After multiple defections, Clemson baseball adds a veteran infielder from Michigan.
With the Clemson baseball program in a state of flux as Erik Bakich works to fill out his staff and players make decisions on their future, there was a bit of good, if not surprising, news on Tuesday evening.
Riley Bertram, a 6 foot, 185 pound senior from Zionsville, Indiana announced via Twitter that he’ll be transferring to Clemson for his redshirt senior season.
Thank you to the University of Michigan and @umichbaseball for 4 of the greatest years of my life.
— Riley Bertram (@Riley_Bertram12) June 21, 2022
With that being said, I have committed to Clemson University for my final year of eligibility. @ClemsonBaseball 🐅 pic.twitter.com/Tl7hnCHJZY
Bertram is listed as an infielder, but played shortstop in 2022, after playing mostly second in 2021, so he’s versatile.
This past season he batted .298 with 2 home runs and 40 RBI, while getting on base at a .370 clip and slugging .421.
In the field Bertram made 15 errors in 278 chances, fielding .946, compared to the Tigers shortstop Benjamin Blackwell who made 11 errors in 224 chances fielding .951.
Coming out of Zionsville Community High School, Bertram was the 500th ranked player overall and the 96th rated shortstop by Perfect Game.
Clemson is a team in transition and the makeup of the 2023 team is still up in the air
Obviously, the Tigers are a team in transition and with multiple players transferring out, former commitments opting to sign elsewhere and an incomplete staff there’s much up in the air about what the Tigers will look like next season both from a personnel standpoint and on the field.
Michigan hit 92 home runs in 62 games, while the Tigers bashed 100 homers in 58 games, but one area that stands out is stolen bases – the Wolverines ran much more often than Clemson, stealing 81 of 96 bases attempted, while the Tigers were 32 of 38.
Of course, that could be simply coaching to the strength of your team, or perhaps recruiting a certain type of player.
All that is up in the air until we find out who’s coming, who’s staying and who’s going.
Admittedly, for a long time Clemson baseball fan like myself there’s a bit of trepidation about next season.
But there’s also a bit of healthy curiosity and intrigue about what’s to come next spring and an eagerness for a fresh start for Clemson baseball in 2023.