The Clemson Softball Tigers (#20, 29-14, 11-7 ACC) will look to get back in the win column in conference play when they travel to South Bend Indiana to take on the Fighting Irish this weekend.
There is a lot on the line for this Tigers team going into the final stretch of the 2024 season. Sitting at #20 in the RPI, Clemson will need to win the two remaining series they have in the regular season, as well as win a game or two in the ACC Tournament, to hope for a hosting opportunity in postseason play – bringing a regional tournament and more home games for the Clemson fans at McWhorter Stadium. After getting swept by top-ranked conference rival Duke over the weekend, Clemson will look to gain some momentum and keep their position amongst the top of the ACC standings, currently tied for fourth. A couple wins against Notre Dame on the road will help the Tigers do just that.
Clemson’s McKenzie Clark (.359, 9 HR, 43 R) and Alex Brown (17 BB, 37 R) will look to get after an Irish pitching staff that has struggled to keep runs from coming across the plate (4.49 ERA). One area to keep an eye on will be how the Tigers improve their fielding percentage (.963%), which ranks seventh in the conference. Errors have also been an achilles heel of this team, as it ranks second to last in errors allowed (47) in the ACC. On a positive note, Clemson’s pitching staff has been lights out – ranking second in the conference in overall pitching (.220 ERA). The Tigers will lean on their pitching and look for some big at-bats from their powerful lineup (5 players with at least 5 HR) to win games this weekend.
Notre Dame (23-18, 7-11 ACC) will be looking for some momentum of their own. Playing their last four games on the road (all losses), it will be a welcomed sight to sore Irish eyes to have a series at home. At the plate, Carlli Kloss (.355, 50 H) will look to lead Notre Dame to a conference win or two. Be on the lookout for Addison Amaral (.331, 40 RBI, 7 HR) and Karina Gaskins (.351, 31 RBI, 8 HR) as well – they bring some stability and power to the home team’s lineup. In the circle, the Fighting Irish will pitch by committee, using all the trio of Shannon Becker (3.93 ERA, 6 W), Alexis Laudenslager (4.11 ERA, 9 W), and Micaela Kastor (5.23 ERA, 8 W) to pitch through and around Clemson batters.
The action starts on Friday, with game one’s first pitch slated for 5pm. Game two will be played on Saturday at 1pm, followed by game three on Sunday night at 6pm, all inside Melissa Cook Stadium in South Bend.
