The Clemson Baseball team had a really nice weekend winning a series against a feisty Pitt Panthers team. The Tigers fought back, a common theme this season, on Friday night for a 6-4 victory before dropping Saturday’s first game 8-4 and winning the series finale 9-2.
Looking forward to the upcoming week, the Clemson Baseball team will hit the road, first in a huge top-20 matchup with the Georgia Bulldogs before heading to the bourbon trail to play Louisville over the weekend.
This is a tremendous mid-week tilt with the Dawgs.
Clemson Briefly:
Clemson is now 32-7, 13-5 in the ACC and still atop the ACC Atlantic division.
Young Relievers: Saturday afternoon started out rocky with the lack of defense behind Clemson starter Ethan Darden, and Clemson was completely locked down by the Pitt starter. The silver lining was Freshmen Jacob McGovern and Chance Fitzgerald along with Sophomore Nathan Dvorsky combined for 6 innings of 1-hit baseball.
Jimmy Obertop: three home runs in the late Saturday game to lead the Tigers. The Michigan transfer has struck out a bunch this season, but his power is evident. He has the capabilities of putting this team on his shoulders for spurts.
Nick Clayton: Aidan Knaak was once again his consistent self on Saturday evening. His changeup is next-level. However, when he got himself into trouble in the 6th inning it was Clayton who used his funky delivery and stoic nature to shut down the potential threat.
Here is your preview of the 17th ranked Georgia Bulldogs:
Georgia Bulldogs
Head Coach – Wes Johnson (1st Season)
Record – 29-10 (9-9 SEC)
Wins against: UNC-Asheville x3, Georgia State x2, Northern Kentucky x3, Presbyterian, Georgia Tech x2, Georgia Southern, Stetson, Northern Colorado x4, Iowa, Wofford, Alabama x3, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Kennesaw State, Missouri x2, Ole Miss x2
Losses against: Michigan State, Kentucky x3, Tennessee x2, Mississippi State x2, Missouri, Ole Miss
Pitching Match Up:
Tuesday 7PM: RHP Billy Barlow (Clemson) vs. RHP Zach Harris (UGA)
Billy Barlow will try to have a better outing than he did a week ago against Charlotte where he only lasted 2.2 innings giving up 4 earned runs and only facing 13 hitters. He’s up against the 13th best offense in the country from a batting average stance.
Georgia will counter with Sophomore Georgia Southern transfer, Zach Harris has appeared in 13 games, but Tuesday night will be his first start of the season.
Here is the best-guess, projected starters for the hard-hitting Georgia Bulldogs positionally based on previous games, with their season stats as well:
Position Players:
| Name (Jersey #) | Grade Level | Position | 2024 Cumulative Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dylan Goldstein (25) | Graduate | Right Field | .317; 8 2B, 3B, HR, 10 RBI |
| Charlie Condon (24) | RS Sophomore | 3rd Base | .483; 16 2B, 3B, 26 HR, 56 RBI |
| Corey Collins (6) | Senior | 1st Base | .378; 4 2B, 12 HR, 36 RBI |
| Slate Alford (44) | Junior | DH | .324; 9 2B, 11 HR, 49 RBI |
| Kolby Branch (9) | Sophomore | Shortstop | .324; 9 2B, 12 HR, 45 RBI |
| Clayton Chadwick (8) | Graduate | Centerfield | .286; 11 2B, 4 HR, 19 RBI |
| Paul Toetz (23) | Graduate | Left Field | .347; 6 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 13 RBI |
| Trey King (14) | Freshman | 2nd Base | .300; 2B, RBI |
| Fernando Gonzalez (13) | Senior | Catcher | .302; 5 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 30 RBI |
Offensively, the Dawgs are hitting .318 as a team (13th nationally), with 86 doubles, 4 triples, 101 home runs (2nd nationally) and have knocked in 352 runs. Charlie Condon has been the best hitter in the nation through the first 40 or so games. He leads the nation in batting average (.483) and in home runs (26).
5 of the starting 9 have hit 10 home runs or more on the season. This team can flat-out hit!
STARTING PITCHING
| Name (Jersey #) | Year/Hand | 2024 Cumulative Stats |
|---|---|---|
| Zach Harris (3) | Sophomore/RHP | 3-0; 9.49 ERA; 12.1 IP, 17 K, 8 BB; OppBA: .339 |
While this is a very good Georgia Baseball team from an offensive standpoint, they are not nearly as dominant on the mound. While still very good on the mound, this Bulldog team is definitely led by the offense.
As a pitching staff, Georgia has a 5.23 ERA, 83rd in the country through 39 games, while opponents are hitting .257 against the Dawgs. They’ve surrendered 57 2Bs, 10 3B, and 51 HRs as a staff.
SUMMARY
This Georgia team is constantly on my highlight reals from the weekend action hitting home runs. They’ve beaten some really good teams in a strong SEC conference as well. Charlie Condon is as advertised.
This writer is extremely happy to see this game happen. Not only for the rivalry sake, but also because Foley Field is a tremendous college baseball venue and one that all college baseball fans should attend.
If the Tigers get down early, Georgia has a way of just piling on. Let’s hope a common theme for this Clemson baseball team does not continue on Tuesday night.
And as always…
Go Tigers!
