The Clemson Baseball team enters the 2024 season with high hopes, with Head Coach Erik Bakich at the helm for his second season. Bakich utilized the transfer portal this offseason, securing seven proven Division I graduate transfers and thirteen highly touted high school prospects for Team 127.
The Tigers aim to build on the momentum of the previous season, earning the fourth seed in the NCAA tournament and reaching the regional round of the College Baseball World Series.
Ranked 21st in Perfect Game’s Preseason top 25, Clemson aims to advance past the Regional Round and to the Final of the College World Series, a feat not accomplished since 2010. The team faces a challenging road ahead with 25 of their 56 games against teams from the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Notable matchups include a three-game series against in-state rivals, the South Carolina Gamecocks, on March 1-3, with the first two games in Columbia and the series concluding at home. Another crucial series is against Wake Forest on the road from May 10-12, with Wake Forest being the preseason number one in the Perfect Game Rankings and last season’s top-ranked team in the NCAA tournament.
While Clemson’s pitching was fine last year, having a team ERA of 4.3, the Tigers buffed their rotation with some incoming talent.
Jackson Cole, a left-handed pitcher from Boiling Springs High School, brings a strong three-pitch arsenal with a fastball reaching 88 mph, a solid curveball, and a changeup with late movement.
Chance Fitzgerald, a right-handed pitcher from Lake Howell High School, switched his commitment to Clemson, showcasing a fastball topping out at 93 mph, a mid to high 70s curveball and slider, and a low 80s changeup.
Matthew Marchal, a Greenville native and St. Joseph’s Catholic alumnus, contributes experience with a 4.08 career ERA in 55 games, starting 19 games for the Terriers in 2023.
In addition to these key pickups, seven other pitchers will compete for spots in the rotation.
The Tigers’ middle infield will also be competitive with nine infielders on the roster, including notable transfers Andrew Ciufo and Jacob Hinderleider.
Andrew Ciufo, is a senior transfer shortstop from Georgetown, hit .292 with nine home runs and a .960 fielding percentage last season, aiming for an immediate impact despite the intense competition in the middle infield.
Jacob Hinderleider, a 6’2″ graduate transfer from Davidson College, brings versatility as a solid middle infielder. In his previous year at Davidson, he boasted a .336 batting average and a 1.056 OPS, starting all 55 games at shortstop.
Due to Coach Bakich’s offseason moves, the Tigers are primed for a deep postseason run. If Bakich can mold this team into a consistently strong roster again this season, the Tigers won’t be a team you want to see later this year.
