That Friday night feeling did not carry through the weekend. Clemson baseball dropped the series against North Carolina over the weekend at home.
Coach Bakich is frustrated, the team is frustrated, and time is running out on a season that is thought of as slightly disappointing to this point.
Clemson (23-14; 5-10 ACC) grabbed the opener against a top five North Carolina Tar Heels baseball club and had a real chance to take control of the series, especially with the way Michael Sharman dealt on Saturday. Fourteen innings later, that one slipped away, and Sunday followed the same frustrating script as the Tigers seemingly ran out of arms. A series that felt there for the taking ends up in the loss column.
That is the part that stings. Not that Clemson cannot play with a team like North Carolina, but that they showed it and still came up short.
The offense had its moments, the pitching was good enough to win the series, and yet the finishing piece just was not there when it mattered most. That has been the theme in ACC play so far. Close games, chances late, and not quite enough to close it out.
Now the focus shifts to a mid-week game against the Charlotte 49ers baseball at Truist Field, a place that did not treat Clemson kindly the last time they were there against Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
It is another opportunity, plain and simple. The margin has been thin, but the ability is still there. This group has shown it can go toe to toe with anyone. Now it is about turning those stretches into complete games and giving themselves something to build on instead of something to think about on the bus ride home.
Clemson Briefly
Aidan Knaak had his first start that felt like the ace was back on track. 6 innings, 9 strikeouts, allowing 7 hits and 2 earned runs. He gave his team a chance to win, and they did on Friday night.
Heyden Simmerson was fantastic outside of one pitch, in relief of Knaak on Friday night. The junior transfer from D-2 Catawba College has been fantastic all season with 11 appearances and opponents hitting .139 against him.
Jackson Moore had three hits on the weekend with 6 RBIs. The Freshman from Hartsville has cemented his spot in the starting lineup with injuries and some lack of production from others and made the most of it over the past week.
Jack Crighton continues to lead this team. The quiet leader went 6-16 over the weekend with two doubles and a home run on Friday night in the 9-5 victory. The kid continues to hit. 2nd on the team with a .328 average.
Through 37 games, Clemson is hitting .291 as a team and has tallied 69 doubles, 3 triples and 48 home runs while scoring 251 runs, good for an average of 6.8 runs per game.
The Tigers are TBA for their starting pitcher. Dane Moehler would be my guess as to who gets the ball against Charlotte tonight.
Clemson pitchers have a 4.29 ERA with 370 strikeouts and 122 walks. Opponents are hitting .228 against Tiger pitching.
Here is a look at the Charlotte 49ers
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Head Coach – Robert Woodard (7th Season)
2026 Record: 18-17 (3-9 American Athletic Conference)
Latest Series Result: Swept by Rice
Wins: San Diego, Wright State (x3), Maine, Old Dominion (x2), Virginia, Radford, Western Carolina (x2), Campbell, St. Johns, South Carolina, Wichita State, Queens, South Florida (x2)
Losses: San Diego (x2), Clemson, Virginia, St. Johns (x2), USC-Upstate, Wichita State (x2), South Florida, East Carolina (x3), North Carolina, Rice (x3)
The Charlotte 49ers enter the mid-week tilt at Truist Field at 18-17 overall and 3-9 in the American Conference. They were just swept in a conference series at home against Rice.
The 49ers are hitting .305 as a team and have collected 64 doubles, 7 triples and 42 home runs in their first 35 games. They average 7.1 runs per game. Charlotte has 36 stolen bases on the season in 41 attempts.
The 49ers are led offensively by Grad transfer (Kentucky) DH/1B Dylan Koontz who leads the team with 10 home runs and 36 runs batted in, while hitting .311 on the season. Senior 1B/3B Cody Gunderson is hitting .331 with a team-leading 12 doubles and has 7 home runs and 26 runs batted in as well. Senior LF Todd Hudson is hitting a team high .354 with 5 home runs and 27 runs batted in. Leadoff Senior 2B Spencer Nolan leads the team with 9 stolen bases in 10 attempts.
On the mound, Charlotte will throw right hander Sebastian Perez. The senior from Broward County, Florida has appeared in 13 games this season, but this will be his first start on the year.
The Charlotte pitching staff carries a 5.74 ERA through 35 games. The staff has struck out 306 batters and has issued 155 walks, allowing opponents to hit .280
Here are the probable starting lineup for Charlotte and their 2026 season stats:
Position Players:
| Name (#) | Year | Position | 2026 Stats |
| Spencer Nolan (23) | Senior | 2B/CF | .327; 9 2B, 3B, HR, 19 RBI; 9-10 SB |
| Todd Hudson (27) | Senior | LF | .354; 4 2B, 5 HR, 27 RBI; 3-4 SB |
| Cody Gunderson (22) | Senior | 1B/3B | .331; 12 2B, 7 HR, 26 RBI |
| Dylan Koontz (20) | Graduate | DH/1B | .311; 4 2B, 10 HR, 36 RBI; 1-1 SB |
| Alec DeMartino (9) | Graduate | RF | .323; 10 2B, 2 3B, 6 RBI, 30 RBI; 5-6 SB |
| Cale Stricklin (13) | Junior | C | .336; 6 2B, 3 HR, 25 RBI |
| Adrian Jimenez (3) | Sophomore | SS | .254; 5 2B, 2 3B, HR, 14 RBI; 2-2 SB |
| Robert Nedry (8) | Junior | 3B | .293; 6 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 18 RBI; 6-8 SB |
| Johnny Sutryk (6) | Junior | CF | .200; 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI; 4-4 SB |
Announced Starter
| NAME (#) | Year | Hand | 2026 Stats |
| Sebastian Perez (45) | Senior | RHP | 0-0; 6.10 ERA, 13 app, 20.2 IP, 19 K, 11 BB; OppBA: .306 |
Final Thought
That one over the weekend felt like a missed chance more than anything else.
Clemson showed it could play with a top five North Carolina Tar Heels baseball club, taking Friday night and getting a huge effort on the mound Saturday, but could not quite finish it off. Those are the ones that linger a bit, especially when you know how close you were to flipping the series.
Now the Tigers get right back to it with a different kind of challenge.
Charlotte 49ers baseball comes in after being swept by Rice Owls baseball, but this is not a lineup you take lightly. They can really swing it, and they have already shown this year they are capable of knocking off quality teams in these midweek spots. Clemson handled them 11-1 earlier in the season, but this feels like a much different game.
It is a quick turnaround at Truist Field, a place that has not been kind to Clemson recently. Another good test of focus and response after a weekend that could have gone the other way.
6PM tonight at Truist Field in Charlotte, NC.
With a series at another top 15 program Virginia this weekend, it almost feels like this mid-week is a must win for the Tigers, if there is such a thing in college baseball.
Go Tigers!
