with three hits and Frank broke out of an 0-10 slump with a 3-4 performance.

Clemson will next travel to Western Carolina on Wednesday at 3:30 before hosting Florida State for a three-game series in the ACC-finale for both teams this weekend.