Clemson baseball and softball trending in two different directions

If you had taken a guess just a couple of years ago about the viability of the Clemson baseball program versus the Clemson softball program, you probably wouldn’t have guessed things would look as they do currently.

While everyone was excited when Clemson added softball to its athletic department, no one thought the Tigers would rise to becoming one of the top competitors in the ACC as quickly as they have.

In the same way, if you were to take a long-term look at the Clemson baseball program, you would probably have thought- and at least hoped- that the Tigers would be trending in the right direction with their recruiting victories and continued development to the point where they would be one of the top contenders in the conference and potentially competing to be a Super Regional host every other year or so.

Have things been completely flipped on their head or what?

Clemson baseball and softball are trending in two different directions

At the time of this writing, Clemson baseball is currently sitting fourth in the Atlantic Division and 10th overall in the ACC with a 9-9 record. What’s even more disappointing is the fact that the Tigers are just 15-14 overall with abysmal midweek losses to teams like in-state rival South Carolina, USC Upstate, Georgia and most recently College of Charleston.

Every time it seems like the Tigers are getting things turned around- like winning the Virginia Tech series and then sweeping Boston College- it seems like they come away with a disappointing loss or can’t find a way to win a game they need to get momentum truly rolling.

On the flip side, Clemson softball is ranked No. 17 in the nation according to the latest Coaches’ Poll. The Tigers hold a 26-4 overall record and have done an excellent job rallying to pick up victories this season.

Clemson holds an 18-4 record in conference play, which is good enough for second in the league, behind only No. 9-ranked Florida State.

Though the Tigers technically played games during the 2020 season, this is their first full season as a program. Who would’ve thought they’d already be competing for a top-15 spot in the nation and near the top of the ACC standings?

Maybe you saw it coming from miles away, but there’s no denying this simple truth: Clemson softball and baseball are trending in completely different directions currently. Hopefully the baseball team is able to find a way to make the most of this season and finish out strong, but for now Tiger fans holding on for spring success should turn their attention to softball.