Clemson Baseball (18-8) needed a normal night on Tuesday. They did not get it.
They were in complete control for most of the game. A 9-3 lead into the seventh inning should have been enough to finish. The offense had done a nice job scoring runs. It was lined up to be a clean way to stop the losing streak against a really good Coastal team.
Then the game flipped, and it flipped because Clemson let it. Seemed like every pitcher besides Dylan Harrison and Justin LeGuernic were in 2-0 holes every hitter.
There is no complicated breakdown here. It was errors and free passes. Multiple ones. Plays that have to be made were not made, innings that should have ended kept going, and Coastal Carolina took full advantage of every extra chance and to their credit, there were a lot. That is how a six run lead disappears with eight outs remaining.
The final was 11-9, and it pushed the losing streak to four. That part matters, but the way it happened matters more. This was not about being outplayed over nine innings. This was about giving a game away in a short window where nothing was clean.
That is the frustrating part. Clemson has already shown what it looks like when things are right. They have pitched it well, they have hit enough, and they have played solid defense for most of the season. Tuesday did not look like that.
There is not a big fix needed. It is smaller than that. Make the routine play. Finish innings. Do not give teams extra outs. That is it.
The schedule does not slow down, and there is no time to sit on this one. The next game is what matters now. And quite a challenge is coming to town in the Miami Hurricanes.
They have to be sharper.
Clemson Briefly
Jacob Jarrell now has 11 home runs on the season. A leader of the team, seems like his hits recently have all left the yard.
Jack Crighton filled in admirably again in the lead-off spot on Tuesday night. He was on base five times.
Ty Dalley hit a rocket onto the batting cages on Tuesday night. At some point I will be right in this column. He’s going to heat up.
Through 26 games, Clemson is hitting .297 as a team and has tallied 46 doubles, 2 triple and 34 home runs while scoring 182 runs, good for an average of 7.0 runs per game.
Aidan Knaak, Michael Sharman and Drew Titsworth will start in their regular spots starting Thursday.
Before Tuesday night’s game, Clemson pitchers have a 3.23 ERA with 248 strikeouts and 69 walks. Opponents are hitting a paltry .201 against.
Here is a look at the Miami Hurricanes:
University of Miami Hurricanes
Location: Coral Gables, Florida
Head Coach – JD Arteaga (3rd Season)
2026 Record: 19-6 (2-4 ACC)
Wins: Lehigh (x3), UCF (x2), Indiana State, Lafayette (x4), FAU (x2), Bethune-Cookman, Boston College, Duke, FIU, Creighton (x3)
Losses: Florida (x2), Boston College (x2), Duke (x2)
The Miami Hurricanes enter the ACC road series at 19-6 overall and 2-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The Hurricanes are hitting .324 as a team and have collected 54 doubles, 7 triples and 45 home runs in their first 25 games. They average 10.6 runs per game. Miami has 42stolen bases on the season in 48 attempts. This team will run to put pressure on the defense.
Miami are led offensively by Junior 3B Daniel Cuvet who is hitting .341 with 8 doubles, a team leading 10 home runs and 33 runs batted in. Fifth-Year Senior Derek Williams leads the team hitting .422 with 10 doubles and 9 home runs to go along with a team-leading 37 runs batted in. NC State transfer Catcher Alex Sosa has 8 home runs and 29 runs batted in for his new team.
On the mound, the Miami pitching staff carries a 4.68 ERA through 25 games. The staff has struck out 281 batters and has issued only 93 walks, allowing opponents to hit .243.
Here are the probable starting lineup for Miami and their 2026 season stats:
Position Players
| Name (#) | Year | Position | 2026 Stats |
| Jake Ogden (4) – UNC Greensboro | Senior | 2B | .242; 3 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 19 RBI; 6-7 SB |
| Daniel Cuvet (14) | Junior | 3B | .341; 8 2B, 10 HR, 33 RBI; 3-4 SB |
| Alex Sosa (13) – NC State | Junior | C | .330; 7 2B, 8 HR, 29 RBI |
| Derek Williams (2) – Wichita State | 5th Year | RF | .422; 10 2B, 9 HR, 37 RBI; 3-5 SB |
| Brylan West (30) – FIU | Graduate | 1B | .361; 5 2B, 2 HR, 22 RBI; 4-4 SB |
| Alonzo Alvarez (37) | Freshman | DH | .349; 5 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 17 RBI; 1-1 SB |
| Dylan Dubovik (47) | Freshman | LF | .349; 4 2B, 5 HR, 20 RBI; 2-3 SB |
| Vance Sheahan (0) USC-Upstate | Junior | SS | .283; 2B, 3B, HR, 12 RBI; 6-6 SB |
| Fabio Peralta (17) | Sophomore | CF | .409; 2 2B, 3B, 16 RBI; 7-8 SB |
Announced Starters
| NAME (#) | Year | Hand | 2026 Stats |
| Sebastian Santos-Olson (55) | Freshman | LHP | 0-0; 4.50 ERA, 6 app, 4 starts, 18 IP, 18K, 9 BB; OppBA: .296 |
| Rob Evans (9) – Georgia State | Senior | LHP | 5-1; 3.09 ERA, 6 app, 5 starts, 32 IP, 43 K, 12 BB; OppBA: .171 |
| Lazaro Collera (99) | Sophomore | RHP | 1-1; 4.71, 11 app, 3 starts, 21 IP, 30 K, 11 BB; OppBA: .208 |
Final Thoughts/Game Times
Baseball does not wait around for you to figure it out. Four losses in a row is a lot, but not the end of the world if the Tigers can respond.
Clemson got a harsh reminder in South Bend and then let one slip at home against Coastal.
This weekend series is about a response. Not pressing, not trying to do too much, just getting back to clean baseball. The lineup needs someone to grab hold and bring some consistency. That has been the missing piece through the first third of the season.
This is a big weekend.
Thursday @ 7PM, Friday @ 8PM and Saturday @ 3PM at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
