Sometimes a weekend comes along that reminds a good baseball team exactly how good it still wants to be.
Clemson Baseball found that kind of reminder this weekend at home at DKS.
Facing a Georgia Tech club that looks every bit like one of, if not the best teams in the country, the Tigers battled through a tough three game set and walked away only with the finale on Saturday, salvaging the last game of the series and hopefully a little momentum.
It was not the weekend Clemson hoped for, but it may prove to be the kind that humbles a team as the long season continues to unfold. Good teams often grow the most when things do not come easy, and the lessons learned against an uber-talented Yellow Jackets squad could pay dividends in the weeks ahead.
We can hope.
Ever the optimist here, and a common sentiment from me after a Clemson baseball loss, let’s take a breath for a moment and look at the bigger picture.
Clemson got startled in the opener against a Georgia Tech club that very well might be the best team in the country right now. Game 2 was slightly better early before it wasn’t in the 9-3 defeat.
The Yellow Jackets took two of the three games this weekend, but the Tigers refused to leave empty handed, bouncing back to grab the finale and avoid the sweep. They played well again on Saturday, which brought life back to the players and, quite honestly, me.
Sometimes a weekend like that serves as a reminder that the margin at the top of college baseball is razor thin. It also provides the kind of lessons that good teams tuck away for later in the season.
The bigger picture still looks pretty good in Tigertown, with plenty of quality opponents left on the schedule to test this group.
Clemson remains one of the best teams in the country and still carries the kind of record that keeps the Tigers planted firmly in the national conversation. One tough weekend against an elite opponent does not erase the strong start this group has built over the first third of the season. Can you believe we’re a third done already?!? Me neither.
Now the attention turns to a quick road trip down to the Lowcountry.
Clemson heads to Charleston on Tuesday night to face the College of Charleston before stopping in at The Citadel on Wednesday. That second game will feature a familiar face in the opposing dugout, as former Clemson shortstop Russell Triplett now runs the show for the Bulldogs. Both teams have shown some grit winning games we would not normally expect them to. Don’t be fooled by either record. Both of these teams can play.
Midweek games in March can sometimes sneak up on a team, but they also offer the opportunity to stack a couple of wins and carry some momentum back into ACC play.
Clemson Briefly
Not much to highlight during the first part of the weekend. And you’ll have to forgive me for messing up saying Friday night when we all know game 1 was actually on Thursday.
Offensively, the Tigers were held in check in the first two games of the weekend against GT.
Familiar names in this space both had nice weekends. Tryston McCladdie (.396, 1.171 OPS, 5 HR) and Nate Savoie (.403, 1.364 OPS, 7 HR) continue to lead this offense while we wait for some of the other bigger names to break out.
Quietly Jarren Purify has had a good season from the leadoff spot. (.366, 10 SB)
Dylan Harrison will get the ball first Tuesday night against College of Charleston. The freshman from California has started two games already. He’s appeared in three games, has pitched 11.1 innings. He’s 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA, and opponents are hitting .220 against him.
Through 20 games, Clemson is hitting .311 as a team and has tallied 39 doubles and 28 home runs while scoring 150 runs, good for an average of 7.5 runs per game.
Here is a look at the College of Charleston Cougars:
College of Charleston Cougars
Location: Charleston, SC
Head Coach – Chad Holbrook (9th Season at CofC)
2026 Record: 9-10 (4-2 CAA)
Wins: Rutgers, Coastal Carolina, South Alabama, James Madison, Presbyterian, Hofstra (x2), Stony Brook (x2)
Losses: Rutgers (x3), South Alabama (x2), East Carolina, Illinois, Hofstra, Wofford, Stony Brook
The College of Charleston Cougars enter the midweek game at 9-10 overall but 4-2 in the CAA.
The Cougars are hitting .252 as a team and have collected 35 doubles, 3 triples and 9 home runs in their first nineteen games. They average 4.5 runs per game.
The Cougars are led offensively by freshman leadoff outfielder Jacob Amman who is hitting a team leading .361 with 4 doubles, a home run and 9 runs batted in. Graduate catcher Dylan Johnson is hitting .333 with 9 doubles, good enough for top 30 nationally, individually in that category. Graduate center fielder and North Carolina transfer, and coach’s son, Reece Holbrook leads the team with 8 stolen bases through nineteen games.
On the mound, the C of C pitching staff carry a 5.49 ERA through nineteen games. The staff has struck out 121 batters but has also issued 100 walks, allowing opponents to hit .296.
Here are the probable starting lineup for College of Charleston and their 2026 season stats:
Position Players
| Name (#) | Year | Position | 2026 Stats |
| Jacob Amman (3) | Freshman | LF | .361; 4 2B, HR, 9 RBI; 5-6 SB |
| Ethan Plyler (15) | RS Senior | 2B | .275; 3 2B, 3B, 8 RBI; 2-5 SB |
| Dylan Johnson (9) | Graduate | C | .333; 9 2B, 3B, HR, 10 RBI |
| Landon Penfield (16) | Sophomore | 3B | .208; 2 2B, HR, 5 RBI |
| Alex LaCoste (33) | Sophomore | 1B | .259; 2 HR, 8 RBI |
| Nick Diaz (4) | Freshman | RF | .216; 2 2B, 4 RBI |
| Stow Rogers (14) | Freshman | DH | .263; 2 2B, HR, RBI |
| Will Burgess (37) | RS Freshman | SS | .143; 2B, RBI |
| Reece Holbrook (2) – North Carolina | Graduate | CF | .281; 4 2B, 4 RBI; 8-10 SB |
| Reserves to Note | |||
| Will Tippett (5) – South Carolina | Graduate | Util | .146; 4 2B, HR, 5 RBI |
Starting Pitcher
| NAME (#) | Year | Hand | 2026 Stats |
| Carson Bryant (17) – Georgia Southern | RS Junior | RHP | 1-1; 3.95 ERA, 5 app, 13.2 IP, 12 K, BB; OppBA: .339 |
Final Thought
Clemson ran into a Georgia Tech team this weekend that I believe might be the best club in the country right now. That happens sometimes over the course of a long season. The Yellow Jackets took two of the three games, but the Tigers made sure to grab the finale on Saturday to salvage the series. That last win matters. Nobody enjoys walking away from a weekend empty handed, especially when the opponent is that good.
The Tigers head to the Lowcountry on Tuesday night to face the College of Charleston, with first pitch set for 6 p.m. at the College of Charleston Baseball Stadium at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant.
These midweek games can get tricky if you let them, but they are also games Clemson simply needs to win. Programs like Charleston and The Citadel play good baseball, but they should not be operating on the same level as Clemson over nine innings.
In other words, the message this week is pretty simple. Take care of business before a weekend series against Notre Dame on the road.
Salvaging Saturday’s Game 3 against Georgia Tech helped steady things after a tough series. Now the Tigers have a chance to stack a couple of midweek wins, clean up a few of the lessons that came out of the weekend, and keep the season moving in the right direction.
Can’t win both games down in Charleston without winning on Tuesday first!
Go Tigers!
