Clemson Baseball: Sweep Clears Postseason Path for Tigers
By Kevin Arnold
Sweep Over Wolfpack Allows Postseason Hopes to Emerge
The Clemson Tigers baseball team has quietly become one of the hottest squads in the nation. Following a three-game road sweep over the NC State Wolfpack, the Clemson Tigers have amassed an impressive 8-2 record in their last 10 matchups. These wins have catapulted the Tigers to a respectable 25-16 (9-9) record on the year, and thrusted them back into postseason relevance.
The series was highlighted by the two-out grand slam cranked by Caden Grice in the 8th inning of Game 2, a swing that gave the Tigers the lead and ultimately earned them the win.
https://twitter.com/ClemsonBaseball/status/1649976055145418754?cxt=HHwWhMC-7d2e8uUtAAAA
Head coach Eric Bakich committed the team’s sweep in an interview documented by Clemson Sports Information.
"“Huge sweep. It’s tough to sweep anyone, let alone sweep on the road in this conference. This is a big deal, it gets us right back in the thick of things. Still got a lot of work to do and still have a lot ahead of us, but this was a huge weekend for our team.”"
As the coach mentioned, the Tigers are now truly in “the thick of things.” Noteworthy April wins over Coastal Carolina, Florida State, Georgia, Notre Dame, and NC State have revitalized this team. Clemson now has a potential path to reach the postseason. Such an accomplishment would be instrumental in the maturation of this program, and would put the rebuild under Bakich well ahead of schedule.
What the Tigers Need to Do to get There
As the coach also stated, the work for the Tigers is not yet complete. As the month of April winds to a close, the Tigers are staring down a 15 game stretch that will ultimately determine their fate come selection day on May 29th.
The remainder of the Clemson schedule is as listed below:
Kennesaw State; April 25
@ no. 11 BC (three games); April 28-30
no. 21 Louisville (three games); May 5-7
@ no. 6 Coastal Carolina; May 10
@ Virginia Tech (three games); May 12-14
USC Upstate; May 16
North Carolina (three games); May 18-20
(rankings by NCAA.com, accurate as of April 23rd.)
This is by no means an easy end to the season. In fact, with three top-25 opponents on the docket, it is among one of the more difficult remaining schedules in the country.
The good news, however, is the Tigers are currently playing their best ball of the season, and the difficult stretch will give them ample opportunity to prove their worth to the selection committee.
Because the committee does operate under an air of subjectivity, what the Clemson Tigers must do to win their approval is uncertain. Nonetheless, if they can earn 9 wins from these 15 matchups, that should be more than enough to get them into the postseason.
Series wins against both North Carolina and Virginia Tech will go a long way in separating Clemson from the mediocrity of mid-tier ACC teams. Similarly, if they are able to compete in, or better yet, win one of the series against Louisville or Boston College, the Tigers will certainly earn the respect of those on the selection board, assuming they handle business against their other opponents.
It is vital the Tigers maintain dominance against teams of (supposed) lesser quality. While Kennesaw State and USC Upstate have both displayed impressive results to this juncture, Clemson should win against them, and therefore, they must. Dropping games against lower caliber opponents can kill a team’s postseason aspirations.
The Coastal Carolina game also entails great importance. The Tigers dominated the no. 6 Chanticleers in a 16-6 final on April 4th. That win has served as a premier resume builder for the Tigers. If Clemson is able to get another win over Coastal, this time in Conway, those two games alone may be enough to earn them a bid into the postseason.
Just Play Good Ball!
While there are a thousand ways this could play out, the Tigers simply need to focus on playing their best every night, which they have done throughout the month of April. If they are able to sustain their current play through the end of May, they should be more than capable of not only earning a postseason berth, but making some noise once they are there.
The 15 game stretch will begin tonight, April 25th, at 6:00 EST, as the Tigers welcome Kennesaw State (19-19) to Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Look for the Tigers to use the momentum from the weekend to earn a dominant win over the Owls tonight!