Clemson opens home schedule hosting VCU, NC A&T |
The No. 8 Tigers host VCU and North Carolina A&T in the Clemson Baseball Invitational this weekend.
INVITATIONAL SETUP • Who (Friday) – VCU (1-3) vs. Clemson (2-1) • Who (Saturday) – North Carolina A&T (2-0) & VCU (1-3) vs. Clemson (2-1) • Who (Sunday) – North Carolina A&T (2-0) vs. Clemson (2-1) • Best Ranking – A&T – NR; VCU – NR; CU – No. 8 Baseball America, NCBWA, Perfect Game • When – Friday (4 p.m.), Saturday (Noon & 4 p.m.), Sunday (2 p.m.) • Where – Clemson, S.C. (Doug Kingsmore Stadium) • Watch – ACC Network Extra • Video Announcers – Fred Cunningham, Ron Smith • Listen (Radio) – Clemson Athletic Network (locally on WCCP (105.5 FM)) • Listen (Internet) – ClemsonTigers.com • Live Stats – ClemsonTigers.com • Social Media – ClemsonBaseball • Tickets – ClemsonTigers.com, 1-800-CLEMSON SERIES HISTORY (VCU) • Overall Record – 0-0 SERIES HISTORY (NORTH CAROLINA A&T) • Overall Record – Clemson leads 1-0 (2005) • Record at Clemson – Clemson leads 1-0 (2005) STARTING PITCHERS • Friday – LHP Cade Dressler (VCU - 0-1, 9.00 ERA) vs. RHP Aidan Knaak (CU - 0-0, 9.00) • Saturday – RHP Angel Ortiz (A&T - 1-0, 3.60) vs. LHP Ethan Darden (CU - 0-0, 0.00) • Saturday – RHP Brian Yetter (VCU - 0-1, 11.57) vs. TBA (CU) • Sunday – RHP Mekai Griffin (A&T - 0-0, 4.50) vs. LHP Justin LeGuernic (CU - 0-1, 37.80) CLEMSON OVERVIEW • Clemson, which has yet to play a home game, won two of three games in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown last weekend. • The Tigers are averaging 9.0 runs per game and hitting .324 with a .422 slugging percentage, .418 on-base percentage and two steals. • The pitching staff has a 9.00 ERA, .283 opponents’ batting average and 2.82 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and Clemson is fielding .990. VCU OVERVIEW • VCU, which has played all its games on the road and is averaging 3.8 runs per game, is led by first-year Head Coach Sean Thompson. • The Rams lost at Longwood 6-3 on Tuesday. They are hitting .235 and have a 8.90 ERA and .968 fielding percentage. • Jacob Lee is hitting .429 with a homer and six RBIs and Seth Werchan is batting .333 with two steals. NORTH CAROLINA A&T OVERVIEW • North Carolina A&T, which has yet to play a road game and is averaging 13.0 runs per game, is led by 11th-year Head Coach Ben Hall. • The Aggies defeated Delaware State in both matchups last weekend. They are hitting .382 and have a 3.50 ERA and .959 fielding percentage. • AJ Jones is 4-for-7 (.571) with two RBIs, JT Taylor is 4-for-7 (.571) with five RBIs and Bruce Wyche and Tyler Smith each have hit a homer. QUICK HITS • The Aggies play VCU on Sunday at 10 a.m. (no live video) in the only game not involving the Tigers. • North Carolina A&T Head Coach Ben Hall was an infielder at Clemson in 2005 and 2006, hitting .266 in 78 games (11 starts) as a Tiger. • Clemson scored 15 of its 27 runs in the first and ninth innings in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown last weekend. SHRINERS SHOWDOWN RECAP • Clemson was one of four teams in the six-team Shriners Children’s College Showdown with a 2-1 record to tie for the best record. • The showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas from Feb. 14-16 marked Clemson’s first three games in an MLB stadium and a dome. • It marked Clemson’s first regular-season tournament since 2005 and its first regular-season game outside the Eastern time zone since 2005. • Clemson defeated No. 13 Oklahoma State 6-5 in the first game, then beat No. 12 Arizona 16-5 in its second game before falling to Ole Miss. • Oklahoma State and Arizona were the top-two teams, respectively, in the Big 12 Conference coaches preseason poll. • The Tigers hit .324 with 10 doubles, 27 runs, a .418 on-base percentage, two steals and a .990 fielding percentage in the showdown. • Dominic Listi was 5-for-9 (.556) with seven RBIs, four runs, two walks, two hit-by-pitches and a .643 on-base percentage in three games.
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