Thursday Baseball Thoughts

by Mickey Plyler - Radio Host - Thu May 09 11:47:14 GMT-04:00 2013

Thursday Baseball Notes

We had Clemson baseball recruiting coordinator and assistant coach Bradley LeCroyBradley LeCroy
Assistant Head
View Full Profile on the radio show this morning and we learned several things from the interview. Below are a few notes from that interview and other baseball thoughts entering the final home weekend series of the year.

The Numbers

Clemson is 34-15 overall and 17-10 in the ACC. The Tigers are 19th in the latest Baseball America poll and 15th in the Collegiate Baseball poll. Clemson is 12th in the RPI based upon several factors. The Tigers have the nation's 8th toughest schedule according to the RPI numbers.

Clemson is 15-12 against teams 1-50 in the RPI, 4-1 against teams ranked 51-100, 9-1 against squads from 101-200 and 6-1 against teams ranked above number 200.

The Tigers are 22-9 at home, 11-6 on the road and 1-0 on neutral sites.

Hosting

Clemson is currently on the good side of the bubble in terms of hosting a regional according to Baseball America's college expert Aaron Fitt. A lot can change in the final two weeks of the regular season but Fitt says that Clemson has positioned itself well because of the strong finish of the last month.

The Division

Clemson will keep an eye on the NC State and Florida State series this weekend in Raleigh. FSU has a half game lead over NC State in the Atlantic Division heading into the weekend. Clemson trails the Seminoles by a game and a half.

The situation is different this year because NC State lost a game to weather when they hosted top-ranked North Carolina a few weeks ago. This hurts Clemson in my opinion. The Tigers had the advantage in the tie breaker with State but unless there is a rainout next weekend, Clemson and State cannot tie, so the tie breaker will not matter.

At this point, winning the division may be tough. If State wins two of three this weekend they take a lead for the division. State would be favored at Duke in next week's final series.

I think the best case scenario would be for FSU to win two of three against State and then Clemson take two of three from FSU next weekend. Clemson would win the tie-breaker in that scenario.

The ACC tournament is the following week and at this point Clemson would be the fifth seed in the tournament.

Depth

One of the reasons Clemson has played well down the stretch is depth. In the past couple of seasons the Tigers did not have the depth to make changes but this has changed with the freshman class.

When Jay BaumJay Baum
So. Infielder
#13 6-0, 190
Alpharetta, GA
View Full Profile struggled at the plate the Tigers were able to move Shane KennedyShane Kennedy
Jr. Infielder
#11 6-2, 190
Orlando, FL
View Full Profile to third and insert Maleek Gibson into the DH role. Gibson responded with four hits in yesterday's double header.

When Clate SchmidtClate Schmidt
Fr. RH Pitcher
#32 6-1, 190
Acworth, GA
View Full Profile struggled as a weekend starter, the Tigers moved Zach Erwin to the weekend rotation and he has responded.

Depth is important and a key to how the Tigers are now 9-1 in doubleheaders this season.

The Future

I was talking to a friend the other day about the program. He had moved from the area and had not been able to come to any games this season, so he asked about the program. I told him how much deeper and athletic we were this season compared to the last few teams. I also told him of the recruiting success continuing for the next two classes and finished by saying, "It's about to get really good around here!"

LeCroy gave two more pieces of good news on the show this morning. He said that Kevin PohleKevin Pohle
Jr. RH Pitcher
#21 6-3, 205
St. Louis, MO
View Full Profile 's red-shirt season is going very well. He said the staff expects Pohle to come back and compete with for a starting spot in the rotation next year. LeCroy also said the staff loves Jake LongJake Long
Jr. RH Pitcher
#39 5-10, 180
Anderson, SC
View Full Profile , a transfer from East Tennessee State. He says Long has great stuff and could have been a part of the weekend rotation this season but had to sit out as a transfer.

Next year the staff will feature Daniel GossettDaniel Gossett
So. RH Pitcher
#23 6-0, 180
Lyman, SC
View Full Profile , Matthew CrownoverMatthew Crownover
Fr. LH Pitcher
#44 5-11, 205
Ringgold, GA
View Full Profile , Zach Erwin, Kevin Pohle, Jake Long and several more talented arms. This could be one of the nation's best staffs and I think this is a pre-season top 10 team next season.

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Prayer List

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Those who need our prayers include: Finn Brookover, Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Daniel Rosborough, The Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs,Perrin Seigler, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, the Nicolopulos family, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle family, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, the Thomas. V Family, Emary Claire Young, Kitty Bowers,Julie Locke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family, Frank Gentry, Joyce Bussey, Stacey McKeown, Dale Childs, Larry Lentz, Jr, Carl Sharperson, Scott Hannon, William Perry, Tyler Swaney, Lillian, Mark Feit, David Frame, Chad Berry, the family of Matthew M. Watson, the Dowis family, Shervin Messer, Alan Putnam, the Olivers, Lee Tate, Ronnie Abrams, Eddie Greene, the Jackson family, Bill Vader, Jim Taylor, Tina DeWitt, Rock Horne, Christopher Tuten, Bobby Wayne Thomas, Emma and Danielle Carothers, Robert Ditty, Mr. and Mrs. Murray Smith, Dot Cartee, Ayden Mills, Millie Heatley, Lynn Martin and family, Michael Pinson, Jake David family, Angie Crowley, Ira, Mike Tolson, Poly Wells, Dr. Muriel Bishop, Jack Cunningham, Emily Jefford Meister, Zachary Stoller, Aaron Clackum, Pat James, Cortney Moore, William Moore, Angelia and Savannah Anderson, William Ross, Meredith Legg, Scott Johns, Frank Carroll, Brandon Thompson, Alvin Sammons, Georgine McAlhaney, Glen Davis, Mike Price, Clay Childers, Aaron Knight, Danielle Johnston and family, Nicholas Abrams, Lana Kuykendall, Gary, Gary G., William Huggins, Jim Bennett, Chantz Fowler, Ethel McElveen, Michele Gurganus, William Gentry, Lewis Usher and Tanya Sanders, Shon Cooper, Nick Collins, Travis Patterson, Amanda Peake, Danny Hammond, Chip Turner, Nick Collins, Allen Steen, The Sturkey Family, the Lance family, Marcus Lattimore, Nick Chrisley's family, Allison Williams, Lt. Kyle Walker, Summer and Joel Johnson, Nicole O'Donnell, James O. Johnson, Joy Pruett and family, Patrick Heher, Bill Schmidt, Jack Bailey, Bill Early, Gardner Family, Charles Turner, Kathy Bartholomew, Ray Sanders, David and Robin Blocker, J.R. Ray, Kenneth Kowe, Lauren Sielicki, Doug Bailey and family, Johnnie Walker, Jenna Phipps, Mark Lawrence, Harlan Sullins, Peter Laboy, Kat and Carlisle Jones, Elizabeth Galloway and family, Anita McDonald, Willard Harryman, Liz Surratt, Molly Senn, Jackie Shearer, Richard Sellers, our great country and the men and women in uniform that protect and serve it every day plus their families.