Duke 
Pittsburgh 
Righthander who was the third-string catcher most of the 2022 season, but was thrust into action late in the season due to injuries to Cooper Ingle and Jonathan French … did not pitch in 2022, but became one of the team’s top relievers in 2023 … two-time All-ACC Academic selection … two-time ACC Academic Honor Roll member … in 54.0 innings pitched over 47 relief appearances and two seasons on the mound, he has a 6-1 record and 3.67 ERA while allowing 39 hits (.201 opponents’ batting average) and 19 walks with 64 strikeouts.
2024: NCBWA Stopper-of-the-Year Award Watch List member … All-ACC Academic selection … ACC Academic Honor Roll member … had a 2-1 record and 5.55 ERA in 20 relief appearances … in 24.1 innings pitched, he allowed 20 hits (.225 opponents’ batting average) and six walks with 25 strikeouts … led the team in WHIP (1.07) … in 8.1 innings pitched over seven relief appearances away from home, he allowed three hits (.125 opponents’ batting average), two runs (2.16 ERA) with four strikeouts … pitched 2.0 innings in relief, allowing no earned runs with two strikeouts against NC State on April 12 … pitched 2.0 perfect innings in relief with three strikeouts against Pittsburgh on April 19 … pitched the eighth inning, allowing one hit and no walks with one strikeout to earn the win against Boston College on May 16 … pitched 1.2 innings in relief, allowing one hit, no runs and no walks with two strikeouts against Miami (Fla.) in the ACC Tournament on May 23 … pitched 1.2 innings in relief, allowing one hit, no runs and no walks with two strikeouts against High Point in the Clemson Regional on May 31 … pitched 3.0 innings in relief, allowing no walks with four strikeouts to earn the win against Coastal Carolina in the Clemson Regional on June 2.
2023: All-ACC Academic selection … ACC Academic Honor Roll member … had a 4-0 record and 2.12 ERA in 27 relief appearances … in 29.2 innings pitched, he allowed 19 hits (.181 opponents’ batting average), a homer and 13 walks with 39 strikeouts … led the team in ERA, appearances, opponents’ batting average and WHIP (1.18) … did not throw a wild pitch … did not allow more than two hits or more than one run in any of his 27 appearances … allowed only eight of 30 inherited baserunners to score … held opponents to .145 with runners on base and .143 with runners in scoring position … held lefthanded batters to .100 … had a 2-0 record, 1.02 ERA, .133 opponents’ batting average and 20 strikeouts in 17.2 innings pitched over 16 relief appearances at home … had a 2-0 record, 2.08 ERA, .178 opponents’ batting average and 13 strikeouts in 13.0 innings pitched in 11 relief appearances in ACC regular-season games … pitched a perfect eighth inning with one strikeout against Binghamton on Feb. 19; was his first career appearance … pitched 2.1 innings in relief, allowing one hit, no runs and no walks with five strikeouts against Presbyterian on March 8 … pitched 1.2 perfect innings in relief with three strikeouts to earn his first career win in the first game of a doubleheader against Georgia State on March 11 … pitched 2.0 innings in relief, allowing one hit, no runs and no walks with one strikeout in the first game of a doubleheader against Duke on March 18 … pitched 2.0 innings in relief, allowing two hits, no runs and no walks with three strikeouts to earn the win at Kennesaw State on March 22 … pitched 1.1 innings in relief, allowing one hit, no runs and no walks with four strikeouts to earn the win at NC State on April 22 … pitched 1.2 hitless and scoreless innings in relief with one strikeout to earn the win against No. 22 Louisville on May 5 … pitched 1.1 innings in relief, allowing one hit and no runs with two strikeouts at Virginia Tech on May 12 … pitched 1.1 innings in relief, allowing no hits, no runs and no walks with one strikeout at Virginia Tech on May 14 … pitched 1.1 hitless and scoreless innings in relief against North Carolina on May 19.
2022: Hit .231 with five runs, a homer, three RBIs, a .462 slugging percentage, .412 on-base percentage, two walks and two hit-by-pitches in seven games (four starts at catcher) … hit a run-scoring single for his first career hit and RBI and added a run and walk in his first career start against Boston College on May 20 … went 2-for-2 with his first career homer, two RBIs, three runs, a walk and hit-by-pitch against Boston College on May 21 … No. 110 freshman in the ACC in the preseason by Perfect Game … played for Strasburg in the Valley League in the summer, when he hit .276 with a double, six RBIs and five runs in 13 games; was 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 13.0 innings pitched over seven appearances (two starts); North Division All-Valley League selection.
Before Clemson: North-South All-Star Game selection … Coastal Invitational Tournament MVP as a junior … three-time all-state selection … four-time all-region selection … lettered four times in baseball and one time in football at Wando High School, where he was coached by Dirk Thomas.
Personal: His mother, Adrienne, played basketball at Wooster … graduated Aug. 9, 2024 with a degree in parks, recreation & tourism management … born Kaden Reed Garris on Oct. 18, 2002 in Mount Pleasant, S.C.
