This past weekend, the Tigers welcomed two teams into Doug Kingsmore Stadium; VCU and North Carolina A&T. They played each team twice for four total games for the squad and when 4-0 on the weekend which brought the record to a total of 6-1.
Here is your preview on Clemson’s first mid-week game of the season with projected lineups. (Again, It’s still early in the season, so this will be best guess based on last weekend’s trends)
Clemson Briefly:
Clemson starts the season with 6 wins and 1 loss in the Shriners Children’s Baseball Classic two weekend ago and the Clemson Baseball Invitational this past weekend.
The Tigers are hitting .291 as a team through 7 games. They’re led in that category by Dominic Listi (.435). They have added 15 doubles and two home runs as a team.
The Tigers are running a little bit as well, a perfect 8 for 8 in steals in the early going.
On the mound, the Tigers pitching staff touts a 5.46 ERA. The staff has struck out 74 batters and walked 28 for a near 3/1 strikeout to walk ratio.
A little bit too much of the long ball given up to start the season, with 10. Ethan Darden leads the staff with a 1.80 ERA.
Opponents are hitting .224 against the Tigers.
Here is a look at the Winthrop Eagles, the first Mid-Week Opponent of the season:
Game: 2/25 @ 4PM
Winthrop University Eagles
Head Coach – Mike McGuire (1st Season @ Winthrop)
2025 Record: 4-3
Wins: Merrimack (x3), Villanova
Losses: South Carolina, Villanova (x2)
Note: Coach McGuire is in his first year in Rock Hill. He was previously the head coach at USC-Upstate, where he gave the Tigers fits over the course of his tenure in Spartanburg.
Here are the probable starting lineup for Winthrop and their 2025 stats:
Position Players:
| Name (#) | Year | Position | 2024 Stats |
| Gabe Natividad (2) | Jr | 2B | .333; 2 HR, 6 RBIs |
| Alan Benhardt (29) | Sr. | 1B | .286; 2 2Bs, 2 RBIs |
| Jaylen Hernandez (41) | Soph. | DH | .414; 2B, 2 HRs, 10 RBIs |
| Koby Kropf (44) | RS Sr. | RF | .310; 2 2Bs, HR, 4 RBIs |
| Cole Yearsley (13) | Jr. | LF | .286; 2 2B, 3B, HR, 5 RBIs |
| Colin Crowley (12) | Fr. | 3B | .258; 4 2Bs, 8 RBIs |
| Ethan Wilson (5) | Jr. | CF | .345; 3 2B, 3B, 3 HRs, 13 RBIs |
| Nate Chronis (16) | Sr. | C | .286; 2 2B, 2 RBIs |
| Dusty Vela (4) | Jr. | SS | .318; 3 2B, 2 RBIs |
Offensively, the Eagles are led in the early season by Sophomore Catcher/DH Jaylen Hernandez. He’s started the season hot, touting a .414 batting average with 2 long balls and 10 RBIs. Hernandez was a tough out last season against the Tigers going 2-3 in the only meeting between the two programs. A game Clemson won 13-3.
Junior Centerfielder Ethan Wilson has an impressive stat line as well, hitting .345 with 3 doubles, a triple, three home runs and leads the team with 13 runs batted in.
Redshirt Senior Koby Kropf, a transfer from USC-Upstate is no stranger to Doug Kingsmore Stadium, having played against the Tigers in each of his last three seasons. The powerful right fielder has been held in check up to this point by the Tigers, but had 20 home runs for the Upstate Spartans in 2024.
PROBABLE Pitchers for Winthrop:
| NAME (#) | Year | Hand | 2024 Stats |
| Lance Wade (21) | Sr. | RHP | 0-0; 4.15 ERA; 4.1 IP, 5 K, BB; OppBA: .316 |
Winthrop will throw veteran senior righty Lance Wade at the Tiger lineup on Tuesday afternoon. He has pitched 4 and a third across two appearances and one midweek start (vs. South Carolina).
Clemson will throw freshman left-hander Brendon Bennett, making his collegiate debut.
SUMMARY
So baseball didn’t “happen” this past weekend. The Tigers escaped the weekend unscathed with 4 wins against some gritty programs. This is a big week, as will be an oft used phrase by yours truly. Winthrop has a new coach in Mike McMahon, a guy who is no stranger to coming into DKS and leaving victorious. He had a couple of guys move to Winthrop with him, as noted previously, but for the most part it is a new group of Eagles visiting Clemson.
The Tigers used a lot of pitchers over the weekend. And with a big series looming this weekend against the team from the midlands, Coach Bakich and Coach Bellinger will have to piece together a staff for Tuesday nights game behind the young lefty. Mid-week games matter, and this should be a good one to start the year.
As always…
Go Tigers!
