Another weekend, and another ACC series win for Clemson Baseball over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Some of us in the fanbase believe it should have been a sweep, but winning 2 out of 3 in the conference series should be considered a success.
The Atlantic Coast Conference has 7 teams in the latest Top 25 rankings, which only proves that winning series is an extremely impressive feat. Georgia Tech was not in the 25, but they had been one of the hottest hitting teams in the country coming into last week. We caught a glimpse of that on Saturday as the Jackets overcame not one, but two 5-run deficits to ultimately take the middle game.
The Clemson Baseball fellas are really in the home stretch of the regular season. Two more ACC series, and only 8 more total games before the ACC tournament and hopefully a regional host.
Clemson Briefly:
Clemson is now 36-10, 17-7 in the ACC. Now the Tigers are officially tied for the top spot in the overall ACC standings.
Aidan Knaak and Billy Barlow: These two were mentioned in this very spot a week ago, and they’re staying there this week. Knaak was on a pitch-count as Coach Erik Bakich is trying to temper usage before the post-season. Barlow was the best he’s been all year in relief. Going 4 innings allowing 3 hits and having 3 strikeouts.
Nolan Nawrocki: has found his place in the Clemson order. He added 6 hits this weekend raising his batting average nearly 30 points in three games. The sophomore has seemed to find his stride in the late going. The Tigers are going to need him to continue to keep this vaunted lineup scary from top to bottom.
Blake Wright: have a Friday sir! Wright solidified another ACC Player of the Week honor for his mantle. He hit .545 for the week with 3 home runs and 11 RBIs. He slugged 1.455 on the weekend. When he is going, the rest of the team feels it and piles on.
Jacob Hinderleider: should find his name in this section way more than he has. The Davidson transfer has stepped in admirably at shortstop with the season-ending loss of Andrew Ciufo. Hinderleider is hitting .333 overall, but .373 in ACC contests on the year, 5th in the conference. He’s also 2nd in RBIs, 4th in hits, and 3rd in total bases. Just an outstanding year.
Here is your preview of the Charlotte 49ers. (Note: Game will be played at Truist Field in Charlotte):
Charlotte 49ers
Head Coach – Robert Woodard (5th Season)
Record – 22-26 (11-10 AAC)
Wins against: Virginia Tech, Davidson, West Virginia x2, Wofford, Old Dominion, Western Carolina, Maryland, Winthrop, UNC-Wilmington, Florida Atlantic, South Florida x2, UTSA, NC A&T, East Carolina, Memphis x3, UAB, Rice x2
Losses against: Virginia Tech x2, West Virginia x2, Old Dominion x2, Maryland x2, UNC-Wilmington x2, Davidson, Gardner-Webb, Florida Atlantic x2, South Florida, UTSA x2, East Carolina x2, CLEMSON, Winthrop, UAB x2, Rice, Campbell
Pitching Match Up:
Tuesday 6PM in Charlotte: LHP Rocco Reid (Clemson) vs. RHP Cameron Hansen (Charlotte)
Billy Barlow, the regular in the mid-week pitched 4 innings on Sunday and will not be available for the Tigers in the mid-week. The start will go to Rocco Reid. The lefty has appeared in 13 games for the Tigers, with a 4.32 ERA in 16.2 innings. Opponents are hitting .153 off of him.
The Bullpen has been much maligned after blowing two five-run leads on Saturday, and also a lead the previous weekend. However, over the course of the season, the bullpen arms have been a strength of this staff, and one that will work through the kinks and get right for the post-season.
Here is the best-guess, projected starters for the Charlotte 49ers positionally based on previous games, with their season stats as well:
Position Players:
| Name (Jersey #) | Year | Position | 2024 Cumulative Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shane Taylor (18) | Senior | 2nd Base | .271; 5 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 19 RBI; 2-4 SB |
| Noah Furcht (8) | Junior | Right Field | .315; 9 2B, 5 HR, 29 RBI; 4-5 SB |
| Brandon Stahlman (19) | Senior | 3rd Base | .288; 14 2B, 4 HR, 34 RBI; 2-2 SB |
| Juan Correa (22) | Junior | DH | .269; 5 2B, 12 HR, 32 RBI |
| Carson Bayne (1) | Junior | Left Field | .292; 11 2B, 3B, 11 HR, 42 RBI; 5-7 SB |
| Reid Haire (38) | Freshman | Centerfield | .195; 4 2B, 3B, 15 RBI; 4-5 SB |
| Dante DeFranco (3) | Senior | Shortstop | .231; 5 2B, 2 3B, HR, 10 RBI; 4-6 SB |
| Spencer Nolan (23) | Sophomore | 1st Base | .190; 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI; 4-5 SB |
| Kaden Hopson (9) | Senior | Catcher | .180; 4 2B, 3 HR, 14 RBI |
Offensively, the 49ers are hitting .257 as a team (249th nationally), with 76 doubles, 9 triples, 53 home runs, and have knocked in 265 runs. This Charlotte team gave the Tigers fits in their first meeting, an 8-4 Clemson (come from behind) win. Don’t let the record and batting averages fool you. This team is currently 3rd in a highly competitive American Athletic Conference.
Charlotte is led offensively by Junior 1st Baseman, Carson Bayne who is second on the team with 12 home runs and leads the 49ers with 42 RBIs. Fellow Junior DH, Juan Correa leads the team from a power perspective with 12 home runs
STARTING PITCHER:
| Name (Jersey #) | Year/Hand | 2024 Cumulative Stats |
|---|---|---|
| Cameron Hansen (44) | Senior/RHP | 1-7; 9.00 ERA, 39 IP, 46K, 14BB; OppBA: .314 |
As a pitching staff, Charlotte has a 6.24 ERA, 170th in the country through 48 games, while opponents are hitting .265 against the 49ers. They’ve surrendered 84 2Bs, 8 3Bs, and 67 HRs as a staff.
SUMMARY
The 49ers are led by Coach Robert Woodard, a former pitching coach for North Carolina. He gets his players to play hard for him. This team, statistically, is over-matched by the Tigers, but as we saw the last time these two teams played, it will be a battle.
The Tigers bullpen is a strength of this team, and minus a few major blow ups the last couple of weeks, the belief from the coaching staff is that they will continue to be. Have faith Tiger fans.
This is the second to last mid-week game of the regular season. Where has this season gone?
