19-6.
This is the final score of the game that ended the Clemson baseball season in 2018. Clemson was beat from start to finish by the Vanderbilt Commodores in the NCAA Baseball Regionals. Clemson players have said that this stuck with them all off-season and will stick with them throughout this season.
Clemson has hosted three NCAA Baseball Regionals in a row but failed to reach the Super Regionals. The Tigers have not made a Super Regional since 2010, when they reached the College World Series in Omaha, NE. The expectations for Clemson baseball are high every year, and this year is no exception.
Clemson returns star shortstop Logan Davidson, veteran infielders Grayson Byrd and Jordan Greene, along with catcher Kyle Wilkie. The 2018 recruiting class was also ranked in the top ten in the country and saw three players drafted in the MLB draft. Davis Sharpe, taken in the 34th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates who decided to forego his pro career and come to Clemson, has drawn rave reviews from his teammates already.
Davidson hit .292 last season with a team high 73 hits, and he also added 15 home runs. Wilkie led the team in batting average with a .324 average and will start the 2019 season on a 29 game hitting streak. If he can hit safely in the first 13 games of the season, he will have the longest hitting streak in Clemson history, previously belonging to Rusty Adkins who hit safely in 41 straight games from 1965-1966. Sharpe will be a dual-threat for the Tigers this season. He has a very live arm and will throw in the low to mid 90’s. Sharpe can also hit the ball out of the park and coaches will use him as a designated hitter when he is not pitching.
The Clemson Tigers baseball team will begin their season on Feb. 15 at home against the South Alabama Jaguars. Head coach Monte Lee has said that this team is different from past teams, saying that this team has very good player leadership. Another difference Lee gave is that his past teams have lived and died by the home run, but this year’s team will be able to score even if the wind is blowing in. This should be a fun season for Tiger baseball and fans.
