Just when it looked like Erik Bakich had the makings of a championship-caliber bullpen for 2027, the Tigers took their toughest gut punch yet.
On Tuesday, June 2, 2026, Clemson fans got the news they dreaded: star righty closer Hayden Simmerson is in the NCAA transfer portal. After just one electric season locking down the ninth in the Upstate, the Tigers’ bullpen ace is looking for a new home for his final college campaign.
Simmerson’s decision puts a painful exclamation point on a brutal 48 hours for Clemson’s pitching staff. What started as a routine offseason shuffle has turned into a full-blown exodus from the Tiger bullpen.
By The Numbers: Simmerson's Dominant 2026 Campaign
While the rest of the bullpen battled inconsistency, Simmerson was the rock. He led the Tigers in saves and was called on more than almost anyone else to slam the door, time and again.
From D-II Elite to ACC Dominance
Simmerson, a Salisbury, North Carolina native, landed in Tigertown last offseason after lighting up the D-II world at Catawba College.
In two years at the D-II level, Simmerson became a first-team All-American and a legend under Jim Gantt, racking up 23 saves and 146 strikeouts in just 126.2 innings. He didn’t miss a beat jumping to the ACC, showing his high-octane stuff could silence the best bats in college baseball.
The Great Bullpen Drain
Simmerson is now the fourth big-name Tiger arm to bolt since the portal opened Monday morning. Now it’s up to Bakich and his staff to rebuild the pitching staff from the ground up.
Recent Clemson Pitching Portal Departures:
- RHP Hayden Simmerson (No. 1 Closer, 4 Saves, 3.62 ERA)
- LHP Noah Samol (6-foot-7 Southpaw, 4.76 ERA in 2026)
- LHP Talan Bell (Former top-35 national recruit, 13 appearances)
- RHP Peyton Miller (Freshman bullpen piece, former IMG Academy prospect)
Landing Sun Belt All-Freshman Bennett Edwards on day one was a huge win, but now the heat is on for the Tigers’ staff to go find big-time, ready-to-roll arms who can fill the massive shoes Simmerson leaves behind.
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