Tigers to Open Play in College World Series Against #1 National Seed Arizona State Sunday

June 16, 2010

Tigers Advance to the College World Series With back-to-back wins over #16 Alabama in the Clemson Super Regional, Clemson advanced to the College World Series for the 12th time in school history. The Tigers will open up with #1 national seed Arizona State (52-8) on Sunday at 7:00 PM EDT on ESPN2. Mike Patrick, Robin Ventura, and Erin Andrews will call the game on ESPN2.

Clemson, who is the only non-#1 seed to reach the 2010 College World Series, will be the designated visiting team and occupy the first-base dugout. The winner of that game will play the winner of the South Carolina vs. Oklahoma game on Tuesday at 9:00 PM EDT on ESPN2, while the two losers will play on Tuesday at 4:30 PM EDT on ESPN2.

All of the Tigers’ College World Series games will be broadcast live on the radio by Clemson Tiger Sports Network. Live stats will also be available for all Clemson games in the College World Series at ClemsonTigers.com.

Clemson Making 12th Trip to the CWS Clemson is making its 12th trip to the College World Series and its sixth appearance in the last 16 years. Clemson also made it to Omaha in 2006, 2002, 1996, and 1995. In 2006, Clemson defeated Georgia Tech 8-4 before falling to North Carolina (2-0) and Cal State Fullerton (7-6).

In 2002, the Tigers beat Nebraska and Georgia Tech before losing twice to South Carolina. That team featured unanimous National Player-of-the-Year Khalil Greene. In 2000, Clemson downed San Jose State in its first game, but then fell to Stanford and Louisiana-Lafayette.

In 1996, Clemson went 2-2, including dramatic victories over Oklahoma State and Alabama. The 1996 team featured the likes of National Player-of-the-Year Kris Benson and All-American Billy Koch, both future Major League righthanders and both top-four draft picks. In 1995, Clemson lost both of its games.

Clemson is 10-22 all-time in the College World Series. The Tigers have only won two games twice (1996,02). In those two seasons, Clemson finished tied for third. The Tigers made it to Omaha in Bill Wilhelm’s first two seasons at Clemson in 1958 and 1959. Wilhelm also guided Clemson to Omaha in 1976, 1977, 1980, and 1991. Wilhelm was 4-12 in the College World Series.

Head Coach Wilson Boyd was the only member of Clemson’s last College World Series team in 2006, as he red-shirted that season and did not make the trip.

Omaha on Tigers’ Mind Omaha is on the minds of the players every day. All of their hats have the word “Omaha” stitched inside the Tiger Paw on the back of their caps. On their way in and out of the clubhouse from the dugout at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, players and coaches touch a home plate that hangs on the wall. The plate is a memento from one of the Tigers’ CWS appearances in the 1990s that Head Coach Jack Leggett had dug up from Rosenblatt Stadium. The 2010 team is hoping to add its own memorabilia to the Clemson baseball tradition.

A Closer Look at the College World Series Field Clemson enters the College World Series as the only non #1 seed in the field. Only three of the eight national seeds have advanced to Omaha. The ACC, Pac 10, and SEC all have two schools represented, while the Big 12 and Mountain West have one school apiece.

The 2010 College World Series field is a veteran one. Five of the teams are making their ninth or more appearance in Omaha, including two teams with at least 20 appearances (Arizona State (22), Florida State (20)). Clemson is third among 2010 College World Series teams with 12.

Auburn Regional & Clemson Super Regional Recap The Tigers went a combined 5-2 in the Auburn Regional and Clemson Super Regional to advance to Omaha for the 12th time. The Tigers defeated Southern Mississippi 10-1 and #14 Auburn twice in three games on its home field by a combined score of 28-20 to capture the regional title. Then the Tigers downed #16 Alabama twice in three games by a combined score of 31-16 at home in the Clemson Super Regional.

Clemson is hitting .349 with a .564 slugging percentage and .409 on-base percentage in seven NCAA Tournament games. The team also has 21 doubles, one triple, 12 homers, and four steals.

John Hinson has been Clemson’s hottest hitter in the NCAA Tourney. The sophomore is 14-for-28 (.500) with five homers, one double, 10 RBIs, 10 runs, three walks, and a steal in seven games. Freshman Richie Shaffer has added three long balls and 10 RBIs as well.

The pitching staff has a 4.00 ERA and .289 opponents’ batting average. In 63.0 innings pitched over seven games, the staff has yielded just 11 walks against 51 strikeouts, good for a 4.64-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In two starts, Scott Weismann is 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA, while Casey Harman is 1-1 with a 1.56 ERA.

Clemson 5-1 Against CWS Field in 2010 Clemson owns a 5-1 record in 2010 against teams that have advanced to the College World Series. The Tigers have played just two of the seven teams in 2010. From March 3-5, Clemson won two of three games over #15 South Carolina by a combined score of 28-16. Clemson won the first game 4-3 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium before the Gamecocks rallied late to win 7-5 the next day at Fluor Field in Greenville, SC. In the series-finale at Carolina Stadium, Clemson downed South Carolina 19-6 behind two grand slams.

In the regular-season-finale, Clemson swept #7 Florida State in a three-game series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium by a combined score of 25-15. With the sweep, Clemson finished in a tie for first place with the Seminoles in the ACC Atlantic Division with an 18-12 record, as Clemson claimed the division title thanks to the sweep. The Tigers won by scores of 9-8, 8-4, and 8-3.

2010 CWS Clemson Connections Two head coaches in the 2010 College World Series have prominent ties to Tiger Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan served as Clemson’s pitching coach under Leggett for nine seasons from 1999-07 and made three trips to the College World Series with the Tigers (2000,02,06). Also, TCU Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle served one season (1993) as an assistant coach at Clemson alongside Leggett, who at the time was also an assistant under Head Coach Bill Wilhelm. Leggett became Clemson’s head coach in 1994.

Scouting Arizona State Number-one national seed and top-ranked Arizona State (52-8) enters the College World Series after winning both games over Arkansas in the Tempe Super Regional last weekend. Arizona State, who is 4-0 in neutral-site games, had a 20-7 record during its conference regular season, as it finished atop the Pac 10 standings.

Arizona State is led by first-year Head Coach Tim Esmay. The team won its first 24 games of the year and is riding a current six-game winning streak. The Sun Devils have not lost back-to-back games all season.

Arizona State is hitting .338 with a .539 slugging percentage and .436 on-base percentage. Arizona State, who is fielding at a .976 clip (11th-best in the nation), has also totaled 145 doubles, 37 triples, 68 homers, and is averaging 8.6 runs per game along with 68 hit-by-pitches and 134 stolen bases (eight-most in the nation). The Sun Devils also lead the nation in triples and winning percentage (86.7).

Zack MacPhee, who leads the nation in triples (14), is hitting .394 with nine homers, 64 RBIs, a .491 on-base percentage, and 19 steals. Riccio Torrez is batting .399 with 10 homers, 27 doubles, 53 RBIs, and 20 steals, while Deven Marrero is hitting .392 with six long balls, 41 RBIs, and 11 steals. Kole Calhoun is hitting .327 with 17 homers and 59 RBIs, while Drew Maggi has a team-high 35 stolen bases.

The pitching staff has a 3.14 ERA (third-best in the country) and .239 opponents’ batting average. The staff has allowed 160 walks against 537 strikeouts, good for a 3.36-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Junior righthander Seth Blair (12-0, 3.35 ERA) is scheduled to start on the mound against the Tigers on Sunday. The Rock Falls, IL native, who is fourth in the nation in wins, has made 17 starts for a total of 102.0 innings pitched. He has allowed 105 hits (.269 opponents’ batting average) and 24 walks with 104 strikeouts. Sophomore righty Jordan Swagerty is 2-0 with a 2.06 ERA and 14 saves (third-most in the nation) in 33 relief appearances. Sophomore lefthander Mitchell Lambson has 90 strikeouts against only 18 walks and 38 hits (.162 opponents’ batting average) in 68.2 innings pitched as well.

Scouting Clemson Clemson (43-23), ranked as high as #8 in the nation, enters the College World Series coming off two wins in three games over #16 Alabama in the Clemson Super Regional last weekend. Clemson was 18-12 during the ACC regular season, finishing atop the Atlantic Division standings.

The Tigers, who are 4-3 in neutral-site contests, are led by 17th-year Head Coach Jack Leggett. His 767 wins are seventh-most in college baseball during his tenure. The Tigers are also 11-10 against top-25 ranked teams in 2010.

The team is hitting .310 with a .500 slugging percentage and .407 on-base percentage. Clemson, who has 359 walks against 462 strikeouts, has also stolen 102 bases in 126 attempts and has added 144 doubles, 13 triples, and 93 home runs in 2010.

John Hinson is batting .345 with 17 homers, 72 RBIs, and a team-high 23 steals, Mike Freeman is hitting .338 with eight homers, 24 doubles, 57 RBIs, and 11 steals, while Jeff Schaus has added 15 homers and an ACC-high 85 RBIs (fifth-most in the nation). Freeman is also riding a 14-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 32 of his last 34 games.

The pitching staff has a 4.72 ERA and .280 opponents’ batting average. The staff has allowed 213 walks against 460 strikeouts, good for a 2.16-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Junior lefthander Casey Harman (7-3, 3.73 ERA), who is scheduled to start against #1 Arizona State on Sunday, is Clemson’s top starting pitcher. The South Burlington, VT native has made 17 starts for a total of 108.2 innings pitched. He has allowed 101 hits (.245 opponents’ batting average) and 31 walks with 95 strikeouts. Junior righty Alex Frederick is 7-2 with two saves and a 3.90 ERA in 57.2 innings pitched over a team-high 30 appearances (one start). Freshman righthander Tomas Cruz has a team-high three saves. Clemson is fielding at a .963 clip as well.

Scouting Oklahoma Oklahoma (49-16), ranked as high as #6 in the nation, enters the College World Series coming off two wins in three games over Virginia in the Charlottesville Super Regional. Oklahoma, who is 8-3 in neutral-site games, had a 15-10 record during its conference regular season, as it finished second in the Big 12 standings.

Oklahoma is led by fifth-year Head Coach Sunny Golloway. The team won 20 of its first 22 games of the season, but lost nine of its next 16 games. However, the Sooners have rebounded to win 22 of its last 27 games.

Oklahoma is hitting .312 with a .523 slugging percentage and .401 on-base percentage. Oklahoma, who is fielding at a .976 clip (12th-best in the nation), has also totaled 131 doubles, 22 triples, 100 homers, and is averaging 7.9 runs per game along with 89 hit-by-pitches and 95 stolen bases. The Sooners are eighth in the country in home runs.

Garrett Buechele is hitting .371 with 16 homers and 64 RBIs, while Chris Ellison is batting .335 with a team-high 23 steals. Cameron Seitzer and Max White have both slugged 15 home runs, while Cody Reine has added 10 long balls.

The pitching staff has a 3.79 ERA (15th-best in the country) and .257 opponents’ batting average. The staff has allowed 207 walks against 562 strikeouts, good for a 2.71-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Junior righthander Bobby Shore has a 10-4 record and 3.86 ERA in 91.0 innings pitched over 16 starts, while junior rigthy Zach Neal is 8-3 with a 4.65 ERA in 98.2 innings pitched over 17 starts. Junior righthander Ryan Duke has a team-high 11 saves and a 3.41 ERA in 34.1 innings pitched over 23 relief appearances.

Scouting South Carolina South Carolina (48-15), ranked as high as #5 in the nation, enters the College World Series coming off two wins in two games over Coastal Carolina in the Myrtle Beach Super Regional. South Carolina, who is 1-2 in neutral-site games, had a 21-9 record during its conference regular season, as it finished second in the overall SEC standings.

South Carolina is led by 14th-year Head Coach Ray Tanner. The Gamecocks won 19 of their first 23 games of the season. After losing four of five games, the Gamecocks have won all five of their NCAA Tournament games.

South Carolina is hitting .302 with a .493 slugging percentage and .396 on-base percentage. South Carolina, who is fielding at a .975 clip (17th-best in the nation), has also totaled 124 doubles, 12 triples, 90 homers, and is averaging 7.4 runs per game along with 84 hit-by-pitches and 45 stolen bases.

Jackie Bradley, Jr., who is riding a 16-game hitting streak, is hitting .371 with 11 homers and 51 RBIs, while Whit Merrifield is batting .327 with 12 long balls and a team-high 12 steals. Nine Gamecocks have totaled at least seven home runs as well.

The pitching staff has a 3.61 ERA (ninth-best in the country) and .230 opponents’ batting average. The staff has allowed 208 walks against 568 strikeouts, good for a 2.73-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Senior righthander Blake Cooper (12-1, 2.81 ERA) leads the pitching staff in 118.1 innings pitched over 17 starts. He has allowed 98 hits (.227 opponents’ batting average) and 35 walks with 105 strikeouts. Freshman righty Matt Price is 3-1 with a 2.54 ERA and 10 saves along with a .182 opponents’ batting average and 68 strikeouts against 18 walks in 46.0 innings pitched over 27 relief appearances.

Polls The Tigers moved up five spots to #8 in the Collegiate Baseball poll this week after going 2-1 in the Clemson (SC) Super Regional last weekend. Clemson is #20 in the Sports Weekly coaches poll and is not ranked in the Baseball America ranking. Neither Sports Weekly nor Baseball America released a new poll this week and will release their next poll after the College World Series.

With Clemson’s top-25 ranking this week, it marks the 36th week in a row the Tigers have been ranked in the top 25 of at least one of the three major polls dating to the start of the 2009 season.

Hinson Having an NCAA Tourney to Remember John Hinson is 14-for-28 (.500) with five homers, one double, 10 RBIs, 10 runs, a 1.071 slugging percentage, three walks, a hit-by-pitch, a .563 on-base percentage, and a steal in seven NCAA Tournament games. Zane Green hit a school-record six home runs in the 2002 NCAA Tourney in 10 games.

After earning MVP honors of the Auburn Regional, Hinson was 5-for-12 (.417) with two homers, five RBIs, five runs, two walks, and a steal in the three games of the Clemson Super Regional.

Tigers Edge Alabama to Win Clemson Super Regional The #13 Clemson Tigers won the Clemson (SC) Super Regional by winning two of three games over #16 Alabama at Doug Kingsmore Stadium from June 12-14. The Tigers outscored the Crimson Tide 31-16 and outhit Alabama .382 to .257. Clemson also hit eight doubles, one triple, and six homers with 16 walks. John Hinson went 5-for-12 with two homers, five RBIs, and five runs, and Richie Shaffer hit three home runs with seven RBIs. The Tiger pitching staff had a 2.67 ERA and allowed just three walks against 18 strikeouts in 27.0 innings pitched.

In the first game of the Clemson Super Regional on June 12, Alabama scored four unearned runs in the third inning and held on for a 5-4 win over Clemson. The Crimson Tide took a 5-0 lead with four runs in the third, keyed by two costly Tiger errors. The Tigers clawed back with three runs in the third inning and another run in the sixth inning on pinch-hitter Casey Harman allowed just one earned run and no walks with nine strikeouts in 8.1 innings pitched but suffered the loss.

In the second game of the Clemson Super Regional on June 13, Clemson scored six runs in the first inning and nine runs in the sixth inning to defeat Alabama 19-5. Clemson, who totaled 20 hits, had six players with at least two hits and seven with at least two runs. Hinson and Shaffer hit back-to-back solo homers in the third inning, then Miller added a grand slam in the sixth inning. Schaus went 4-for-6 with three RBIs and Miller went 4-for-5 with three runs. Freeman added three hits, while Shaffer totaled four RBIs. Clemson also went 10-for-18 with runners in scoring position in the game. Starter Scott Weismann earned the win in 6.0 innings pitched.

In the third game of the Clemson Super Regional on June 14, Clemson built an 8-1 lead and withstood a nine-inning rally to defeat Alabama 8-1 and advance to the College World Series. Hinson hit a two-run homer in the second inning to give the Tigers the lead for good, then Shaffer added two long balls. But Alabama scored five runs in the ninth inning and had the potential tying run on second base before Jake Smith flied out to left to end the game. Clemson outhit the Crimson Tide 16-8 and was led by Hinson, who was 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Every Tiger starter had at least one hit as well. Will Lamb retired the only batter he faced to record the save.