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Clemson Baseball: 5 Takeaways From Series Win Over South Carolina

By Dan Kelley

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Clemson baseball beat the South Carolina Gamecocks on the road to take the series 2-1. It was the Tigers’ first series win over the Gamecocks since 2010.

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In the Clemson baseball series with the South Carolina Gamecocks this week, we learned a lot about this Tigers team. The Gamecocks were the Tigers’ first highly-ranked opponent of the season, but the Tigers took the series, 2-1. Moreover, Clemson really played well in every facet of the game.

Here are five quick takeaways from the Tigers’ first series victory over the Gamecocks since 2010:

5) The Clemson bats have woken up… for the most part

Things have changed since Clemson’s dismal opening series against the West Virginia Mountaineers.

After scoring only five total runs in three games against West Virginia in mid-February, Clemson scored 19 times in three games against the Gamecocks. The Tigers also embarrassed the South Carolina pitching staff by hitting around .300 as a team.

4) Clemson still leaving too many runners on base

Considering the Tigers scored 19 runs in the series, this might seem a bit nit-picky. But leaving runners on base has been an issue since the season began and it continued against the Gamecocks.

On one hand, it goes to show that they are doing a great job of getting on base in the first place. Against South Carolina, the Tigers put runners on the bases regularly, and managed to get 19 of them home. But after leaving a respectable five runners on base in game one, the Tigers left nine on in game two, and eight on in game three. That’s another 22 opportunities for runs that the Tigers didn’t capitalize on.

That could have been the difference between Clemson’s 2-1 series victory and a sweep. The Tigers pitching held South Carolina in check in game two, allowing only four runs, but Clemson couldn’t take advantage on offense. If even half of those nine runners left on base had scored, Clemson might have won that game and ultimately earned the sweep.

3) Tyler Krieger leading the way in batting average

Krieger’s hot start to the 2015 season continued against the Gamecocks. After the three-game series, he is hitting .500 on the year, which is tied for 16th in the nation.

Krieger has also drawn six walks and contributed nine runs and eight RBIs. Only Tyler Slaton has scored more runs for Clemson (12) and only Weston Wilson has more RBIs (9).

2) Clemson is getting great starting pitching

Brody Koerner turned in the most dominant performance of the series, with a four-hit, complete-game shutout against the Gamecocks in game three on Monday night. It also capped a solid series for the Tigers’ starting pitchers.

Matthew Crownover gave up four runs in five innings against the Gamecocks in game one, but he also did a good job of working out of trouble several times. Things could have gone much worse. The Tigers ultimately won the game in a blowout because Crownover was able to bear down under pressure and get guys out.

In game two, the Tigers got an even better performance from Zach Erwin, even if he ended up taking the loss. Clemson simply didn’t support him with the bats–the only game of the series where the Tigers struggled to score runs.

1) The relief pitching might have been even better

Although the Tigers didn’t need a reliever in game three, the bullpen did stand out in the first two games.

After Crownover left game one, Alex Schnell came on to start the sixth inning and shut the Gamecocks down the rest of the way. In four innings Schnell gave up just two hits, a walk, and zero runs. He also struck out one batter.

The bullpen shut out the Gamecocks in game two, as well. After Erwin’s exit in the seventh inning, Paul Cambell set the Gamecocks down in order the rest of the way.

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