Could there have been a more unlikely two-game stretch of games for the Tigers than the second game Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon against the Seminoles? Just an electric atmosphere and an unbelievable resiliency (and maybe some undoing for the Noles) led to two improbable victories for this never-say-die Clemson Tigers baseball team.
I feel like a broken record, but through a third of the season here comes another big week as the Tigers will travel to the University of Miami Thursday through Saturday to face the Hurricanes. Yet another challenging series for the Tigers.
Clemson Briefly:
Clemson is now 22-2, 5-1 in the ACC entering into the second third of the season. An impressive start for the club. Just an incredible start to the season.
Blake Wright just stays in this position in the weekly previews. What else can be said about this kid? 29 RBIs last week alone. 9 home runs in his last 10 games. But beyond all of those numbers is a kid that is just so calm and composed and seemingly always comes up with something big on the line and he’s continued to deliver this season.
Andrew Ciufo is the leader of the defense playing a steady shortstop while hitting .273 and coming up in big spots and delivering in his first year as a Tiger.
With Tristan Smith out for a few weeks with a stress fracture in his ankle, Ethan Darden took the pill on short notice Saturday afternoon for Game 1 and was electric for the Tigers. After a tough-luck first inning and giving up 4 runs, he came back out with a “bulldog” performance finishing the day with 6 ⅓ innings, scattering 7 hits and 4 strikeouts. In a game that could have gone sideways very quickly, Darden picked up the pieces and allowed his team to come back and run-rule the Noles in game 1 of the weekend. Darden will get the start in game 2 this weekend.
Here is your preview of the Miami Hurricanes:
Miami Hurricanes
Head Coach – JD Arteaga (1st Season)
Record – 13-10 (5-4 ACC)
Wins against: NJIT x3, Long Island x2, Florida, Stonehill, Virginia x2, North Carolina x2, FIU, Notre Dame
Losses against: UCF, Long Island, Florida Gulf Coast, Florida x2, Virginia, FAU, North Carolina, Notre Dame x2
Pitching Match Ups:
Thursday 7PM: Matthew Marchal (Clemson) vs. Gage Ziehl (Miami)
Friday 7 PM: Ethan Darden (Clemson) vs. Rafe Schlesinger (Miami)
Saturday 1 PM: Aidan Knaak (Clemson) vs. Herick Hernandez (Miami)
Matthew Marchal will be tasked with taking the ball in the opener (usually Friday night, but this week it’s Thursday night) for his first start for the Tigers. The Wofford transfer has been a steadying force for the Tigers rotation out of the bullpen as this start will be his 9th appearance of the year. Marchal touts a 3.55 ERA across 12.2 innings pitched. He pitches to contact, having 13 strike outs and 7 walks. Opponents are hitting .229 against him.
Ethan Darden will get the ball in Game 2 against the Canes and he was solid a week ago after the first inning against the Seminoles of Florida State. Expect another “bulldog” type of outing from the Sophomore left hander.
And in game three, the Tigers will throw Freshman sensation Aidan Knaak. He got beat up a little bit last weekend against that stout FSU lineup, but he has been arguably the most steady starter the Tigers have had this season. (That honor probably goes to Tristan Smith, but the injury has allowed Knaak to take that moniker).
Miami will counter with two lefties on the back end of the weekend. On paper it looks like the Canes struggle on the mound and have the makeup to try to win high-scoring games.
Here is the projected starters for the Miami Hurricanes positionally, with their season stats as well:
Position Players:
| NAME (Jersey #) | GRADE | POSITION | ‘24 STATISTICS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edgardo Villegas (45) | Sophomore | Centerfield | .318; 7 2B, 3B 2 HR, 11 RBI |
| Blake Cyr (4) | Sophomore | Left Field | .280; 2 2B, 7 HR, 21 RBI |
| Daniel Cuvet (14) | Freshman | 3rd Base | .407; 5 2B, 3B, 9 HR, 30 RBI |
| Dorian Gonzalez, Jr. (0) | Junior | 2nd Base | .313; 7 2B, 4 HR, 30 RBI |
| Jason Torres (37) | Sophomore | 1st Base | .436; 6 2B, 8 HR, 26 RBI |
| Jack Scanlon (7) | Senior | Catcher | .320; 5 2B, 4 HR, 13 RBI |
| Jake Kulikowski (19) | Freshman | DH | .231; 2 2B, HR, 6 RBI |
| Lucas Costello (8) | Senior | Right Field | .197; 3 HR, 9 RBI |
| Antonio Jiminez (13) | Freshman | Shortstop | .180; 5 2B, 5 RBI |
Offensively, the Hurricanes are hitting .306 as a team (40th nationally), with 53 doubles, 2 triples, 44 home runs and have knocked in 195 runs. Miami averages nearly 2 home runs a game through 23 games. Jason Torres leads the offense from a batting average perspective, tied for 10th nationally in that category. He adds 8 home runs and 28 RBIs as well. Daniel Cuvet is another power threat in the lineup with 8 homers for the Canes. Blake Cyr is a returner who had a great season a year ago. His stats don’t jump off the page at you, however the kid is a ballplayer and it’s just a matter of time before he gets hot and leads his team.
STARTING PITCHING
| NAME (Jersey #) | Year/Hand | ‘24 Statistics |
|---|---|---|
| Gage Ziehl (31) | Junior/RHP | 1-2; 5.35 ERA, 37 IP, 33K/11BB; OppBA: .260 |
| Rafe Schlesinger (22) | Junior/LHP | 2-1; 4.19, 34.1 IP, 36K/10BB; OppBA: .311 |
| Herick Hernandez (9) | Junior/LHP | 2-2; 5.70, 30 IP, 45K/12BB; OppBA: .268 |
Miami’s weekend starters leave a little bit to be desired. All three are juniors and have had some experience in their careers. Led by Junior righty Gage Ziehl, who has had some tough luck in the Friday role, but numbers don’t lie and Ziehl’s numbers are not great.
This is a step down in talent, from a starter standpoint from last weekend. Junior Rafe Schlesinger does not compare with what the Tigers saw last weekend in Game 2. Schlesinger is a pitch to contact lefty who tops out at around 93mph.
The Canes will throw another junior lefty Herick Hernandez in the finale. He’s got some gaudy strikeout to walk ratio, nearly 4:1, but still allows a batting average against of .268 with a high ERA nearing 6.
As a pitching staff, Miami has a 5.75 ERA 136th in the country through 23 games, while opponents are hitting .280 against the Hurricanes. They’ve surrendered 41 2Bs, 4 3B, and 35 HRs as a staff.
SUMMARY
I’m not sure this weekend’s series will give us the highs and lows of the last two weekends, but it is still a major series in the conference. Miami is and always will be a blue blood in college baseball with an incredible lineage of success. They’re in a little bit of a transition with a legend of their own, JD Arteaga taking the reins as the head coach, but it’s only a matter of time before Miami returns to prominence.
Clemson has a chance to make a huge statement again, on the road, in an ACC series. A little mixing and matching with the starting pitching for Erik Bakich’s bunch should make for a fun and interesting weekend.
