Through the first half of the 2016 season, the Clemson Tigers baseball team has exceeded all expectations, with an impressive record of 21-7 overall. Perhaps even more impressive, however, is the remarkable play of two of the youngest batters in the lineup, which has enabled the Tigers to put together this great start.
Freshman right fielder Seth Beer was once considered the next Michael Phelps. A fish in the pool, Beer preferred to be known as a beast on the diamond, opting to pursue a baseball career rather than a swimming one.
Now, Beer, who would not be wearing purple and orange had he not graduated high school a year early, is quickly making his mark on the national college baseball scene.
Looking like a future first-round MLB Draft pick, Beer is the current de facto Triple Crown winner of the Tigers’ roster, he is leading the team in batting average, home runs and runs batted in. After gaining recent widespread attention for his success at the plate, Beer received some lofty praise from his head coach, with Monte Lee telling the media, “I tell people all the time that he’s the best freshman I’ve ever seen.”
Beer’s partner in crime thus far this season has been sophomore center fielder Chase Pinder. A former second baseman, Pinder has taken his excellent defensive abilities to the outfield this year and has excelled in that respect.
On the field, Pinder’s hitting heroics have also helped propel the Tigers over the course of the first month and a half of the 2016 season. Through the month of March, Pinder, Clemson’s lead-off hitter, is leading the team in runs scored and is tied with Beer and second baseman Weston Wilson for the lead
in hits.
Even Pinder is surprised with his early-season prosperity, telling reporters, “I don’t know if I expected this. But I hold myself to a high standard. I don’t want to look back and regret anything I did.”
The way Pinder is playing lately, it does not appear that he will have to worry about looking back on the 2016 campaign with regret.
Overall, this is a fairly young team, but it is still relatively uncommon to see two underclassmen taking charge in the first half of the season as Beer and
Pinder have.
Like those two sluggers, the college baseball season is young, so the youngsters cannot afford to rest on their laurels just yet. The Tigers have produced well from the plate throughout 2016, and Beer and Pinder have been the sparkplugs.
Offense wins championships in college baseball, so if Beer and Pinder continue their hot hitting, the Tigers just might find themselves in Omaha for the College World Series come mid-June.
