Duke 
Pittsburgh 
Senior righthander who was one of Clemson’s top relievers in 2020 and 2021 … was a weekend starter during the first half of 2022, but was back in the bullpen in 2023 with his new delivery from the side as one of the team’s top relievers; started working on his new delivery in February 2023 … two-time All-ACC Academic selection … three-time ACC Academic Honor Roll member … in 146.2 innings pitched over 75 appearances (10 starts) and five seasons, he had a 17-3 record, one save and a 4.36 ERA while allowing 135 hits (.244 opponents’ batting average) and 71 walks with 147 strikeouts … tied for sixth in Tiger history in winning percentage (85.0).
2024: Team co-captain … NCBWA Stopper-of-the-Year Award Watch List member … All-ACC Academic selection … ACC Academic Honor Roll member … had a 2-0 record and 6.64 ERA in 15 relief appearances … in 20.1 innings pitched, he allowed 21 hits (.266 opponents’ batting average) and 13 walks with 23 strikeouts … did not allow a steal … held opponents to .095 with two outs, 0-for-15 with runners on base and two outs and 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and two outs … in 5.1 innings pitched after the eighth inning, he allowed two hits and no runs with six strikeouts … in 8.0 innings pitched over three relief appearances in night games, he allowed three hits (.120 opponents’ batting average) and no runs with seven strikeouts … pitched 3.0 innings in relief, allowing two hits and one walk with five strikeouts to earn the win against Xavier on Feb. 17 … pitched 1.1 hitless and scoreless innings in relief with two strikeouts against No. 12 South Carolina on March 3 … pitched 3.0 innings in relief, allowing one hit and no runs with three strikeouts to earn the win at Miami (Fla.) on March 29 … pitched 1.1 innings in relief, allowing one hit and no runs with two strikeouts at Notre Dame on April 7 … pitched 1.1 innings in relief, allowing one hit, no runs and no walks with two strikeouts in the second game of a doubleheader against Pittsburgh on April 20 … pitched 4.0 innings in relief, allowing one hit, no runs and one walk with four strikeouts at No. 17 Georgia on April 23.
2023: Won the Stowe Award, given to the team’s most valuable pitcher … All-ACC Academic selection … ACC Academic Honor Roll member … had an 8-0 record and a 3.17 ERA in 24 relief appearances … in 48.1 innings pitched, he allowed 35 hits (.207 opponents’ batting average) and 27 walks with 53 strikeouts … tied for sixth in Tiger history in wins without a loss … tied for fourth in the ACC in wins … tied for the team lead in wins … his eight wins were the most without a loss in a season by a Tiger since 2006 … only allowed nine extra-base hits … held opponents to .143 with runners on base, .121 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-9 with five strikeouts with the bases loaded … allowed only seven of 26 inherited baserunners to score … had 62 groundball outs compared to 23 flyball outs … had a 5-0 record, 2.84 ERA, .198 opponents’ batting average and 36 strikeouts in 31.2 innings pitched over 13 relief appearances in ACC regular-season games … pitched 2.0 innings in relief, allowing no walks with one strikeout to earn the win in the second game of a doubleheader against Georgia State on March 11 … pitched 3.0 perfect innings in relief with four strikeouts to earn the win against Winthrop on March 21 … pitched 3.0 innings in relief, allowing three hits, one run and no walks with two strikeouts at Georgia Tech on March 26 … pitched 4.2 innings in relief, allowing three hits, one run and one walk with eight strikeouts against No. 2 Wake Forest on March 31 … pitched 2.2 innings in relief, allowing one hit and no runs with three strikeouts at Florida State on April 8 … pitched 1.2 hitless and scoreless innings in relief with four strikeouts against Notre Dame on April 15 … pitched 3.0 innings in relief, allowing two hits, no runs and no walks with three strikeouts to earn the win against Notre Dame on April 16 … pitched 2.2 innings in relief, allowing one hit with four strikeouts at NC State on April 22 … pitched 4.0 innings in relief, allowing two hits with two strikeouts to earn the win in the first game of a doubleheader at No. 11 Boston College on April 28 … pitched 1.1 innings in relief with three strikeouts to earn the win against No. 22 Louisville on May 6 … pitched 3.0 innings in relief, allowing one hit and no runs with one strikeout to earn the win at Virginia Tech on May 13 … pitched 2.2 scoreless innings in relief with two strikeouts to earn the win against North Carolina on May 18 … pitched 2.0 innings in relief with four strikeouts to earn the win against Lipscomb in the Clemson Regional on June 2.
2022: ACC Academic Honor Roll member … had an 0-1 record and a 5.97 ERA in 12 appearances (nine starts) … in 31.2 innings pitched, he allowed 40 hits (.301 opponents’ batting average) and 15 walks with 23 strikeouts … pitched 4.2 innings in a starting role, allowing four hits, one run and one walk with four strikeouts against South Carolina on March 6 … pitched 4.2 innings in a starting role, allowing three hits and one earned run with two strikeouts against No. 23 Miami (Fla.) on March 20 … pitched 3.0 innings in a starting role, allowing two hits and no earned runs with two strikeouts at No. 6 Notre Dame on April 10.
2021: Had a 6-2 record and a 4.30 ERA in 18 appearances (one start) … in 37.2 innings pitched, he allowed 35 hits (.241 opponents’ batting average) and 12 walks with 40 strikeouts … tied for ninth in the ACC in wins … led the team in wins … allowed only one steal in three attempts … pitched 2.1 innings in relief, allowing two hits and no walks with five strikeouts to earn the win against East Tennessee State on March 2 … pitched 1.1 perfect innings in relief against USC Upstate on March 9 … pitched 2.1 perfect innings in relief with five strikeouts against Georgia State on March 16 … pitched 3.0 innings in relief, allowing one hit, no runs and no walks with three strikeouts against No. 13 Virginia Tech on March 21 … pitched 1.1 innings in relief, allowing one hit with two strikeouts to earn the win against Georgia Southern at North Augusta, S.C. on March 23 … pitched 2.1 innings in relief, allowing one hit and no runs with two strikeouts to earn the win in the first game of a doubleheader against Boston College on March 27 … pitched 4.0 innings in relief, allowing two hits and no runs with four strikeouts to earn the win at NC State on April 2 … pitched 2.0 innings in relief, allowing one hit, no runs and no walks with one strikeout against Virginia on April 11 … pitched 1.1 innings in relief, allowing one hit and no walks with one strikeout to earn the win in the first game of a doubleheader against Wake Forest on April 25 … pitched 4.0 innings in relief, allowing two hits, no runs and no walks with two strikeouts to earn the win against USC Upstate on May 5 … played for Wareham in the Cape Cod Baseball League in the summer, when he had a 3.43 ERA and 15 strikeouts against five walks in 18.1 innings pitched over five appearances (four starts).
2020: Received a redshirt from the NCAA with the season’s suspension on March 12 and cancellation due to a coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic … had a 1-0 record, one save and an 0.00 ERA in six relief appearances … in 8.2 innings pitched, he allowed four hits (.143 opponents’ batting average), no homers and four walks with eight strikeouts … did not allow a steal in four attempts … did not allow an extra-base hit … allowed only two of nine inherited baserunners to score … held lefthanded batters to 0-for-12 with one walk and four strikeouts … held opponents to 1-for-15 (.067) with runners on base, 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-9 with two outs … pitched 2.0 innings in relief, allowing one hit and no runs with two strikeouts to record the save against Liberty on Feb. 15; was his first career appearance … pitched 2.0 innings in relief, allowing two hits, no runs and no walks with three strikeouts to earn his first career win against Stony Brook on Feb. 22 … pitched 2.1 innings in relief, allowing no hits and no earned runs with one strikeout against Winthrop on March 11 … No. 36 freshman in the nation in the preseason by Perfect Game … No. 8 freshman in the ACC in the preseason by Perfect Game.
Before Clemson: All-state selection … region pitcher-of-the-year … team MVP … lettered four times in baseball at York Comprehensive High School, where he was coached by Eddie Tisdale and Tripper Crisson.
Personal: His cousins, Chad and Drew, played baseball at USC Lancaster … graduated May 11, 2023 with a degree in parks, recreation & tourism management … earned a certificate on May 9, 2024 in athletic leadership in education … born Nicholas Bryant Clayton on April 10, 2001 in York, S.C.
• Favorite hobbies – Golfing, hunting and hanging out with friends
• One fact that most people don’t know – Used to play the piano at a young age
• Favorite food or candy – Bacon-wrapped duck and sour punch straws
• Ideal vacation spot – Australia
• Childhood hero – His father
• One person, living or dead, to eat dinner with – LeBron James
