Regaining Momentum
When Clemson was on a roll in the late stages of the season, it seemed like everything was going right. The Tigers did the big things well but they also did the little things well.
That seems like a long time ago though.
After beating Florida State in game one of the series at Florida State, Clemson seemed to have everything in the world to play for. They needed a couple of things to happen. They needed NC State to drop one game against Duke and the Tigers needed to beat FSU in one of the final two games of the season. Neither happened.
Clemson could not get the big hit at the right time and it seemed the Tigers left more runners on base than any series of the season. Time and time again Clemson put runners in scoring position only to come away empty handed.
As a result of losing two of three in Tallahassee, Clemson dropped to third in the Atlantic Division and fifth in the ACC.
Clemson still was riding high and needed one win to get to 40 wins. That number was in many minds the magic one to host a regional. Instead, Clemson once again left the bases loaded against NC State in the opening game. In game two they blew a five run lead in the top of the ninth inning to lose to the top seed in the NCAA tournament in North Carolina. In the final game, Clemson looked lifeless and got pounded by Miami.
As a result of going 0-3 in the ACC tournament and 0-5 to end the season, the Tigers were not chosen to host a regional and now is the number two seed in Columbia in the same regional as South Carolina, Liberty and St. Louis.
Clemson's coaching staff is now faced with the task of rebuilding the confidence in this young baseball team. That is the first order of business.
The good news is that this team is young. They showed a bunch of resiliency earlier in the season and have bounced back several times this year.
The other bit of good news is the idea almost all of their goals are still in front of this team. Everything they wanted is still in front of them. The can beat their arch rival on their home field in a regional and eliminate the Gamecocks.
If things go well in Columbia, this group can go to Chapel Hill an get revenge on North Carolina and eliminate the Tar Heels.
As bad as things look right now, imagine how things group would feel if it could beat two of its biggest rivals in back-to-back weekends and eliminate them. Imagine what this group could accomplish by making it to Omaha.
Finally, unless there is a setback this week,
Matthew Crownover
Matthew Crownover
Fr. LH Pitcher
#44 5-11, 205
Ringgold, GA
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should be back for this weekend. The Tigers certainly missed his arm in the starting rotation is past weekend.
This is a great opportunity and that is the way Clemson needs to go about this. The Tigers need to view this as an opportunity and understand that all of the pressure is on the Gamecocks this weekend and the Tar Heels if they can advance to next weekend.
Clemson cannot go not into this series thinking about South Carolina winning 20 of the last 28 games in the series. Instead, Clemson needs to look at this weekend as an amazing opportunity.
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Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:
If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.
If you would like to add someone to the list please email me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com
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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, Tim Drisdelle, our great country and the men and women in uniform that protect and serve it every day plus their families.
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