Clemson Baseball took another step forward in their second season under Erik Bakich with a win in their Regional and an appearance in a Super Regional for the first time since 2010.
The Tigers lost the first two games of the Super Regional to Florida to bow out of the playoffs just short of reaching Omaha. Game 2 was a painful loss for Clemson fans that was made worse by the ridiculous ump show that saw Bakich, Jack Leggett, and Jack Crichton all ejected from the game.
Despite that, it was a wild and entertaining game, and the numbers are backing that up.
ESPN posted on their @ESPNPR X account that Game 2 between Clemson and Florida and Game 3 between NC State and Georgia both set a new record for viewership of a college baseball game outside of the College World Series.
The 2024 #NCAABaseball Super Regional Round was the most-watched since 2009
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) June 12, 2024
⚾️ @NCStateBaseball-@BaseballUGA Gm 3 | 1.2M viewers
⚾️ @ClemsonBaseball-@GatorsBB Gm 2 | 1.2M viewers pic.twitter.com/sECzBnVYuS
The Wolfpack advanced to Omaha with a win over the Bulldogs on Monday evening in another compelling contest. These two games were just a couple of the great games we have seen thus far in both the Regionals and the Super Regionals.
College baseball, as well as other sports like softball, soccer, and lacrosse, have seen notable increases in viewership as more ways to watch them have become available to the public. Not only are games broadcast on cable channels, but streaming has opened up all the games in the playoffs to the fans.
While the Tigers have completed their 2024 season, the Gators, the Wolfpack, and six other teams (all from the ACC and SEC) are preparing to start the College World Series tomorrow. Virginia and North Carolina play first, followed by Florida State and Tennessee. NC State will play Kentucky and Florida will face Texas A&M on Saturday.
The CWS is a double elimination tournament that is capped with a best two out of three series between the final two squads.