'Never out of the fight' Tigers show their grit again

Erik Bakich says the big comebacks and series win all show the mentality of his program. (Clemson athletics photo)

Brandon Rink - Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer - Monday, March 24 2025

Knocking on the door – and sometimes trying to power through the wind – encapsulated Clemson against the No. 11-ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons this weekend.

After three innings Saturday, Clemson trailed by 10. They matched that mark by the sixth inning, but the Deacs had scratched across two more runs by then and held on to even the series.

After two innings Sunday, Clemson trailed by six. They matched that mark by the eighth inning, but the bullpen led by stud reliever Lucas Mahlstedt froze the Wake Forest score this time, and Tryston McCladdie made his way around the bags without a hit for the walk-off score.

It was fitting that the big comeback win fell on March 23, a year to the date from an eight-run, ninth-inning rally over Florida State last year at home to bolster another strong season start.

Erik Bakich says it all shows the mentality of his program.

“Unbelievable effort by our guys. Second day in a row get down a big deficit and have to battle back,” Bakich said Sunday. “Came up short (Saturday), but we're able to do it today. Had to do it the hard way. A total bullpen game. The last five pitchers who were put into the game all put up zeros against an incredible offense -- a dynamic, explosive offense in Wake Forest. And to just string quality at-bats together and get two-out clutch hits and find our way on base and to hold the zone against some nasty pitching. They've got a collection of incredible arms with plus-stuff…

“Just really proud of the way we battled. How we fought, and it just goes back to the mindset. That we're never out of the fight. It's one thing to say it. It's another thing to do it. It's just another one of those great comeback stories that we've been able to do in the last few years.”

Clemson, ranked as high as No. 4 last week, entered the eighth inning hitting .176 with runners on base over Sunday afternoon, having stranded 10 runners en route to trailing by three. They’d leave two more aboard that frame, but not before RBI singles from Cam Cannarella and Luke Gaffney to tie things up for the first time since the early action.

After another zero on the board from Clemson pitching, McCladdie made his way home with a walk, a stolen base, a productive groundout and a wild pitch.

“This team is gritty. We always know that we can come back just because of the belief the coaches have in us and our teammates,” McCladdie said. “It's just an everyday thing. We always know that we can come back no matter how much we're down and credit to Wake Forest, they had a really good team, but Clemson Tigers man, they're some gritty boys.”

While the lineup eventually came through and the bullpen held tough, Bakich also credited a Doug Kingsmore Stadium crowd that put the pressure on the opponent. Just Sunday, Wake Forest pitching totaled 10 walks, two hit batters, and wild pitches in Clemson run-scoring innings in the sixth and ninth.

“Those walks and those hit-by-pitches, we've got our hitter at the plate and 5,000 crazy people yelling at the pitcher,” Bakich said. “And it cannot be understated that when our stadium, whether it's 5,000 or 6,000 or someday it will be 10,000, but when they are loud and rowdy, there is a physiological response that happens to the opposing pitcher. It's tougher to throw strikes, and it's tougher to hit your spots. It's certainly tougher to slow yourself down because it is loud and intense.

“One of the loudest and most intense venues that anyone will play at...Of course the credit goes to our players that have to hold the zone and take balls, but our fans are making it awfully hard on the opposing pitcher.”

The Tigers improved to 23-3 overall and 4-2 in ACC play, keeping the chance alive to better last year’s start, which saw them play 32 games before suffering a fourth defeat (28-3, 10-2 ACC in the first 31).

Clemson now has six winning weekends to start the season. That adds to an incredible 25 winning regular-season weekends in the last 27, a run that followed a 2023 Wake Forest sweep of Clemson in their previous trip to Doug Kingsmore Stadium.