The Clemson baseball team did something different this week during their two-game set against Manhattan…got an early lead and ran away with the games. The Tigers got a great outing from Billy Barlow, and a serviceable start from Rocco Reid to roll to easy victories against Clemson legend and Manhattan head coach David Miller.
Now, the Tigers head on the road for their first true road test against a top 5 opponent, the Duke Blue Devils.
The three games are scheduled for Friday @ 6 pm, Saturday @ 3 pm, and Sunday @ 1 pm.
Clemson Briefly:
Clemson is hitting .316 as a team through 16 games.
The team has hit 31 home runs through 16 games, good for 1.9 home runs per game.
Alden Mathes leads the Tigers in average at .388
Tristan Bissetta has added a jolt to the lineup, starting the last 4 games and hitting .429, including 2 home runs in his first start against UNC-G.
Tigers Pitchers have a combined ERA of 3.79 (26th Nationally)
Sophomore Ethan Darden, through 5 appearances is touting a 0.87 ERA
The Tigers are averaging 8.25 runs per game.
Here is your preview of the HUGE Weekend Series at Duke:
Duke Blue Devils
Head Coach – Chris Pollard (12th Season)
Record – 14-3 (2-1 ACC)
Wins against: Indiana, George Mason, Coastal Carolina, Liberty, Northwestern x3, Davidson, Akron x2, Appalachian State, Wake Forest x2, Rider
Losses against: Akron, Wake Forest, Rider
Pitching Match Ups:
- Friday @ 6 pm: RHP Austin Gordon (Clemson) vs. LHP Jonathan Santucci (Duke)
- Saturday @ 3 pm: LHP Tristan Smith (Clemson) vs. LHP Andrew Healy (Duke)
- Sunday @ 1 pm: RHP Aidan Knaak (Clemson) vs. TBA (Duke)
Austin Gordon gets his second consecutive start on Friday night, after a slight rough outing a week ago, going 4.2 innings while giving up 7 hits and 5 runs. Clemson will be looking for their ace to be the leader this weekend as the step up in competition is evident.
Sophomore lefty Tristan Smith has become a steady force in that Saturday role, with a 2.89 ERA and 26 strikeouts across 18.2 innings. Opponents are hitting a paltry .180 against him.
Here are the projected starters for the Duke Blue Devils positionally, with their early season stats as well:
Position Players:
| NAME (Jersey #) | GRADE | POSITION | ‘24 STATISTICS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zac Morris (22) | Graduate | 2nd Base | .313; 2 2B, 7 HR, 17 RBI |
| Ben Miller (34) | Graduate | 3rd Base | .449; 9 2B, 7 HR, 22 RBI |
| Alex Stone (5) | Senior | Catcher | .277; 4 2B, 4 HR, 13 RBI |
| Logan Bravo (23) | Graduate | 1st Base | .365; 4 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 15 RBI |
| AJ Gracia (29) | Freshman | Right Field | .357; 3 2B, 5 HR, 22 RBI |
| Devin Obee (13) | Junior | Centerfield | .383; 3 2B, 5 HR, 17 RBI |
| Macon Winslow (6) | Freshamn | Left Field | .360; 6 2B, 3 HR, 12 RBI |
| Andrew Yu (3) | Junior | DH | .412; 2 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI |
| Wallace Clark (7) | Junior | Shortstop | .295; 4 2B, 3 HR, 14 RBI |
Offensively, the Blue Devils are hitting .338 as a team (10th nationally), with 43 doubles, 3 triples, 41 home runs, and have knocked in 159 runs. The Blue Devils will be, by far, the best offensive team the Tigers will play during this first half of the season. 15th nationally in runs scored with 170.
This Blue Devils team, offensively, brings some eye popping stats up against the Tigers this weekend. They have dropped 2 games to lesser opponents (Akron, Rider) but took 2 of 3 from pre-season #1 Wake Forest last weekend. This is a very good college baseball team led by one of the hottest coaches in the game in Chris Pollard.
38 of the teams’ home runs come from the projected starters in the lineup.
STARTING PITCHING
| NAME (Jersey #) | Year/Hand | ‘24 Statistics |
|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Santucci (12) | Junior/LHP | 3-0; 2.29 ERA; 19.2 IP, 35 K, 10 BB; OppBA: .219 |
| Andrew Healy (2) | Sophomore/LHP | 1-1; 5.63; 16 IP, 19 K, 9 BB; OppBA: .238 |
| ***TBA GUESS*** | ||
| Kyle Johnson (15) | Freshman/LHP | 3-0; 1.13 ERA; 16 IP, 13 K, 4 BB; OppBA: .167 |
Duke will throw two lefties to start the series. That much we know. The unknown is Sunday, as the Blue Devils have announced TBA for Sunday. Based on some basic research with a healthy mix of an educated guess, Kyle Johnson is this writer’s guess to go on Sunday. The Freshman is yet another lefty.
Friday starter Jonathan Santucci, the lone every weekend starter so far this season, has fared extremely well while getting a ton of offensive help from his lineup.
As a pitching staff, Duke has a 3.30 ERA, good enough for 10th in the country in the early going, while opponents are hitting .197 against the Blue Devils. They’ve surrendered 24 2Bs, 3 3B, and 10 HRs as a staff.
The two-game series against South Carolina had a lot of emotion, but it is pretty clear to this writer that Duke is the most complete baseball team that Clemson will play so far. Ranked as high as #3 in the country, this is a complete baseball team. They have had a lot of success with the long ball, but will also stress a defense by being aggressive on the base paths. This will be a great test for our Tigers this weekend. The first ACC series should be a treat for fans of both teams. Enjoy.
