Erick Bakich is already hard at work building the Clemson baseball roster for the 2025 season.
Fresh off an appearance in the super-regionals, the Tigers’ head coach has dipped into the transfer portal and landed a big name from his old school. Freshman infielder Collin Priest will join the Clemson program after just one season with the Wolverines.
Priest is considered one of the top freshmen infielders in the country and a huge get for Coach Bakich. In his only season in Ann Arbor, Priest hit .278 with 12 home runs and 31 RBI. He is also an elite defender. He recorded 91 put outs and seven defensive assists this past season with zero errors, sporting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
Priest appeared in 56 games during the 2024 season and started 39 of them. He also served as a designated hitter for Michigan and was named to the All-Big10 Freshman Team as a DH. His 12 home runs were a program record for a freshman at Michigan. He notched nine multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games for the Wolverines.
Priest hails from Mt. Dora, FL where he attended and played for Mt. Dora Christian School. during his prep career he hit 25 home runs and drove in 84 as a three-time all-state and three-time all-district selection. During a monster senior season in high school, he hit .417 with a 1.546 OPS to go with 11 home runs.
