Clemson ran into a tough weekend in South Bend.
Notre Dame took all three games, and the Tigers never quite found enough consistency over the course of the series. It happens over a long season, especially on the road in conference play where every inning asks something of you.
Getting swept is never the goal, but it also does not define a team in March. Clemson has built too much over the first part of the season for one weekend to change the overall picture. Although they now sit at 1-5 in the ACC, so there is hole being dug.
The attention now turns quickly back home for a mid-week game with in-state foe Coastal Carolina.
The Tigers return to Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Tuesday night to face a team that comes in at 16-7 and a perfect 6-0 in Sun Belt Conference play. They have played well, they are confident, extremely well coached and they will expect to win the game.
This is a good spot for Clemson to respond. Not with anything dramatic, just with cleaner baseball and a return to what has worked, good pitching and timely hitting.
The season is not lost. Tuesday is simply the next opportunity to get it going again.
Clemson Briefly
Aidan Knaak looked more like the ace that Clemson has come to know on Friday night. Unfortunately he did not receive any offensive support against Irish ace Jack Radel who was remarkable.
Jacob Jarrell now has 10 home runs on the season. He leads the team and is the first to double digits in that category.
Jack Crighton filled in admirably in the lead-off spot on Sunday for the Tigers. He is hitting .361
Ty Dalley has started to hit a little bit. He raised his average .030 points over the weekend and is inching towards that .300 number that he’s been known to produce during his career at Mercer. As the weather warms, hopefully Dalley does as well.
Dane Moehler will get the start for the Tigers. The redshirt freshman has been used as an opener role the last two weeks with a light 25-pitch limit. It will be interesting to see if the leash gets a little longer Tuesday night. The guess would be that Eston Simpson would be the first arm warming again. Similar to last weeks game @ The Citadel.
Through 25 games, Clemson is hitting .299 as a team and has tallied 44 doubles, 1 triple and 32 home runs while scoring 173 runs, good for an average of 6.9 runs per game.
Here is a look at the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers:
Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers
Location: Conway, South Carolina
Head Coach – Kevin Schnall (2nd Season)
2026 Record: 16-7 (6-0 Sun Belt)
Wins: Fairfield (x3), VCU (x2), Campbell, Ole Miss, ECU (x2), Wake Forest, Appalachian State (x3), James Madison (x3)
Losses: College of Charleston, Illinois, Texas, UTSA, NC State, ECU, Campbell
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers enter the mid-week game at 16-7 overall and 6-0 in the Sun Belt Conference.
The Chants are hitting .271 as a team and have collected 41 doubles, 3 triples and 25 home runs in their first 23 games. They average 7.7 runs per game. Coastal has 48 stolen bases on the season in 55 attempts. This team will run to put pressure on the defense. 8 of their 9 regulars have at least 3 successful stolen bases on the season.
Coastal are led offensively by Junior DH Trace Mazon who is hitting a team leading .386 with 8 doubles, 4 home runs, 22 runs batted in and 5-6 in stolen bases.. Junior third baseman Walker Mitchell leads the team with 7 home runs and 27 runs batted in. Redshirt Junior 1st Baseman Colby Thorndyke leads the team with 9 stolen bases. (Interesting Stat: Coastal catcher Brice Estep has three hits on the season, all home runs)
On the mound, the Coastal pitching staff carries a 4.92 ERA through 23 games. The staff has struck out 183 batters and has issued only 82 walks, allowing opponents to hit .262.
Here are the probable starting lineup for Coastal Carolina and their 2026 season stats:
Position Players
| Name (#) | Year | Position | 2026 Stats |
| Dean Mihos (8) | Senior | CF | .374; 6 2B, 4 HR, 20 RBI; 4-7 SB |
| Trace Mazon (6) | Junior | DH | .386; 8 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 22 RBI; 5-6 SB |
| Blake Barthol (7) | Senior | 2B | .279; 4 2B, HR, 18 RBI; 7-7 SB |
| Walker Mitchell (5) | Junior | 3B | .295; 3 2B, 18 RBI; 5-5 SB |
| Rex Watson (12) | Sophomore | RF | .278; 2 2B, 3B, 7 HR, 27 RBI; 3-3 SB |
| Blagen Pado (22) | Junior | LF | .173; 5 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI; 5-5 SB |
| Colby Thorndyke (11) | RS Junior | 1B | .278; 5 2B, HR, 8 RBI; 9-10 SB |
| Brice Estep (24) | Junior | C | .167; 3 HR, 8 RBI |
| Ty Barrango (10) | RS Senior | SS | .277; 2 2B, HR, 11 RBI; 3-3 SB |
| ***Reserve*** | |||
| Domenico Tozzi (13) | Sophomore | C | .136; 2 2B, HR, 6 RBI; 1-2 SB |
Starting Pitcher
| NAME (#) | Year | Hand | 2026 Stats |
| Jackson Smallets (38) | Freshman | RHP | 0-0; 2.53 ERA, 6 app, 2 starts, 10.2 IP, 7K, 8 BB; OppBA: .275 |
Final Thoughts
It is a long season, and not every weekend is going to go your way.
Clemson found that out in South Bend. Getting swept is frustrating, but it is also a chance to reset without having to wait long. There is another game right in front of them.
Coastal Carolina comes in playing well as they’re likely the most consistent program in the state in recent years. We know they will be ready, and they have shown they can handle their business against the Tigers in the past.
For Clemson, this is really about a response. Not overreaction, not pressing, just getting back to playing the kind of baseball that put them in a good spot to begin with. And someone in this lineup needs to step up. Consistency in the lineup is probably the biggest question mark through the first third of the season.
Tuesday night offers that opportunity to respond. The schedule gets even tougher. This is a huge week for the Tigers.
Come out and be loud!
Tuesday 3/24 at 7PM at in the friendly confines of Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
