What started as a trickle has turned into a full-blown storm for Clemson baseball, as the transfer portal window rages on and the Tigers' roster takes hit after hit. With June 1, 2026, looming large, Coach Erik Bakich watched three more infielders pack their bags and leave Tigertown, turning what was once a gentle breeze of departures into a hurricane.
The biggest gut punch in this latest wave? Losing Collin Priest, our star first baseman and designated hitter. Tiger fans had every reason to believe he'd anchor the heart of the 2026 lineup, but a cruel injury wiped out his season before it ever got started. Now, Priest is taking his thunderous left-handed bat to a new home, and that's a tough pill to swallow.
Collin Priest: The Stalled Recovery of an Elite Bat
Priest rolled into Tigertown before the 2025 season with sky-high expectations, fresh off smashing Michigan's freshman home run record. He wasted no time showing Tiger Nation he was the real deal, quickly becoming one of the most feared bats in the ACC and a nightmare for opposing pitchers.
But 2026 never gave Priest a chance. A brutal hamstring injury kept him glued to the dugout all season, watching as the Tigers battled through a rollercoaster 31-26 campaign. Coach Bakich kept hope alive with updates, but Priest never got to step back onto the field in orange and purple this year.
When he's healthy, Priest is the kind of hitter who can change a game with one swing. His mix of raw power and patience at the plate is something every coach dreams of.
Now that he's healthy and still has two years of eligibility left, Priest is about to become one of the hottest names in the transfer portal. Somebody's going to get a big-time bat, and it's a shame it won't be the Tigers cashing in.
Clearing the Infield Dirt: Fultz Jr. and Dillard Move On
Priest isn't the only one leaving a hole in the infield. Clemson also says goodbye to a prized freshman and a homegrown veteran, making the left side of the diamond look mighty empty heading into the offseason.
The Grand Strategic Reset
Even steady contributors like lefty pitcher Talan Bell are jumping into the portal, as Coach Bakich looks to hit the reset button and overhaul the roster.
Losing a player like Priest stings, no doubt, but it does open up some serious scholarship room. With Sun Belt All-Freshman dynamo Bennett Edwards already on board, Bakich is making it clear: the Tigers are done gambling on injury risks and are loading up on tough, reliable players to fuel a big-time bounce-back in 2027.
2025 Campaign (Clemson): Earned Third-Team All-ACC honors after starting 57 of 59 games. Slashed .240 with 12 home runs, 11 doubles, and 52 RBIs, anchoring the team with an excellent .887 OPS and drawing 47 walks.2024 Campaign (Michigan): Exploded onto the collegiate scene by hitting .279 with 11 home runs and 30 RBIs across 56 games.
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