Talented defender who was the primary starter at third base in 2025 … a career .268 hitter with a .467 slugging percentage and .362 on-base percentage in 229 games (204 starts) over four seasons, including three at California Baptist and one at Clemson … had 42 doubles, five triples, 31 homers, 136 RBIs, 146 runs, 87 walks, 24 hit-by-pitches and 33 steals.
2025: Won the team’s Teammate & Service Award … All-ACC Academic selection … ACC Academic Honor Roll member … hit .249 with 47 runs, 10 doubles, a triple, 10 homers, 47 RBIs, a .426 slugging percentage, .354 on-base percentage, 29 walks, 11 hit-by-pitches and 10 steals in 63 games (62 starts, including 58 at third base and four at shortstop) … led the team in at-bats (237) … tied for the team lead in games … hit .316 with runners in scoring position … had 15 multiple-hit games … had 11 multiple-RBI games … had four bunt singles … went 0-for-1 with an RBI, a run and three walks against No. 13 Oklahoma State at Arlington, Texas on Feb. 14; scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the seventh inning; was his first game as a Tiger … went 2-for-5 with three RBIs, two runs and a walk against No. 12 Arizona at Arlington, Texas on Feb. 15; was 4-for-9 (.444) with five RBIs, three runs, four walks and a .615 on-base percentage in three games in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown … went 3-for-4 with a homer, double and four RBIs against Winthrop on Feb. 25 … went 2-for-4 with a homer, double and two runs against USC Upstate at Greenville, S.C. on March 4 … went 4-for-5 with a homer, double, four RBIs and three runs against Davidson on March 8 … went 3-for-5 with two runs and a steal against Davidson on March 9; was 7-for-14 with a homer, double, four RBIs, five runs and a steal in the series … went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and hit-by-pitch against Liberty on March 12 … went 1-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs against The Citadel on March 18 … went 2-for-4 with a three-run triple, run, walk and steal against Georgia Southern at North Augusta, S.C. on April 1 … went 2-for-4 with a homer, two RBIs and two runs at California on April 5 … went 2-for-3 with a homer, double, two RBIs, two runs and two walks against Stanford on April 12; was 4-for-8 with a homer, double, three RBIs, three runs, a 1.000 slugging percentage and .692 on-base percentage in the series … hit a game-tying homer in the ninth inning against No. 17 Louisville on April 19 … went 2-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI and a hit-by-pitch at No. 5 Florida State on May 2 … went 1-for-4 with a homer, three RBIs and a walk at No. 5 Florida State on May 4 … went 1-for-3 with a three-run homer, walk and hit-by-pitch against Duke on May 10 … went 2-for-5 with a double, two runs, a walk and two steals at Pittsburgh on May 16 … No. 32 shortstop in the nation in the preseason by D1Baseball.
Before Clemson: Played three seasons (2022-24) at California Baptist, where he was coached by Gary Adcock … hit .278 with 21 homers, four triples, 32 doubles, 89 RBIs, 99 runs, a .367 on-base percentage and 23 steals in 166 games (142 starts) at California Baptist … hit .296 with 11 homers, two triples, 18 doubles, 38 RBIs, 49 runs, six steals and a .974 fielding percentage in 2024 … All-WAC Academic selection … spent two seasons (2020,21) at St. Mary’s, where he was coached by Charlie Migl, but was injured both seasons and did not appear in a game … No. 158 player and No. 31 shortstop in California by Perfect Game … lettered three times in baseball at Great Oak High School, where he was coached by Eric Morton.
Personal: His father, Jon, played college baseball … earned a certificate on May 8, 2025 in athletic leadership in education … born Joshua Matthew Paino on Jan. 8, 2001 in Murrieta, Calif.