The Clemson baseball team lost a couple of major pieces off of last year’s team, but the Tigers hope to ascend past what they accomplished last season.
There’s no Seth Beer or Chris Williams on this year’s Clemson baseball team.
That leaves a major hole open in the middle of the lineup for the Tigers offensively and will leave some shoes to fill defensively, as well.
Even with that said, the vibe surround the Clemson baseball program is that the Tigers are ready, not just to get back to an NCAA Regional, but to advance further than what they have in past years.
Head Coach Monte Lee is excited about his roster and feels that this may be the deepest team he has had in his tenure as a Tiger. There are several talented freshmen that will make an impact on the season, especially in the pitching rotation, and I think Lee is confident in his team’s depth.
The Tigers may have to find different ways to score than in years past, but they will be still be playing a good brand of baseball. They’re going to be aggressive in base stealing and play sound fundamental baseball. That’s going to lead to several wins in places that they may not have come last season.
Lee announced the starting rotation for opening weekend in just a couple of days and it was a bit surprising. Brooks Crawford is the Friday starter and then he’s followed up by two freshmen- Davis Sharpe (RHP) on Saturday and Justin Wrobleski (LHP) on Sunday.
It’s interesting that those two freshmen garnered starting opportunities over a few of the other veterans. I think that speaks to their talent and the fact that Lee is emphasizing bullpen depth in 2019.
We will give you a positional breakdown on the team and expected lineups tomorrow, so make sure you check back here on Rubbing the Rock for some baseball coverage as we get the season underway Friday.