When Erik Bakich promised that Clemson baseball would be getting back to Omaha, he wasn't messing around. While no one wanted to hear that following Clemson's home regional losses to West Virginia and Kentucky to miss the Super Regional, it was important for him to say.
Now he has to deliver.
With the offseason now a week old for the Tigers, Bakich has been living in the transfer portal and he's landed a number of top targets who will undoubtedly improve the roster in 2026.
On Tuesday, he may have landed his biggest fish. He picked up a commitment from Mercer star first baseman and outfielder Ty Dalley. He had been raking over the past two seasons, hitting around .300 with 40 home runs since the start of his sophomore season.
First baseman/outfielder from Mercer who had 21 doubles and 19 homers as a junior in 2025, plus 61 RBIs.
— Jon Blau (@Jon_Blau) June 10, 2025
He hit .280 this past season, but Dalley was a .316 hitter with 21 homers as a sophomore.
Serious power bat added to the mix for 2026. https://t.co/7UPIkBEiJx
Dalley is going to be a top-of-the-order type of player for the Tigers and he can play either first base or outfield and he's likely projected to be in left, if he doesn't get drafted early beforehand. There's a chance he could hear his name called early enough in the 2025 MLB Draft to make his decision to leave for the pros easier.
Hopefully he sticks around and gives Clemson a season before going to the league.
This may have been the best addition of the offseason for Clemson and Bakich is clearly not wasting time constructing a potential ACC title lineup. First Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Tyler Lichtenberger and now it's Dalley bolstering the lineup.
If the pitching gets figured out, the Tigers could be serious World Series contenders in 2026.