Tigers Baseball To Host Maryland In A Three-Game Series At Doug Kingsmore Stadium

May 1, 2009

ACC Select Coverage:Saturday | Sunday | Monday

Clemson vs. Maryland Clemson (30-15, 14-10 ACC), ranked as high as #17 in the nation, will host Maryland (22-24, 6-18 ACC) in a three-game series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium from Saturday to Monday. Game times are 6:30 PM (Saturday), 6:30 PM (Sunday), and 1:00 PM (Monday). All three games will be available live via webcast at ClemsonTigers.com for all three games as well.

For Monday’s matinee, all middle school-and-under students will receive free admission. All businessmen and businesswomen will receive free admission by presenting their business card. All graduating Clemson students will be allowed to stand on the field during the playing of the National Anthem. Posters will also be distributed to all fans in attendance while supplies last.

The Series Clemson and Maryland have met 147 times on the diamond, with the Tigers holding a 109-38 lead in the series dating back to the 1923 season. The two teams have faced each other at least once every year since 1954 and at least twice every year since 1961.

In the three-game series at Shipley Field in 2008, the Tigers won the first and third games of the series, while Maryland won game-two 5-3. The two teams also played a three-game series at Shipley Field in 2007, as the Terrapins won two of three games. Neither team scored more than six runs in a game in any of those six contests in College Park. In 2006 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, the Tigers swept Maryland by a combined score of 21-10.

The Tigers hold a 61-6 lead in games played at Clemson and a 51-1 advantage at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. In fact, Clemson has won 21 consecutive games against Maryland at Doug Kingsmore Stadium dating back to a 10-9 Maryland victory in the 1992 series-finale. The Tigers also hold a 96-35 lead in ACC regular-season games.

Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

The Starting Pitchers In game-one, Maryland will start junior righty Scott Swinson (3-6, 5.29 ERA) on the mound. The Ellicott City, MD native has made 10 starts and two relief appearances for a total of 63.0 innings pitched. He has allowed 75 hits (.298 opponents’ batting average) and 19 walks with 50 strikeouts.

The Tigers will counter with senior righthander Trey Delk (2-1, 2.81 ERA) on Saturday. The Elgin, SC native has made six starts for a total of 25.2 innings pitched. He has allowed 28 hits (.275 opponents’ batting average) and 11 walks with 25 strikeouts. In game-two, the Terrapins will send out sophomore righthander Brett Harman (3-4, 6.10 ERA) on the mound. The Westminster, MD native has made nine starts and nine relief appearances for a total of 59.0 innings pitched. He has yielded 65 hits (.270 opponents’ batting average) and 16 walks with 61 strikeouts.

Clemson will counter with sophomore lefty Casey Harman (5-3, 3.71 ERA) on Sunday. The South Burlington, VT native has made nine relief appearances and seven starts for a total of 51.0 innings pitched. He has given up 58 hits (.287 opponents’ batting average) and nine walks with 47 strikeouts.

In game-three, Maryland will start freshman lefthander Matt Fullerton (5-4, 6.13 ERA) on the mound. The Williamsport, PA native has made 10 starts and three relief appearances for a total of 39.2 innings pitched. He has given up 43 hits (.276 opponents’ batting average) and 14 walks with 26 strikeouts. He has also allowed just one homer.

The Tigers will counter with freshman lefty Chris Dwyer (4-4, 4.94 ERA) on Monday. The Swampscott, MA native has made 11 starts for a total of 54.2 innings pitched. He has given up 48 hits (.240 opponents’ batting average) and 22 walks with 57 strikeouts.

The Terrapins Maryland, led by ninth-year Head Coach Terry Rupp, enters the series at #17 Clemson with a 22-24 overall record and 6-18 ACC mark after winning both midweek games this week. The Terrapins downed James Madison at home 17-10 on Tuesday, then they beat West Virginia 8-7 on the road on Wednesday. Maryland, who is 5-15 on the road, also was swept in a three-game series at North Carolina last weekend.

Maryland is averaging 5.9 runs per game and hitting .278 with a .421 slugging percentage and .364 on-base percentage. The team has also totaled 87 doubles, nine triples, 40 home runs, and 35 stolen bases in 55 attempts.

A.J. Casario is hitting a team-best .327 with eight homers, 36 RBIs, and eight stolen bases. Mike Murphy is batting .325 with 14 doubles, 10 home runs, and 39 RBIs, while David Poutier is hitting .319 with seven steals.

The pitching staff has a 5.87 ERA and .289 opponents’ batting average along with 332 strikeouts against 187 walks in 400.0 innings pitched. Junior righthander Dan Gentzler has a team-high five saves and a 3.03 ERA in 23 relief appearances. The Terrapins are fielding at a .968 clip as well.

The Tigers Clemson, ranked as high as #17 in the nation, enters the series against Maryland with a 30-15 overall record and 14-10 ACC mark after downing #4 Georgia Tech twice in three games at Doug Kingsmore Stadium last weekend. The Tigers, who had five days off for final exams, sport a 22-6 home record.

The Tigers are averaging 6.7 runs per game and hitting .292 with a .442 slugging percentage and .384 on-base percentage. Clemson has also totaled 73 doubles, 12 triples, 45 homers, and 56 stolen bases in 75 attempts.

Ben Paulsen is hitting a team-best .386 with 14 doubles, four triples, nine homers, and 47 RBIs. Jeff Schaus is hitting .331 with a .436 on-base percentage thanks to 28 walks against only 15 strikeouts. Kyle Parker has added 10 homers and 46 RBIs along with a .296 batting average.

The pitching staff has a 3.63 ERA and .252 opponents’ batting average. The staff has allowed 135 walks against 384 strikeouts, good for a 2.8-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Tomas Cruz has three saves and a 3.18 ERA in 17 relief appearances. The Tigers are fielding at a .969 clip as well.

Polls The Tigers jumped three spots to #17 in the Sports Weekly coaches poll this week after going 4-1 in five games last week. Clemson also moved up to #19 in the Collegiate Baseball poll and #21 in the Baseball America poll after being unranked in those two polls last week.

Clemson has had at least one final top-25 ranking in 12 of Head Coach Jack Leggett’s first 15 seasons in Tigertown. The Tigers have also been ranked #1 for 20 weeks by at least one of the three major polls under Leggett.

ACC Standings The Tigers are in second place in the ACC Atlantic Division standings with a 14-10 record. Clemson is two games behind first-place Florida State, who is 15-7 in the ACC. Boston College is third with an 11-11 league mark. The Tigers also own the fifth-best record in the ACC standings among the 12 league members. North Carolina (16-7) has the ACC’s best record.

Ryan Hinson’s Appearances Senior lefthander Ryan Hinson (Rock Hill, SC) is Clemson’s only current player who traveled with the team during its last trip to the College World Series in 2006. In his four years as both a starter and reliever, he has made 77 appearances (26 starts). The 77 appearances are the 10th-most in Tiger history.

In 2009, he has been a valuable member of the Tiger bullpen. In 20 appearances (one start), he has a 1-0 record and 3.99 ERA in 29.1 innings pitched. He has also allowed just 25 hits (.227 opponents’ batting average) and 13 walks with 37 strikeouts. That is good for a 11.4 strikeouts-per-nine-innings-pitched mark.

Tigers Win Series Over #4 Georgia Tech 2-1 Clemson, ranked #20 in the nation, won two of three games against #4 Georgia Tech at Doug Kingsmore Stadium from April 24-26. Clemson outscored the Yellow Jackets 18-13 and outhit them .302 to .286. The Tigers also had 19 walks, while Georgia Tech batters walked just eight times and struck out 23 times. Jeff Schaus went 8-for-13 (.615) with a double, homer, and four RBIs. The Tiger pitching staff had a solid 4.00 ERA against one of the nation’s top hitting teams as well.

In game-one on April 24, Georgia Tech scored all five of its runs in the third inning and outlasted Clemson 5-4. The Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on Brad Miller’s two-out, three-run double. But the Yellow Jackets scored five runs in the third, capped by Luke Murton’s two-run homer. The Tigers scored a run in the eighth inning, but they could get no closer. Clemson had just one run-scoring hit in 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 baserunners, including six in scoring position. The Tigers also walked eight times and had eight hits. Schaus went 3-for-4 with one of the Tigers’ four doubles. The Clemson bullpen also pitched 6.2 scoreless innings.

In game-two on April 25, Schaus went 4-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs to lead Clemson to an 8-5 win over Georgia Tech. Schaus’ three-run homer in the third inning gave the Tigers the lead for good. Georgia Tech scored a run in the eighth inning and two runs in the ninth inning before Clemson shut the door. Clemson outhit the Yellow Jackets 12-10 and was 5-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Leadoff batter Casey Harman pitched 6.2 strong inning, allowing two runs with four strikeouts to earn the win.

In game-three on April 26, four Tiger pitchers limited the Yellow Jackets to three runs in Clemson’s 6-3 win over Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets scored two runs in the top of the first inning, but Clemson responded with three runs in the bottom of the first and never relinquished its lead. Trey Delk earned the win in a starting role after missing over a month due to injury, then Graham Stoneburner, Scott Weismann, who recorded his first career save, closed out the game. Wilson Boyd went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, while Freeman added two hits. Both teams had nine hits in the game. The victory was Jack Leggett’s 300th against an ACC team as Clemson’s head coach.