Tigers to Face Boston College in Chestnut Hill Friday-Sunday

Clemson vs. Boston CollegeClemson (18-11, 6-6 ACC) will travel to Chestnut Hill, MA to take on Boston College (5-22, 0-11 ACC) in a three-game series at Commander Shea Field this weekend. Game times are 2:30 PM (Friday), 1:30 PM (Saturday), and 12:00 PM (Sunday).

All three games will be broadcast live on the radio by Clemson Tiger Sports Network. Live stats will also be available at ClemsonTigers.com for all three games.

The SeriesClemson and Boston College have met 21 times on the diamond, with the Tigers holding a 15-6 lead in the series dating to the 2006 season, the Eagles’ first year in the ACC. Clemson has won each of the last seven games and 10 of the last 11 contests in the series.

Last season at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, the Tigers swept the three-game series by a combined score of 17-8. In 2011 at Commander Shea Field, Clemson swept the series by a combined score of 25-9. The Eagles’ last win (11-5) came at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on April 3, 2010.

The Tigers hold a 7-2 lead in games played at Boston College. All 21 games in the series have been ACC regular-season contests and have also been with Jack Leggett as Clemson’s head coach. Leggett was 1-1 against Boston College as head coach at Vermont, meaning he is 16-7 all-time against the Eagles.

The Starting PitchersIn game-one, Boston College will start senior righthander Hunter Gordon (0-3, 4.24 ERA) on the mound. The Swampscott, MA native has made five relief appearances and two starts for a total of 17.0 innings pitched. He has allowed 18 hits (.277 opponents’ batting average) and five walks with eight strikeouts.

The Tigers will counter with sophomore righty Daniel Gossett (3-2, 2.89 ERA) on Friday. The Lyman, SC native has made seven starts for a total of 43.2 innings pitched. He has surrendered 38 hits (.232 opponents’ batting average) and 11 walks with 35 strikeouts.

In game-two, the Eagles will start junior righty Eric Stevens (0-6, 5.58 ERA) on the mound. The Pompton Lakes, NJ native has made seven starts for a total of 40.1 innings pitched. He has given up 56 hits (.344 opponents’ batting average) and 19 walks with 11 strikeouts.

Clemson will counter with freshman righthander Clate Schmidt (2-1, 4.40 ERA) on Saturday. The Acworth, GA native has made six starts and two relief appearances for a total of 28.2 innings pitched. He has given up 44 hits (.349 opponents’ batting average) and 11 walks with 18 strikeouts.

In game-three, Boston College will start freshman lefty Andrew Chin (1-6, 5.52 ERA) on the mound. The Newton, MA native has made six starts and one relief appearance for a total of 31.0 innings pitched. He has yielded 38 hits (.306 opponents’ batting average) and 18 walks with 23 strikeouts.

The Tigers will counter with freshman lefty Matthew Crownover (3-0, 3.62 ERA) on Sunday. The Ringgold, GA native has made six starts and one relief appearance for a total of 27.1 innings pitched. He has surrendered 25 hits (.245 opponents’ batting average) and six walks with 15 strikeouts.

The EaglesBoston College, led by third-year Head Coach Mike Gambino, enters the series against Clemson with a 5-22 overall record and an 0-11 ACC mark after winning a pair of midweek games at Connecticut (7-4) on Tuesday and against Harvard (8-6) at home on Wednesday.

The Eagles, who are also coming off a three-game sweep at the hands of Duke on the road last weekend, played their first home game of the season on Wednesday.

Boston College is averaging 3.0 runs per game and hitting .204 with a .275 slugging percentage and .288 on-base percentage thanks to 93 walks and 13 hit-by-pitches against 180 strikeouts. The team has also totaled 36 doubles, four triples, six home runs, and 14 stolen bases in 19 attempts.

John Hennessy leads the team with a .260 batting average, five doubles, two triples, and 10 RBIs. Tom Bourdon is batting .257 with seven doubles and four steals, while Chris Shaw has four home runs and 12 RBIs, both team-highs.

The pitching staff has a 7.00 ERA and .319 opponents’ batting average along with 149 strikeouts against 119 walks in 225.0 innings pitched. Sophomore lefthander Tyler Hinchliffe has two of the team’s three saves. Boston College, who has allowed 43 steals in 55 attempts, is fielding at a .958 clip as well.

The TigersClemson enters the series at Boston College with an 18-11 overall record and 6-6 ACC mark after defeating Gardner-Webb 4-1 at home on Wednesday. The Tigers, who are also coming off one win in three games at #1 North Carolina last weekend, are 4-4 on opponents’ home fields in 2013.

The Tigers are averaging 5.0 runs per game and hitting .270 with a .355 slugging percentage and .337 on-base percentage thanks to 91 walks and 14 hit-by-pitches against 196 strikeouts. Clemson has also totaled 48 doubles, three triples, 10 homers, and 41 stolen bases in 61 attempts.

Garrett Boulware is hitting a team-best .357 with five doubles, one triple, five homers, and 27 RBIs. Shane Kennedy is batting .316 with two homers, 16 RBIs, and six steals, while Thomas Brittle is hitting .295 with a team-high 11 steals.

The pitching staff has a 3.49 ERA and .266 opponents’ batting average in 263.0 innings pitched. The staff has allowed 86 walks against 182 strikeouts, good for a 2.12 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Junior righthander Matt Campbell has five of the team’s seven saves, while freshman lefty Zack Erwin is 2-0 with one save, a 2.25 ERA, and .195 opponents’ batting average in 24.0 innings pitched over 11 relief appearances. The Tigers are fielding at a .972 clip as well.

Slaton Taking Over Leadoff RoleSophomore outfielder Tyler Slaton (Cumming, GA) struggled early in the 2013 season. But he has been one of the team’s best hitters of late and has moved into the leadoff spot in the lineup. On the season, he is hitting .292 with three doubles, five RBIs, seven runs, and two steals. In the last 14 games, he is 18-for-50 (.360) with a .404 on-base percentage.

In his home state of Georgia against the Bulldogs on March 26, he went 4-for-5 with two runs to lead the Tigers to a 9-1 victory.

Two Former Tigers on Major League RostersTwo former Clemson baseball players have been on Major League rosters in 2013. The list includes infielder Jeff Baker and lefthander Tony Sipp.

Baker is in his ninth season in the Majors and played his fourth season with the Chicago Cubs in 2012 before being traded to the Detroit Tigers in August. He was later traded to the Atlanta Braves in 2012. He was then acquired by the Texas Rangers prior to the 2013 season. Baker, who is tied for the Tiger record with 59 career home runs, played for the Colorado Rockies in the 2007 World Series. He entered the 2013 season with 361 hits and 37 home runs in his Major League career.

Sipp, who batted .280 and had a 2-2 pitching record for the Tigers in 2004, was called up to Cleveland in 2009 and played four seasons with the Indians. He was acquired by the Arizona Diamondbacks prior to the 2013 season and is in his fifth year in the Major Leagues. Entering the 2013 season, Sipp had a 3.67 ERA and 225 strikeouts in 220.2 innings pitched over 249 relief appearances in his Major League career.