There’s something special about a rivalry weekend, and it doesn’t get any bigger than a three-game baseball series between Clemson and the University of South Carolina. This one feels even more unique, with the teams packing up and taking the rivalry on the road. Friday night at Founders Park, Saturday in Columbia at Segra Park, and Sunday afternoon back home in Clemson at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Three cities, three environments, and one rivalry that always seems to raise the stakes.
Coach Bakich often talks about adversity showing itself not just within a game, but over the course of a series and an entire season. This weekend is a perfect measuring stick for that philosophy. Rivalry games have a way of speeding everything up. The crowds are louder, the moments are bigger, and mistakes are magnified. How a team handles those moments usually tells you a lot about who they are and who they can become.
The Tigers head into the weekend with confidence built over the opening stretch of the season. They have already had to grind through tight games, bounce back from early mistakes, and win in different ways. Those are signs of a group learning how to handle pressure early. Pitching has once again been the steady foundation, keeping Clemson in every game while the lineup continues to search for its full rhythm at the plate.
That is what makes this weekend so intriguing. Rivalry series have a way of jump-starting offenses, flipping momentum, and creating moments that linger all season long. Whether it is a big swing in a hostile environment Friday night, the neutral-site intensity on Saturday, or the emotion of closing it out at home on Sunday, this series promises to test Clemson in every way Coach Bakich preaches.
Fasten up. Three games, three venues, and no shortage of emotion. This is college baseball the way it is meant to be played.
Offensively, Clemson has still been led by Nate Savoie hitting .467 and an OPS of 1.362 early in the season. Tryston McCladdie continues to contribute offensively adding 3 hits in the midweek against Presbyterian. Jarren Purify also had two hits and is 3-5 in stolen bases through 8 games. Not running as much as he did a season ago.
Through eight games, Clemson is hitting .332 as a team and has tallied 15 doubles and 12 home runs while driving in 58 runs, good for an average of 7.3 runs per game.
On the mound, Clemson is expected to continue with the same rotation this weekend with Aidan Knaak, Michael Sharman and Talan Bell getting the ball first in the rivalry series.
The South Carolina Gamecocks enter the weekend series at 6-3 overall, having dropped their mid-week game against Queens on Tuesday night in Columbia.
The Gamecocks are hitting .305 as a team and have collected 25 doubles, 2 triples and 13 home runs in their first nine games. Fifth-Year Senior Talmadge LeCroy leads the UofSC offense, hitting .471 with three doubles, two home runs and 7 RBI, while Sophomore shortstop KJ Scobey has started the season strong with a .341 average with three doubles, and two home runs.
On the mound, the South Carolina pitching staff carries an 3.71 ERA through nine games. The staff has struck out 90 batters but has also issued 35 walks, allowing opponents to hit .225. USC Upstate transfer Amp Phillips, who the Tigers faced in the Clemson Regional in 2025 is the early season ace of the staff at 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA. He’ll go on Saturday against Michael Sharman.
Here is a look at the South Carolina Gamecocks:
South Carolina Gamecocks
Location: Columbia, SC
Head Coach – Paul Mainieri (2nd Season)
2026 Record: 6-3 (0-0 SEC)
Wins: Northern Kentucky (x2), Wofford, Gardner-Webb, Navy, Air Force
Losses: Northern Kentucky, Army, Queens
Here is the probable starting lineup for U of South Carolina and their early season stats:
Probable Position Players
| Name (#) | Year | Position | 2026 Stats |
| Will Craddock (9) | Freshman | 2B | .500; 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI |
| Patrick Evans (3) | Junior | RF | .280; 5 2B, HR, 4 RBI; 1-3 SB |
| Aaron Jamison (18) | Junior | LF | .300; 2B, HR, 2 RBI |
| Talmadge LeCroy (5) | 5th Year | C | .471; 3 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI; 1-2 SB |
| KJ Scobey (19) | Sophomore | SS | .341; 3 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI |
| Ethan Lizama (12) – Western Kentucky | Senior | DH | .259; 2 2B, 3B, RBI; 1-2 SB |
| Dawson Harman (30) | Junior | 3B | .240; 3 2B, HR, 3 RBI |
| Beau Hollins (15) | Sophomore | 1B | .217; 4 RBI |
| Tyler Bak (17) – Wofford | Junior | CF | .243; 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI |
| Reserves To Know | |||
| Reese Moore (22) – Iowa | Junior | DH/C | .318; 2 2B, 3B, 3 RBI |
| Logan Sutter (0) – Purdue | 5th Year | IF | .294; 2B, HR, 4 RBI |
| Luke Yuhasz (34) | Senior | OF | .250; 2B, 2 RBI |
Announced Starting Pitchers
| NAME (#) | Year | Hand | 2026 Stats |
| Josh Gunther (24) – Wake Forest | Junior | RHP | 1-0; 7.88 ERA, 8.0 IP, 10 K, 4 BB; OppBA: .290 |
| Amp Phillips (13) – USC Upstate | Junior | RHP | 1-0; 1.86 ERA, 9.2 IP, 10 K, 5 BB; OppBA: .094 |
| Riley Goodman (39) | RS Freshman | RHP | 0-1; 3.68 ERA, 7.1 IP. 8 K, 6 BB; OppBA: .222 |
Final Thoughts
This weekend’s three-game series between Clemson and South Carolina brings the rivalry to three different stages, each with its own feel and pressure. The Tigers will open things up Friday night at Founders Park before shifting to Segra Park in Columbia on Saturday, then returning home to Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Sunday.
First pitch is set for Friday at 7 p.m. at Founders Park, Saturday at 3 p.m. at Segra Park, and Sunday at 3 p.m. at DKS.
Three games, three environments, and no shortage of emotion. Now it’s time to see if the arms continue to lead the way and if the bats can rise to the moment when it matters most.
The Tigers have had their way in Men’s Sports this calendar year (and historically). So to the fans! Go support the Tigers this weekend in Columbia and Clemson.
