Clemson standout Cam Cannarella expected to be ready for Opening Day

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CLEMSON – One of the best players in all of college baseball is close to being healthy, something he hasn’t been since the first few weeks of last season.

Clemson centerfielder Cam Cannarella underwent right shoulder surgery in the offseason to repair a torn labrum he suffered in February 2024 when he slid into third base. He missed just two games, and while it didn’t affect his hitting to a great degree, it took away his arm and his speed on the basepaths.

Head coach Erik Bakich said Cannarella was limited to just a six-foot lead off the bases, and after stealing 24 bags as a freshman, that number dropped to zero last season as the coaches tried to keep their best player in the lineup.

Cannarella told the media last week that he is about 85% and should be ready to play when Clemson starts the season two weeks from now. Clemson will face Oklahoma State in the Shriners Children's College Showdown on Feb. 14 in Arlington, Texas.

“Last year, I couldn’t really do a lot,” Cannarella said in Doug Kingsmore Stadium last week. “This summer, I got surgery and it was not a great fall for me because I couldn’t really do anything with the team. But, I’m back and ready to go.”

Despite the injury, Cannarella put together a stellar 2024 season - he hit .337 with 58 runs, 16 doubles, three triples, 11 homers, 60 RBIs, a .561 slugging percentage, .417 on-base percentage, 34 walks and a hit-by-pitch in 58 games (58 starts, including 48 in center field and 10 as the DH). He tied for seventh in the ACC in triples, tied for eighth in hits per game (1.43) and tied for 10th in triples per game (0.05), led the team in triples and multiple-hit games (29) and had 16 multiple-RBI games.

With a roster that lost three key leaders in Blake Wright, Jimmy Obertop, and Jacob Hinderleider, Cannarella knows that he has to be a leader on an off the field.

“My freshman year, Caden (Grice) and Cooper (Ingle) took me under their wing and I learned from them for sure,” Cannarella said. “I just learned what they did when they were juniors and I was a freshman, so I feel like I'm more of a leader on the field. I'm a vocal leader on the field, so I'm just bringing the team in and making sure everybody's good.”

Bakich said he can’t wait to see his healthy superstar healthy.

“Cam's superpower is his competitive fire and his ability to perform in the clutch, as we all know,” Bakich said. “But he is progressing very well since it's his throwing arm, throwing shoulder, but he's throwing the ball. He's on a throwing progression. He's extending every day, every week, so he'll be right now on track to be a hundred percent full tilt, ready to go for Opening Day.”

Will he have the green light to steal bases again? Bakich smiled at the question.

“Probably to be determined. He tore his labrum sliding into third in game four of the season last year against Presbyterian. And even though he fought us on it, we wouldn't allow him to get a bigger lead than six feet after that,” Bakich said. “So he had to go back in standing up and we said, no stealing, no headfirst diving, no running into the fence. And of course he didn't listen to the running into the fence part, but we tried to minimize any injury prone type movement. We'll see how it all looks, how it all feels. He's going to want to run because he's aggressive and competitive. But I guess to be determined.”

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