Note: The following appears in the Wake Forest gameday football program.
Senior closer Carson Spiers was destined to don the orange and purple. Growing up a huge Clemson fan, Spiers spent his childhood weekends in Death Valley cheering on the Tigers. His father, Michael, uncle, Bill, and grandfather, Bud, were all Clemson baseball players, so it came naturally to cheer on the Tigers.
Spiers was an all-state selection and team MVP his senior year at Greenville (S.C.) High School as a pitcher and infielder. He accomplished that while setting school records for passing yards and touchdowns on the gridiron. Therefore, he was a highly touted prospect coming out of high school, but his decision to attend Clemson could not have been easier.
“I have orange in my blood. I knew I wanted to play baseball here, so once I got the opportunity from Coach (Monte) Lee, it was a no-brainer.”
Despite the deep history of Clemson baseball in his extended family, Spiers is different from his predecessors in that they were all position players, whereas he is a pitcher. He sees that as a way to make a legacy of his own and add something new to the Spiers story.
“I got a new start for Spiers. They all have so many home runs, their averages are so good and my grandfather’s fielding percentage is one of the best in Clemson history. For me being on the mound, it starts a new legacy while still being able to add to the Spiers legacy.”
Despite his pride in his position, Spiers was actually recruited to play infield and pitch before Lee encouraged him to move to the mound full time.
“When I got here, I realized hitting wasn’t for me and I was talented enough on the mound, so I ran with that.”