Tigers Set For Clemson Regional

May 23, 2001

Clemson Notes in PDF FormatDownload Free Acrobat Reader

Clemson 2001 Stats in PDF FormatDownload Free Acrobat Reader

Clemson Player Bios in PDF FormatDownload Free Acrobat Reader

Clemson at NCAA Clemson Regional May 25-27, 2001 Doug Kingsmore Stadium, Clemson, SC Clemson vs. William & Mary * Friday, May 25, 7:00 PM (CTN)

Probable Clemson Position Starters

Pos # Player B-T Cl. GP-S Avg HR RBI C 9 Steve Pyzik R-R So.48-37 .273 0 25 1B 31 MichaelJohnson L-R So. 57-53 .302 14 42 2B 42 Ryan Riley R-R Sr. 57-53.287 5 28 SS 14 Khalil Greene R-R Jr. 58-58 .306 11 49 3B 19 JeffBaker R-R So. 55-55 .376 22 69 LF 26 Casey Stone* L-R Sr. 58-58.376 2 47 CF 11 Chad Coder R-R So. 57-50 .265 5 24 RF 12 Kyle FrankL-L So. 48-46 .240 0 25 DH 25 Jarrod Schmidt R-R So. 54-53 .273 1544

*will not play Friday, will be replaced by Zane Green

Probable Clemson Startering Pitchers

Clemson Draws No. 2 Seed Clemson has been tabbed the No. 2 seed for the Clemson Regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium this weekend in the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. The field also includes top-seeded South Alabama, third-seeded William & Mary and fourth-seeded Seton Hall. South Alabama will face Seton Hall on Friday at 2:00 PM, while Clemson and William & Mary will meet on Friday at 7:00 PM.

Clemson will take on the Tribe of William & Mary for only the second time. The last meeting occurred last season, a 10-6 victory by Clemson. Clemson is 4-4 against top-seeded South Alabama. The last meeting between the two schools was an NCAA Tournament game at Clemson in 1998. The Jaguars out-lasted the Tigers 2-1 in a 16-inning game that took 4:14 minutes to complete. Clemson is 4-0 all-time against Seton Hall, including a 6-3 victory in the second game of the NCAA South Regional in 1987.

The winner of the Clemson Regional will move on to play the victor of the Coral Gables, FL Regional in a Super Regional at a site to be determined Monday, May 29. The Coral Gables Regional consists of Bucknell, Stetson, Florida and Miami (FL), the regional host and second seed nationally. The winner of the Super Regional will advance to Omaha, NE for the College World Series.

Clemson in the NCAA Tournament Clemson will be making its 27th appearance in the NCAA Baseball Tournament, the seventh-best total in the nation. It marks the 15th consecutive selection for the tournament, which is the third longest active streak. The Tigers are 70-55 all-time in the NCAA tournament with nine appearances in the College World Series. Clemson finished as the regular season runner-up in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season behind Florida State. Clemson was 17-7 in ACC action and 38-20 overall, including a 24-8 mark at home.

Leggett in the NCAA Tournament Clemson head coach Jack Leggett has a 29-25 (.537) record in NCAA Tournament play. As the Clemson coach, Leggett is 25-15 (.625) in seven tournaments with three appearances in the College World Series. Prior to coming to Clemson, Leggett coached in five NCAA Tournaments at Western Carolina where he was 4-10 (.286).

Quickly on Clemson Clemson enters the tournament led by third baseman Jeff Baker, who leads the ACC with 22 home runs and 69 RBIs. Senior outfielder Casey Stone is tied with Baker with a team-leading .376 batting average and leads the team with 96 hits. Steve Reba, a junior right hander with an ACC best 11-3 record, is expected to start in the opener against William & Mary. Reba started against the Tribe last season and allowed only one run and five hits while striking out seven in 5.2 innings. The Tigers finished 17-7 and finished second in the ACC behind Florida State.

Regionals at Clemson The 2001 Clemson Regional marks the eighth time Clemson has been the site of the NCAA tournament. The Tigers also played host in 1980, 1981, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998 and 2000. Last season the Tigers won the four-team regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium and then defeated Mississippi State in the Super Regional to advance to the College World Series. Clemson is 19-6 in regional action as the host school.

Clemson vs. William & Mary This will be just the second ever meeting between Clemson and William & Mary. The Tigers won 12-2 of the Tribe last year on March 8. Steve Reba started the game for the Tigers and did not allow a base runner until the fourth inning, which led to the first Tribe run. He allowed another hit in the fourth inning and then an unearned run scored in the fifth. Reba’s 10.1 hitless and 13.1 scoreless inning streaks ended in the contest and he did not pitch for another month after straining a fore arm muscle.

Last Meeting… Tigers Beat William & Mary 10-6Jack Leggett picked up win No. 300 at Clemson as the Tigers rallied to down William & Mary 10-6 on March 8, 2000. Clemson lead 5-1 before the Tribe tied the score at 5-5 in the seventh inning. But Casey Stone and Patrick Boyd each had two-run singles in the eighth to preserve the win. Matt Additon pitched 2.0 scoreless innings in relief to pick up the win. Steve Reba started, but did not factor in the decision. Boyd led the Tigers with three hits, two runs scored, and four RBIs. Five other Tigers had two hits apiece.

About William & Mary William & Mary (35-18) defeated James Madison for the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament title to receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Tribe has won 10 of its last 11 games and is led by Marshall Hubbard’s .395 batting average. Brendan Harris is the team leader in home runs (17) and RBIs (65). Clark Saylor is the team’s leading pitcher with a 9-1 record and 2.96 ERA.

About South Alabama South Alabama (44-17) won five straight games in the Sun Belt Conference after losing in the opening round Arkansas-Little Rock. Nick Gretz leads the offense with a .374 batting average while Tim Merritt leads the team with 12 home runs and 63 RBIs. Clark Girardeau leads the pitching staff with a 10-3 record.

Clemson vs. South Alabama Any meeting with South Alabama in the Clemson Regional would be the ninth ever meeting between the two schools and the first since a 2-1 16-inning Jaguar win in the 1998 Clemson Regional that sent the Tigers to the loser’s bracket. The game went four hours, 14 minutes and ended after 11:15 PM. The loss forced the Tigers into the 11:00 AM game on Saturday against Southern California, which eliminated the Tigers with an 8-5 loss. The Trojans went on to win the national championship that season.

The series between South Alabama and Clemson is tied at four games apiece. That meeting in 1998 was the only time the Tigers have faced the Jaguars under head coach Jack Leggett. Clemson took two of three games from USA in 1987 and swept both games played in 1986 in Mobile. South Alabama claimed the only two other games played in the series, both in 1973 in Mobile. This will be the fifth meeting played at Clemson.

About Seton Hall Seton Hall enters the regional as the champion of the Big East tournament with a 33-21-1 record. Casey Grimm is the top hitter with a .363 batting average and is tied for the team lead in home runs with five. The pitching staff is led by Chris Reilly, who has a 6-1 record and a 3.00 ERA, and Shawn Turkington, who is 6-2 with a 4.18 ERA.

Clemson vs. Seton Hall The Tigers are a perfect 4-0 in the previous meetings against Seton Hall. Clemson swept a three-game series in 1989, winning by scores of 7-5, 8-5 and 17-7. The only other meeting between the schools was in the second round of the 1987 NCAA South Regional in Huntsville, AL. The Tigers were victorious in the contest 6-3 but lost to Arkansas in the next round. Clemson regrouped to beat Auburn to advance to the championship for a re-match vs. Arkansas. The Razorbacks won 4-2 to advance to Omaha.

Clemson Regional Team Comparison

Clemson in the 2000 NCAA Regional In Clemson’s three games in its own regional last year, the Tigers out-scored their opponents, Middle Tennessee (twice) and Illinois, 34-6. Old Dominion was also in the regional, but did not face the Tigers. Clemson hit .345 along with a 2.00 ERA. The Tigers had a .432 on-base percentage and were a perfect 9 for 9 on stolen bases. The defense played solid as well, committing only three errors in three games. Tiger pitchers allowed just 21 hits, including just four extra-base hits (three doubles, one triple).

Casey Stone was 5 for 14 with six RBIs and two stolen bases in the regional and was voted Clemson Regional MVP. Five other Tigers made the All-Regional squad: Ryan Riley (2B), Justin Singleton (OF), Brian Ellis (C) and Henri Stanley (DH/UT) and Ryan Mottle (P).

Field of 64 Vying for 2001 CWS Berth The field of 64 teams competing for the 2001 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship was announced today by the NCAA.

The national top eight seeds are Cal State Fullerton (41-15), Miami (FL) (44-12), Southern California (39-17), Stanford (42-14), Tulane (50-10), Georgia (41-18), East Carolina (44-11) and Nebraska (45-14). The Southeastern Conference leads all conferences in the number of teams in the championship field with eight, followed by the Big 12 with five. The Atlantic Coast Conference and the Pac-10 have four teams each.

Twenty-five of the 64 teams were not in the field last year. There are no teams making a first-ever appearance in the tournament. Northern Iowa last was in the field in 1961 when they were called Iowa Teachers College. William & Mary is in the field for the first time since 1983 and Temple’s last appearance was 1984.

Miami (FL) is in the field for the 29th consecutive year, extending its own record. Florida State is making its 24th straight appearance, second all time. Other long consecutive streaks include Clemson (15), LSU (13) and Cal State Fullerton (10). Of the 281 Division I institutions which sponsor baseball, Tulane has the most Division I wins with 50. Twenty-four other teams won at least 40 Division I contests and all are in the field of 64.

Clemson was 8-13 this season against eight teams that are participating in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers played: Coastal Carolina (1-1), Florida State (0-4), Georgia (1-1), Georgia Southern (1-1), Georgia Tech (2-1), South Carolina (1-3), Wake Forest (2-1) and Winthrop (0-1).

Each of the 16 regionals feature four teams, playing a double-elimination format. The regionals are scheduled to be conducted from Friday, May 25, to Sunday, May 27. Selection of the eight super regional hosts will be determined and announced on May 28, at 3:00 PM Eastern time. The 55th College World Series is June 8-16, at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha.

2001 NCAA Regional Pairings

^ – off-campus site, Note: Host schools in bold

Clemson Slips to 14th in Collegiate Baseball After winning one of their three games last week in the ACC Tournament in Fort Mill, SC, the Clemson Tigers fell in all three polls released on Monday. Clemson slipped to its lowest collective ranking of the season, falling four spots, from 15th to 19th in the Baseball America poll. The Tigers dipped three spots, from 17th to 20th, in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN coaches poll and fell just one spot, from 13th to 14th in the Collegiate Baseball poll.

Clemson lost the opening game of the tournament 7-3 to Virginia and then rebounded to eliminate North Carolina with a 7-6 win. On Friday, Florida State, the tournament’s top seed, bounced the Tigers from the tournament with a 5-4 decision.

#2 Seed Clemson at ACC Tournament…Tigers Fall to Virginia in First Round Seventh-seeded Virginia used a complete game by Dan Street and a three-run homer by Jon Benick to upset second-seeded Clemson 7-3 in the first round of the ACC Tournament last Wednesday.

Street (4-4) picked up the win by allowing just two earned runs while throwing 126 pitches in the complete-game effort. Benick’s home run, his 18th of the year, was part of a 3-5 day that led the Cavalier offense.

The Tigers got on the board in the fifth inning when Steve Pyzik led off with a double and Ryan Riley walked. Both runners scored when Casey Stone doubled to left field and he advanced to third on an errant throw. Stone scored on Greene’s sacrifice fly to trim the Cavalier lead to 4-3.

Virginia extended its lead in the eighth inning. Doug Vroman singled and moved to second base after a sacrifice bunt. David Stone was intentionally walked and Shawn McCleary reached on an infield single to load the bases. Wyant then hit a bloop single to left-center field that scored two runs and gave the Cavaliers a 6-3 lead. Word hit a solo home run in the ninth inning to make the final margin 7-3. Schmidt had a single and a double and was the only Tiger with more than one hit. Henrie (5-3) picked up the loss for the Tigers after giving up four runs in 4.1 innings.

Clemson Eliminates North Carolina Clemson held off a charge in the late innings to defeat North Carolina 7-6 in the second round of the ACC Tournament in Fort Mill, SC last Thursday.

Clemson held a 7-1 lead after 4 1/2 innings when North Carolina started a comeback. Doubles by Adam Greenberg and Sean Farrell generated a run for the Tar Heels in the fifth inning and they scored again in the seventh. Greenberg singled with one out and Russ Adams reached on Ryan Riley error. After Farrell walked to load the bases, Ralph Roberts singled to right field to score a run. Another run scored on a fielder’s choice and Ryan Blake hit an RBI single as North Carolina climbed to within 7-5.

The Tar Heels trimmed the Clemson lead to 7-6 in the ninth inning on Chad Prosser’s RBI single. North Carolina was in position to tie the game with runners at first and third and two outs when Jeff Baker snagged Brandon Russell’s ground ball down the third base line and threw him out at first to end the game.

Steve Reba (11-3) picked up the win for the Tigers. He scattered 11 hits, the most of his career, and struck out five batters over 6.2 innings while allowing two earned runs. Cram earned his team-leading sixth save with 1.1 innings of work. Greene drove in four runs while Riley, Stone, Baker and Coder each had two hits to lead the offense.

FSU Comeback Stops Clemson Florida State used three straight singles in the ninth inning to score the game-winning run and eliminate Clemson from the ACC Tournament in a 5-4 victory last Friday.

With the game tied 4-4 in the ninth inning, Florida State put runners on first and second after singles by John-Ford Griffin and Ryan Barthelemy. Karl Jernigan followed with a line drive to left field that dropped in front of left fielder Casey Stone and allowed Griffin to score the game-winning run.

Florid State’s Eric Roman (3-2) picked up the win while Josh Cram (4-2) got the loss for Clemson. The reliever got the Tigers out of a jam in the eighth inning but yielded the Seminole run in the ninth. Stone led the way for Clemson on offense with two hits while Baker and Johnson both homered. Stone now has extended his hit streak to 10 games, the longest current streak on the team.

Clemson Finished Second in the ACC by Winning Seven of Eight Conference Series Clemson finished 17-7 in the ACC this season behind Florida State. The Tigers won seven of the eight conference series in 2001. The last time the Tigers won seven of the eight ACC series was in 1995. Clemson was also swept by Florida State that season. Clemson a completed sweeps this season against Maryland, Duke and Virginia. The sweep over the Cavaliers was the Tigers’ seventh ACC series victory this year and clinched second place in the ACC regular season race. Florida State swept the Clemson series in Tallahassee for the only series loss for the Tigers this year.

Six Tigers Garner All-ACC Honors Six Clemson baseball players have been named All-ACC, including four first-team selections. Khalil Greene, Jarrod Schmidt and Ryan Riley and Casey Stone garnered second-team kudos. The four first-team selections were the most since 1995 when Clemson also had four first-team selections. Clemson had no first-team selections in 2000, a year the Tigers advanced to the College World Series. Greene and Schmidt were second-team honorees a year ago, so this is the second time they have been named All-ACC.

Baker, a sophomore third baseman, has 22 home runs to lead the ACC and is tied for the team lead with Stone, a senior left fielder, with a .376 batting average. Greene switched from third base to shortstop and has now been named All-ACC in both positions. Schmidt has 15 home runs and ranks among the league’s top five in that category. He also has a 6-3 record and a 4.15 ERA as a right-handed pitcher. Reba, a junior right-hander leads the ACC with 11 wins and a 2.26 ERA. Riley, a senior, was one of the top second basemen in the ACC and has a .287 batting average. Seventeen of his 58 hits have been for extra bases.

Clemson Regular Season All-ACC SelectionsFirst Team 3B Jeff Baker So. SS Khalil Greene Jr. DH Jarrod Schmidt So. SP Steve Reba Jr.

Second Team 2B Ryan Riley Sr. OF Casey Stone Sr.

Baker Belts No. 22 Sophomore Jeff Baker hit his 22nd home run of the 2001 season Sunday in the 5-4 loss to Florida State in the ACC Tournament. The solo shot in the eighth inning moved the sophomore from Woodbridge, VA into third place ahead of Jim McCollom who hit 21 in 1985. Baker is not just two home runs away from the school record (24) shared by Eric Macrina (1991) and Matthew LeCroy (1997). Baker is leading the ACC by four home runs. Virginia’s Jon Benick and Florida State’s John-Ford Griffin each have 18.

Top Five Home Run Seasons

Baker Sets Two-Year Home Run Standard Third baseman Jeff Baker has hit 33 home runs in his first two years, which is the school record for home runs hit during a player’s freshman and sophomore years. He has 22 this season, two off the school record, to go with 11 home runs a year ago. His 22 home runs are four more than Matthew LeCroy who is tied for the most career home runs. LeCroy hit 29 home runs by the end of his sophomore season in Clemson (1996). Jarrod Schmidt is tied fifth most by a freshman and sophomore, while Michael Johnson is 10th.

Most Home Runs in First Two Seasons

The Long Ball With three home runs in the ACC Tournament, Clemson has now hit 76 home runs this season. That is more than double last season out put as they hit only 37 home runs a year ago. Fifteen of the 37 homers in 2000 came at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, while this year Clemson has more than tripled the total having hit 47 out of Kingsmore Stadium.

Baker’s total of 22 ranks sixth in the nation this week, eight behind John Vanbenschoten of Kent State, who has 30 homers to lead Division I. Jarrod Schmidt has hit 15 home runs to rank fourth in the ACC behind Baker, Benick and Griffin in the ACC, while Michael Johnson is tied for fifth with 14.

Khalil Greene had a three-run home run in last Thursday’s ACC Tournament victory over North Carolina for his 11th home run of the season. He joins Baker, Schmidt and Johnson with at least 10 home runs this season, the quartet has combined for 62 home runs (81.6 percent of the home runs hit by the Tigers this year). Only Baker had a double-figure total in 2000 with his 11 round-trippers. Clemson last had four players with 10 or more home runs in 1997 when five players had double digit totals. Matthew LeCroy led the Tigers with a school best 24, followed by Kurt Bultmann (16), Gary Burnham (15), Jason Embler (14) and Matt Padgett (13). Those five players accounted for 82 of Clemson’s 95 (86.3 percent) homers that season.

Multiple Home Run Games The two home runs hit by Michael Johnson in the 17-1 win over Virginia on May 12 marked the 10th time this season that a Tigerhit two home runs in the same game. Jeff Baker hit in the North Carolina game on April 28 marked the fifth time this season and the seventh time of his career that he hit two homers in the same game. He leads Clemson in that category. Jarrod Schmidt is the only other Tiger with multiple home runs in more than one game. He hit two home runs April 6 at Florida State and again April 14 vs. Duke. The 10 multi-home run games this season is the most in school history.

Multi HR Games This Season

Multi HR Games in a Season by Individual

19 tied at 2 including current Tigers:

Multi HR Games in a Season by Team

Back-to-Back First baseman Khalil Greene hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning the April 17 10-4 win over Georgia. It marked the third time this season that Clemson has launched consecutive home runs. The Tigers did it in the very first game of the year when Jeff Baker and Jarrod Schmidt hit homers in the bottom of the first inning against Richmond. The Tigers did it again in the series finale at Wake Forest as Ryan Riley and Schmidt belted blasts in the third inning en route to a 9-1 victory and series win.

Greene Sets HBP Records Who is the Ron Hunt of Clemson baseball? The answer is starting shortstop Khalil Greene who believes in getting on base anyway he can. Hunt set many records for being hit by a pitch in his major league career with the Mets and Expos. Greene is establishing records in that area at Clemson.

Greene was hit for the 20th time this season last week in the ACC Tournament game against Virginia to extend his season record. It was the 46th time in his career, an all-time Clemson record. He is just a junior. Burnham owned the all-time record with 39 HBP recorded between 1994-97. Greene was hit five times in the New York Tech series, including a single game record three times in the first game of the series, a 24-3 win. That included being hit twice in one inning in that game, also a first in Clemson baseball history. Greene has now been hit by a pitch 20 times and walked 21 times this season. He has a .404 on-base percentage for his 219 at bats.

Greene Also Among School Leaders in 6 Categories Khalil Greene not only has learned the art of being hit by a pitch, he is also among the school’s career leaders in six other categories. He ranks in the top 10 in five of the statistics and the top 20 of another. Greene is fifth in career doubles with 61 in his three years at Clemson. He is ninth in career hits (263) and ninth in RBIs (182). The junior from Key West, FL also ranks 10th in at bats (762) and 10th in total bases (408). His .345 career batting average is 17th best in Clemson annals.

Stone Rarely Strikes Out Clemson senior Casey Stone has struck out just nine times in his 255 at bats this season – that is one strike out every 28.3 at bats, the second best season ratio (1/28.3) in Tiger history. Over his career he has a strike out-to-at-bat ratio of 1/15.93, which is 45 strike outs in 717 at bats. Stone also has a knack for reaching base. He has started every game this season and has reached safely in 54 of the 58 games. He has gone hitless in just six games, but has reached once with a walk and another time he was hit by a pitch. Stone is currently riding a 10-game hit streak, but his season long was 14. Stone is the only senior to have played all four years at Clemson. The other three on the postseason roster are transfers. Stone has played 221 games in his career, the seventh-best total in school history. His .3361 career batting average ties him for 30th all-time.

Pyzik Lays Down the Bunt The sacrifice bunt by Steve Pyzik in the 10th inning at Furman on May 9 was his 11th sac bunt of the season, which ranks second in school history. Casey Stone owns the school record for sacrifice bunts in a season. He had 14 last year. The pair are the only two in history to post double digit sacrifice bunt totals in a season.

Top Five Single Season Bunt Totals

Pitching Paces Tigers Clemson ranks second in the ACC in pitching with a 4.00 team ERA. Florida State owns the best team ERA with 3.32, while Georgia Tech is third with a 4.35 ERA. In ACC games only, Clemson led the league with a 3.01 ERA and gave up only nine home runs in conference action. The next closest staff in home runs allowed was Florida State, which watched opponents tee off on 17 home runs. The Seminoles had a 3.13 ERA in ACC games to rank second.

Right handed pitcher Steve Reba owns the best ERA in the ACC. The junior from Fort Wayne, IN sports a 2.26 ERA and also leads the league with an 11-3 record and opponents batting average. The former ACC Pitcher of the Week (April 23) is holding opposing batters to a measly .209. Reba is tops the league in strike outs with 91.

Reba had sprinted out to an 8-1 record before losing two consecutive starts: April 25 vs. South Carolina and April 29 vs. North Carolina. He rebounded for his ninth win of the season, a 7-6 victory at N.C. State on May 5. He pitched the first complete game of his career on April 20, a 3-0 shut out of Georgia Tech. Against Duke on April 14, Steve Reba struck out a career-high 12 batters to lead Clemson to a 10-1 victory over the Blue Devils. Reba went six innings, allowed just two hits and one run. His strike out total was the high mark by a Clemson pitcher since Ryan Mottl had 12 in a loss to Virginia on April 4, 1998.

After Reba’s complete game shutout against Georgia Tech on April 20, Schmidt followed with a complete game of his own in the Saturday game against the Yellow Jackets. In his second complete game of his career, the sophomore showed his form from a year ago when he amassed a perfect 9-0 record. Against Georgia Tech, he did not allow Tech to score a run until the ninth inning. On April 15 vs. Duke, he got the win in 5 1/3 innings allowing just four runs (three earned) off eight hits. Schmidt is now 6-3 this season and is holding batters to a .241 average, fifth best in the ACC.

Sophomore Matt Henrie is the most improved pitcher on the Clemson staff in 2001. The sophomore from Jupiter, FL and Cardinal Newman High School appeared in just five games in 1999 and had an ERA of 13.50. He pitched just 3.1 innings for the season. He red-shirted the 2000 season. So far this year, Henrie has a 5-3 record and a 3.21 ERA, which ranks fifth in the ACC. He is holding opposing batters to a .229 average, fourth best in the conference. Henrie was named ACC Pitcher of the Week (May 7) for pitching seven shutout innings at N.C. State. He is a two-time honoree after grabbing kudos earlier this year when he shutout Maryland 7-0 on March 18. He pitched six innings and allowed just three hits, no runs and struck out five of the 25 batters he faced.

Tigers in the ACC Rankings Jeff Baker has 22 home runs, four in front of Virginia’s Jon Benick and Florida State’s John-Ford Griffin, for the most in the ACC. Jarrod Schmidt ranks fourth in the league with 15 home runs, while Michael Johnson is tied for fifth with 14. Baker and Schmidt each finished with nine home runs in ACC games to lead the conference. Baker has 69 RBIs to lead the conference by one in front of Wake Forest’s Jamie D’Antona, the ACC Freshman of the Year. Baker’s 1.25 RBIs per game is best in the league. Baker is second in slugging percentage (.761), second in total bases (162) and third in on-base percentage (.471). Baker is batting .376 and is tied for seventh with teammate Casey Stone. He has also scored the sixth most runs in the ACC, having scored 60.

Casey Stone is fourth in the conference in hits with 96, seven behind Griffin who has 103. Victor Menocal (99) and Richard Lewis (97), both of Georgia Tech, are second and third. Stone is also fifth in the ACC in stolen bases. He is averaging .41 stolen bases per game and is 24 of 29 (.828) on the base paths this season. Chad Coder is ninth in the stolen base department and was perfect on the paths in 15 tries until being thrown out once in the North Carolina series. He is now 17 of 19 (.895) this season.

Johnson is tied for sixth in walks. He has boarded base 39 times this season by bases on balls and walked three times in the Virginia series and four times in the ACC Tournament.

In the pitching department, Steve Reba is tops in wins (11), ERA (2.26) and opponents’ batting average (.209). His ERA ranks 21st in the nation. He now leads the ACC in strike outs. The righty has 91 strike outs this season, one ahead of Steve Kelly of Georgia Tech. Joining Reba to rank among the leads best against batters, Matt Henrie is fourth versus opposing batters who have a .229 average against Henrie. Schmidt is hold batters to an average of .257, good enough for seventh in the league. Henrie’s ERA of 3.21 is fifth best in the league.

As a team, Clemson leads the ACC in fielding with a .967 fielding percentage. The Tigers are fifth in batting with a .301 average and are second in pitching with a 4.00 ERA behind Florida State (3.32).

Boyd Out for the Year Senior preseason All-American center fielder Patrick Boyd will not return to the Clemson lineup this season is in the middle of a five-week rehabilitation for his back Clemson head coach Jack Leggett announced May 4 at the conclusion of practice. Clemson has been without the services Boyd for all but one game this season because of a stress fracture in his back. Boyd missed all of preseason practice and missed the team’s first 13 games of the season before appearing in the lineup March 11 in the Tigers’ 17-4 win over Ohio University. Boyd was 1 for 3 with a double and scored two runs against Ohio, but the pain continued and forced him to miss the two games with Georgia Southern. On March 14, he flew with team doctor Byron Harder to Tampa, FL to be checked out by a back specialist, Dr. Tom Tolli, who works primarily with major league baseball players, including Jose Canseco. Boyd immediately began a six-week rehabilitation process and was expected to return to the lineup last weekend vs. North Carolina, but he decided to rest this week while Clemson was taking final exams. He anticipated returning this weekend for the Tigers’ three-game ACC series at N.C. State, but after further review by Dr. Tolli it was determined Boyd was not ready to come back.

“I’m obviously disappointed with the results,” Boyd said. “Right now my plan is to focus on getting 100 percent healthy and from their I’ll weigh my options and go in the direction that I think will best benefit my future in baseball.”

“It is an unfortunate situation, but the stress fracture has not healed the way it needed to heal,” Leggett said. “It is very disappointing it had to happen this way, but it is in his best interest not to play. If he were to come back and keep swinging, he could do permanent damage. It is just very disappointing for him because of the person that he is and the potential that he has.”

Boyd, who came back to Clemson for his senior year after getting drafted in the fourth round by the Pittsburgh Pirates last year, was a 1999 All-American and is a 2001 preseason second-team All-American by Baseball America. He is a career .342 hitter with a .442 on-base percentage and 49 stolen bases in three seasons. The senior from Palm Harbor, FL ranks in the school’s career top-10 lists in five different categories, including walks, doubles, runs scored, hits and RBIs.

Baker Invited to Team USA Trials Jeff Baker was one of 19 players invited May 1 to participate in the 2001 USA Baseball National Team Trials which will be held in Tucson, AZ June 16-19.

Baker will be trying to represent the United States for the fourth time in the last five years. The sophomore from Woodbridge, VA was a member of the 1997 USA Youth National Team that finished fifth at the IBA World Youth Championships in Taipei, Taiwan. He was also a member of the 1999 USA Junior National Team that won the gold medal at the IBA World Junior Championships in Kaohsiung China and in 2000 helped led the USA National Team to the gold medal at the Honkbal Classic in Holland.

The USA National Team will be selected from a pool of approximately 20-29 players, of which an additional 5-10 have yet to be determined. Team USA will play approximately 30 games on the Red, White and Blue Summer Tour, beginning on June 22 with the 30th annual USA vs Japan Collegiate All-Star Series, which this year will be played in Japan.

Jeff Baker Wins Bob Bradley MVP Award Jeff Baker was awarded the first-ever Bob Bradley Award following Wednesday’s game against South Carolina. The award goes to the Clemson MVP in the annual series versus the Gamecocks and is named for the school’s longtime sports information director. Drew Meyer was selected South Carolina’s MVP and was presented the Tom Price Award, named for the Gamecocks former sports information director. Voting was done by the media.

Baker batted .615 (8 for 13) in his three games vs. South Carolina this season. He was a perfect 5 for 5 in the first meeting in Columbia on March 4, a game Clemson won 7-4. It was South Carolina’s first loss of the season against 13 victories. Baker missed the second game in Columbia on April 18 with a head cold. For the series, he hit two home runs, batted in three teammates and scored five times. Meyer was 7 for 15 (.467) with two doubles and two home runs that scored four.

Leggett Selected for Western Carolina Hall of FameJack Leggett, the winningest baseball coach at Western Carolina with 302 victories in nine seasons, will be inducted into the Western Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame Oct. 12-13. Leggett led the Catamounts to an unprecedented five consecutive Southern Conference Championships and five straight NCAA tournament bids from 1985-89. Two of his teams, 1985 and 1987, finished the season ranked among the nation’s top 30. The 1987 squad reached the NCAA Midwest Regional championship game. Western averaged 33 wins per season during Leggett’s tenure and played in the SoCon Championship game in eight of his nine seasons. In addition to his success on the field 100 percent of the players who completed their eligibility with the Catamounts, received a degree from WCU. Three players earned Academic All-American honors.

2001 ACC Review…Clemson Sweeps Virginia The Tigers needed to win two games to clinch the second seed at the ACC Tournament, but instead they took all three games and claimed second place outright.

Steve Reba allowed just one earned run in seven innings and Khalil Greene had four hits and four runs batted in, leading Clemson to an 8-1 college victory over Virginia in the first game of a Saturday afternoon doubleheader. Reba improved to 10-3 with the victory, becoming the first ACC pitcher to reach the 10-win mark this year. He allowed just six hits in seven innings, struck out seven and did not walk a batter. Greene had four hits, including hits ninth home run of the season as he boosted his batting average over .300 for the season. The Clemson shortstop also had three singles. Leadoff hitter Ryan Riley had three hits and an RBI, while number-nine hitter, Kyle Frank, had two hits and drove in a run.

In the second game Saturday, Michael Johnson belted out five hits, including two home runs to lead Clemson to a 17-1 victory over Virginia. Greene knocked in five runs in the contest, giving him nine RBIs for the day. Greene had four hits and four RBIs in the first game. He had just one hit in the second game, but he had a three-run homer, a sacrifice fly and an RBI ground out.

Clemson needed ninth-inning heroics on Sunday to avoid the second extra inning contest of the week. Zane Green two-out, pinch hit single in the bottom of the ninth inning capped a frantic finish as Clemson defeated Virginia 5-4. Clemson led 4-0 heading into the top of the ninth when Virginia came roaring back. The Cavaliers scored a run and loaded the bases with four straight singles off reliever Josh Cram to start the inning. David Stone then struck out but another run scored when Cram hit Chris Sweet with a pitch. After a flyout by Hunter Wyant, Jon Benick hit a two-run single to left field that tied the game at four. The inning ended one batter later when Mark Rueffert popped up to second base.

Michael Johnson led off the bottom of the inning with a walk and moved to second base on Jarrod Schmidt sacrifice bunt. Catcher Jon Smith followed with a strikeout to set up the dramatic ending. Green hit a two-strike, two-out line drive single to center field that scored Johnson from second base and allowed the Tigers to walk off with a victory.

Despite giving up the four runs in the ninth inning on Sunday, Cram got the win and moved to 4-1 on the year. Schmidt led the Tiger offense with two hits, an RBI and a run scored. Stone went 1-3 with two runs scored. Virginia reliever Chris Marinak (2-1) got the loss for Virginia.

Khalil Greene Earn ACC Weekly Honors Clemson’s Steve Reba earns ACC Pitcher of the Week while Clemson’s Khalil Greene and Florida State’s John-Ford Griffin share ACC Player of the Week honors.

Reba, a junior right-hander from Fort Wayne, IN, threw seven innings, allowing just one run and striking out seven of the 26 batters faced. Reba recorded his ACC-leading 10th victory of the year in the 8-1 win over Virginia in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. Reba had a 1.29 ERA last week and leads the conference with a 2.22 ERA in 89.0 innings pitched. He has 86 strike outs this season and has allowed only 27 runs, 22 of which have been earned. He is holding opponents to a .194 batting average, the best in the league.

Greene, a junior shortstop, helped Clemson pick up a win over Furman and sweep the series against Virginia. The Key West, FL, native went 7 for 17 (.412) at the plate with 10 RBI and two home runs. He also recorded a stolen base and had at least one hit in all four contests. He became the 10th Tiger this season to hit at least 10 home runs with two in the series against the Cavaliers. He was perfect in the field last week with three put outs and 15 assists. He is not hitting .311 this season.

Clemson Takes Series at N.C. State The Tigers took two of three games against N.C. State last weekend in Raleigh. Clemson held on for a 7-6 victory in the first game of a day-night doubleheader before a ninth-inning rally fell short in the nightcap with the Wolfpack winning 4-3. Sunday’s game went in favor of the Orange and Purple 10-2.

Khalil Greene hit home runs to spark Clemson to the 7-6 victory early on Saturday. Baker gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead on his 18th home run of the season. The shot over the fence in right-center field was his 29th career homer, which tied him with Matthew LeCroy for home runs by a Tiger in his freshman and sophomore seasons. Greene broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the fourth inning with his eighth home run of the season which he hit high off the score board in deep left-center field. Clemson added three runs in the fifth inning and two in the sixth and had to hold on for a one-run victory. Steve Reba got the win to improve to 9-3 after he pitched 6 1/3 innings scattering eight hits while only allowing four runs, three earned.

Justin Riley scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth on an infield single to give N.C. State a 4-3 victory in Saturday’s second game. With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Brian Wright reached first base on a Baker’s second error of the game and then advanced to second on a passed ball. Sean Walsh singled to right field and that moved Wright to third base. Jamey Shearin was intentionally walked by Clemson and then Riley hit a dribbler between third base and the pitcher that Clemson reliever Josh Cram could not field cleanly and Wright scored the winning run.

On Sunday, Matt Henrie pitched seven innings of shutout baseball and Clemson had 16 hits in a 10-2 victory that clinched the weekend ACC series against the Wolfpack. Steve Pyzik was 4 for 4 for the Tigers with two RBIs while Ryan Riley, Khalil Greene each had two hits for Clemson.

Henrie Tabbed ACC Pitcher of the Week Clemson sophomore right-handed pitcher Matt Henrie was named the ACC Pitcher of the Week after pitching seven scoreless innings in a 10-2 win over N.C. State in Raleigh on Sunday.

Henrie gave up no runs on five hits while walking just two and striking out four of the 26 batters he faced. Henrie improved to 5-2 this season in eight starts and sports a 3.09 ERA, the second best among Clemson’s starters and third best in the ACC. He is holding opposing batters to a .226 batting average, which ranks fourth in the ACC. Henrie has pitched 55 1/3 innings with 44 strike outs. He has allowed just 27 earned runs on 47 hits. It was the second time this season that Henrie has been named ACC Pitcher of the Week. He garnered honors March 19 after allowing no runs on three hits in 6.0 innings in a 7-0 victory in the series finale against Maryland.

Clemson Wins UNC Series 2-1 The Tigers beat North Carolina on Friday and Saturday in come-from-behind victories to clinch the season series against the Tar Heels and then lost Sunday’s game 4-0.

Khalil Greene slugged a two-out three-run home run in the sixth inning to key Clemson to a come-from-behind 6-3 victory over North Carolina in ACC baseball action on Friday, April 27.

On Saturday, Steve Pyzik were the heroes. Baker sent the game into extra innings with a two-out two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth and Pyzik’s single drove in the winning run in the 10th inning as Clemson defeated North Carolina 10-9. North Carolina appeared to be headed for victory holding a 9-7 lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth until Baker stepped to the plate. Clemson’s best hitter sent Jason Howell’s offering deep over the left field fence for a two-run home run that tied the game at nine and pushed it into extra innings. Baker had already homered earlier in the game and the two-homer night was his fifth multi-homer game of the season. In the bottom of the 10th, Greene singled and stole second base to lead off the inning. Jarrod Schmidt was intentionally walked and Chad Coder laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third base with one out. After Zane Green was intentionally walked to load the bases, Pyzik hit a chopper to the right side of the infield that got through and scored the winning run. Sunday belonged to North Carolina pitcher Scott Autrey as he limited the Clemson offense to four hits in a 4-0 win on Sunday. Autrey struck out six over nine innings and did not allow a Tiger runner to reach third base. He out-dueled Clemson starter Steve Reba (8-3), who struck out five over 8.1 innings but was credited with all four earned runs.

The Tar Heels got to Reba with a two-out rally in the eighth inning. Ron Braun and Brandon Russell singled and then scored when Adam Greenberg doubled to left field. North Carolina padded its lead in the ninth with a pair of runs.

Complete Game Shutout Was the First vs. Clemson by an ACC Team Since 1997 ACC Tournament The pitching performance by North Carolina starter Scott Autrey April 29 was something that no other conference pitcher had been able to do against Clemson in almost four years. The sophomore right hander tossed a complete game shutout against the Tigers, the first in ACC play since May 17, 1997 when Florida State’s Chris Chavez blanked the Tigers 10-0 in the ACC Tournament championship. The last time Clemson was shutout in a complete game not in an ACC contest was the opening weekend of the 2000 season. Central Florida beat the Tigers 5-0 in the ACC Disney Blast on Jan. 30.

Tigers Take Georgia Tech Series 2-1 The Tigers got back to back complete games from Steve Reba on Friday and Jarrod Schmidt on Saturday as Clemson took 3-0 and 5-1 victories against Georgia Tech last weekend to remain in second place in the ACC standings.

Reba struck out seven in Clemson’s first complete game shutout in ACC play since 1996. Last Friday’s effort came against the seventh-ranked Yellow Jackets, who entered the game with a .352 team batting average, the best in the nation. The right hander improved to 8-1 and kept the Tech hitters off-balanced and gave up only an infield single in the first five innings.

Schmidt produced his best outing of the season as Clemson defeated Georgia Tech 5-1 last Saturday night. The right hander allowed five hits and one run while striking out four over nine innings. Schmidt helped his own cause in the eighth inning with a blast over the left field fence for a 5-0 lead.

On Sunday, Georgia Tech used a solid pitching effort from Kyle Bakker and 11 hits by its offense to take a 5-3 victory against the Tigers. Bakker scattered seven hits over eight innings and gave up three runs, none of which were earned.

The First Complete Game Shutout Since… Steve Reba struck out seven Friday night against Georgia Tech in Clemson’s first complete game shutout in ACC play since Ken Vining’s 2-0 win over Florida State on May 6, 1996. Friday’s effort came against the seventh-ranked Yellow Jackets, who entered the game with a .352 team batting average, the best in the nation. The complete game was the first in Reba’s career.

Back-to-Back Complete Games Jarrod Schmidt performance on Saturday, April 21, followed Steve Reba’s complete game shutout of the Yellow Jackets on Friday. The feat of back-to-back complete games was last accomplished in the NCAA Atlantic Regional at Clemson in 1996. Billy Koch pitched in a 5-1 victory over Old Dominion on May 24 and Ken Vining defeated West Virginia 6-3 a day later.

Clemson had just three complete games in all of 2000. Ryan Mottl pitched complete games in the 8-4 win over Florida State (5/18) in the ACC Tournament and then again in the 4-0 victory against Middle Tennessee (5/26) in the Clemson Regional. Mottl’s pair of complete games were in back-to-back starts. Schmidt had the first of his career at North Carolina (4/1) in a 10-2 victory.

Reba Grabs ACC Weekly Pitching Honors Clemson’s Steve Reba earned Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week honors April 23 while Virginia’s Dan Street was selected the ACC Player of the Week honors.

Pitcher of the Week honors were claimed by Reba, a junior right-handed pitcher for the Tigers. The Fort Wayne, IN native threw a complete game shutout of seventh-ranked Georgia Tech to open the series with a 3-0 win over the Yellow Jackets. In nine innings, Reba faced 33 batters, striking out seven and allowing just three hits and one walk. He held the Jackets to a .097 batting average and was the first Clemson complete game shutout versus an ACC opponent since Ken Vining took home a 2-0 victory against Florida State in 1996.

Tigers Complete 3-Game Sweep of Duke Clemson scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on its way to a 6-4 victory and a three-game sweep of the Duke Blue Devils on April 15.

Clemson’s three-game sweep coupled with Wake Forest’s 2-1 series win over Georgia Tech vaulted the Tigers from fourth place in the ACC standings on Friday into second place behind only Florida State on Sunday. Duke, which had failed to score a run before the fourth inning in either of the two previous games, scored one run in the first inning on Sunday. The Blue Devils added a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 3-0 lead.

Clemson scored five runs on four hits in the fifth inning to go on top 5-3. Ryan Riley was hit by Duke starter Justin Dilucchio. Michael Johnson followed with a single to score Stone and then Khalil Greene doubled to score Riley. Schmidt tied the game with a base hit that scored Johnson. The Tigers added two runs on a throwing error by Alleva at third base.

Duke got one run back in the top of the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by Scott Grossi that scored Kevin Kelly, but Clemson added an insurance run in the eighth on a base hit by Riley that scored Steve Pyzik.

Clemson Swept by Florida State The Tigers dropped all three games April 6-8 in Tallahassee to fall to 5-4 in the ACC. Florida State won 7-4 on Friday, 7-6 on Saturday and then claimed a 6-1 win on Sunday to complete its first sweep of the Tigers since 1995. Clemson threw undefeated pitchers in all three contests and all were charged with their first loss of the season, including the starters in the first two games that ranked one and two in the ACC in ERA. Steve Reba entered Friday night’s game with a 1.99 ERA yet allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. Matt Henrie entered the game with a 3-0 record and a 2.08 ERA but allowed six earned runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings for his first defeat. On Sunday, Nick Glaser let three earned runs score on five hits in 1 2/3 innings. The Orange and Purple had their moments on offense. Jarrod Schmidt belted two home runs on Friday in a 2 for 3 night and then on Saturday Jeff Baker put up two homers, including a shot in the ninth that could have tied the game had Kyle Jernigan not roped in a shot to deep center field by Chad Coder the batter before Baker. Clemson gave up big innings on both Friday and Saturday. The Seminoles scored five runs in the sixth inning on Friday and then scored four runs in the fifth on Saturday.

Clemson Wins 2 of 3 at Wake Forest The Tigers took two of the three meetings from Wake Forest in Winston-Salem March 23-25. Clemson won the first game 4-1 in 12 innings and took the rubber game on Sunday with a convincing 9-1 victory. Wake Forest won 12-3 on Saturday.

On Friday, Wake Forest left the bases loaded in the ninth after a couple of squandered bunting situations and then again failed to score on three singles in the 11th. Clemson made the Deacons pay in the very next inning and loaded the bases with just one hit. A hit by pitch, sacrifice bunt, an error and a single filled the bases full of Tigers before Michael Johnson’s single to left brought in one run. Zane Green lined a single to left to score two more runs and give Clemson the 4-1 victory. On Saturday, Wake Forest senior Cory Sullivan was the star of the game throwing a complete game win and going three-for-five at the plate with three RBI as the Demon Deacons won 12-3.

Clemson fought back to win Sunday’s series deciding game. Wake Forest pitchers had allowed just six home runs in the first 24 games but four Clemson batters went deep for the Tigers on Sunday. Michael Johnson and Ryan Riley hit back-to-back homers in the fourth to give the Clemson a 5-0 lead. Khalil Greene and Jeff Baker tacked on insurance runs via the long ball. It was Greene’s second home runs of the year and the eighth for Baker. It was more than enough for Tiger starter Matt Henrie who pitched eight strong innings and yielded just one run on six hits. He struck out five and surrendered just one extra base hit all day. Henrie earned the win to improve to 2-0 on the season. Thomas Boozer pitched the final three outs.

Tigers Sweep Maryland Clemson opened the 2001 ACC schedule with a three-game sweep at Maryland. The Tigers won Friday’s contest 8-6, despite allowing four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Jeff Baker was 3 for 5 with four RBIs and his fifth double of the season. Casey Stone was also 3 for 5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Chad Coder and Steve Pyzik also had multiple hits for the Tigers.

Ryan Riley was 4 for 4 with and RBI and scored two runs in Clemson’s 9-6 win in the middle game. The game was halted in the top of the ninth on Saturday because of rain. The Tigers were in front 8-5 with no outs and the bases loaded, but Clemson scored one run before allowing one Maryland run to claim the 9-6 decision on Sunday.

Matt Henrie allowed just three hits in 6.0 innings in the series finale as Clemson went on to a 7-0 shutout victory of the Terrapins. Jarrod Schmidt was 2 for 3 with two RBI and Michael Johnson was 2 for 4 with three RBI thanks to his sixth home run of the season. Schmidt and Coder also homered for Clemson.

Clemson at the 2000 NCAA Tournament… Mottl Shuts Out Middle Tennessee in Clemson Regional Opener No Tiger on last season’s roster had pitched a shutout coming into Clemson’s game with Middle Tennessee in the first round of the Clemson Regional on May 26, but Ryan Mottl changed that by allowing just four hits and one walk in 9.0 innings as Clemson defeated the Blue Raiders 4-0. Mottl also pitched back-to-back complete games for the first time since 1996 (Kris Benson). Mottl, who set the Clemson record with his 66th career start, struck out eight and improved to 9-3 in 2000 and 22-2 at home in his career. Jeff Baker added two solo homers in his first career NCAA Tournament game. Baker had two homers two games ago against Virginia, therefore hit four homers in the last three games. Khalil Greene also extended his hitting streak to 20 games with his first-inning double down the right-field line. Casey Stone added a clutch two-out, run-scoring hit and a sacrifice fly as well. Former Tiger pitcher Jeff Parsons, who pitched in Tigertown as a freshman in 1997, allowed four runs and nine hits in 7.1 innings, as he suffered the loss. The meeting between Clemson and Middle Tennessee was the first.

Five-Run Eighth Inning Propels Tigers to 9-3 Win Over Illinois Clemson scored five runs in the eighth inning and Kevin Lynn pitched 5.1 outstanding innings in relief as the Tigers downed Illinois 9-3 in the second round of the Clemson Regional on May 27. Lynn, who relieved Scott Berney in the fourth inning, allowed two hits, one run, and no walks to run his record to 4-1. Clemson scored three runs on three separate Illinois wild pitches, as the Tigers had just four RBIs in the contest. Clemson, who had just six hits, was led by Casey Stone, who had two hits. Brian Ellis walked three times and scored three times as well. Justin Singleton, who was a defensive replacement in the seventh inning, lined a key two-run triple in the eighth inning off lefthander Andy Dickinson. It was just Singleton’s 12th at bat against a lefty all season. Khalil Greene 20-game hitting streak came to an end, as he was robbed twice by outstanding defensive plays.

Tiger Bats Explode in 21-3 Regional Championship Clinching Win Clemson set a team record for hits in an NCAA Tournament game with 24 as the Tigers captured the Clemson Regional Championship with a 21-3 win over Middle Tennessee on May 28. After the Blue Raiders jumped out to a 3-1 lead after one inning, Clemson scored 20 unanswered runs, including at least one run in each of the first seven innings, including five in both the fifth and sixth innings and six runs in the seventh. Ryan Riley led Clemson with five RBIs, three runs scored, and two hits in two at bats. Henr’ Stanley and Patrick Boyd each had four hits as well. All nine Tiger starters had at least one hit by the fifth inning and eight Tigers in all had at least two hits. The Tigers set season highs for both runs and hits. Jarrod Schmidt pitched superbly after allowing three first-inning runs. In 6.0 innings, he allowed eight hits, three runs, and one walk while striking out five to get the win.

Lynn Saves the Day as Tigers Down Bulldogs 11-4 in Game One of Super Regional Kevin Lynn pitched 7.1 scoreless innings of relief to lead Clemson over #10 Mississippi State 11-4 in front of 6,308 fans on June 2 in the first game of the Clemson Super Regional. Lynn relieved Ryan Mottl and allowed just three hits, no runs, and no walks while striking out six. After Clemson took a 3-0 lead in the first, the Bulldogs stormed back with four runs in the second, two of which scored on a fielding error by Khalil Greene. Greene later redeemed himself with two outstanding defensive plays and two doubles. Trailing 4-3 in the fifth, Clemson scored six runs to salt the game away. Ryan Riley sacrifice fly tied the score 4-4, and Mike Calitri’s two-run double gave the Tigers a lead they would never relinquish. Calitri’s batted ball was a routine fly ball, but was lost in the late evening sky. Clemson went on to score three additional runs in the frame. Justin Singleton and Greene chipped in with three hits apiece to lead the Tigers’ 14-hit attack, while the Bulldogs managed just four hits in the game.

Tigers Omaha Bound Thanks to 9-4 Win Over Mississippi State Henr’ Stanley came off the bench to tally three hits and three RBIs, and Brian Ellis added three hits as Clemson downed #10 Mississippi State 9-4 in front of a Clemson record crowd of 6,392 in the Super Regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Stanley and Ellis, who batted in the last two spots in the batting order, had six of the team’s 12 hits, and had five of the team’s seven RBIs. Steve Reba, who relieved Scott Berney in the second inning, got the win by pitching 4.2 effective innings, allowing five hits and one earned run. Nick Glaser pitched the final 3.0 innings, allowing two hits and no runs to pick up his 15th save of the season, setting a Tiger single-season record in the process. The Bulldogs left 11 runners on base.

Clemson Tops Spartans 10-6 in CWS Opener Clemson scored eight runs in the second inning, its highest ever output in a single inning by a Tiger team in the College World Series, as the #3 Tigers downed #7 San Jose State 10-6 on June 9. The previous record by a Tiger club was five runs, which occurred on three different occasions. The eight-run outburst started with four Tigers reaching via singles and was highlighted by Patrick Boyd three-run homer to left field. Clemson, who added two more runs in the third inning, had all 10 of its runs and nine of its 10 hits in the first three innings. Ryan Mottl earned the win despite allowing nine hits and five earned runs in 5.0 innings. The win was the senior’s 10th of 2000, becoming the first Tiger to reach double digits since Mottl won 10 games as a freshman in 1997. Steve Reba pitched 4.0 scoreless innings in relief to earn the save. He allowed just two hits and one walk, and worked out of a second-and-third jam with no outs in the seventh inning without allowing a run. It was Clemson’s first opening game win in the College World Series in its last six appearances in Omaha.

Stanford Claims 10-4 Win Stanford hit 12 singles and Justin Wayne pitched 7.2 innings to earn his 15th win as the Cardinal downed Clemson 10-4 Sunday in the College World Series. The top-ranked Cardinal scattered 12 Tiger hits, as Clemson was just 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position, including 0-for-8 in the first three innings. Kevin Lynn started and pitched 3.1 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. Lynn suffered the loss. The Tigers used seven pitchers on the day. Casey Stone and Henr’ Stanley led the Tigers with three hits apiece. Joe Borchard paced the Cardinal with three hits, three runs, and two RBIs. Clemson left 11 runners on base.

Tiger Season Ends With 5-4 Loss to Cajuns Louisiana-Lafayette scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat Clemson 5-4 on June 14 in the College World Series. The loss eliminated the Tigers and ended their season at 51-18. Trailing 3-0 entering the seventh, Clemson plated four runs to take the lead. Brian Ellis reached on an error by first baseman Scott Atwood, while Justin Singleton scored on the play. Three batters later, Khalil Greene hit a two-out, two-run double to give Clemson a 4-3 lead. Clemson held the lead entering the ninth inning. Jarvis Larry led off with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by pinch-hitter Neil Simoneaux. After Steve Reba, Rick Haydel singled to left, as Larry advanced to third. Steven Feehan then laid down a squeeze bunt with one out. Mottl threw to first as second baseman Ryan Riley was rushing over towards first. Riley was a step too late, and the ball trickled off his glove into shallow right-field and foul territory. Larry scored from third and Haydel came all the way around from first to score just ahead of Jarrod Schmidt pitched 7.0 effective innings, allowing just six runs, one walk, and two earned runs. Mottl suffered the loss. Greene had two doubles and two RBIs, while Patrick Boyd also had two hits, including a double. Clemson left 11 runners on base and was 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.