CLEMSON SOFTBALL

Stadium expansion for softball? Radakovich says plans are being made
Clemson sits atop the ACC standings heading into this weekend's regular season finale.

Stadium expansion for softball? Radakovich says plans are being made


by - Senior Writer -

Clemson softball has yet to complete a full season, but John Rittman’s program sits atop the Atlantic Coast Conference standings and is in line to host an NCAA Tournament Regional. That success isn’t lost on Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich, who said this week that he expected big results when the school hired Rittman.

And, there just might be a stadium expansion down the road for McWhorter Stadium.

The Clemson softball team, which is ranked as high as No. 11 nationally, is 37-4 and 26-4 in ACC play and the Tigers sit in first place in the ACC. Clemson will close out their regular season this week with a four-game set at Syracuse. The ACC Tournament will be held next week in Louisville (May 12-15).

The NCAA Division I Softball Committee recently announced 20 predetermined preliminary round sites for this year’s Division I Softball Championship, and Clemson made the cut. Of the 20 selected sites, the committee will choose 16 to host regional round games. Eight of those 16 regional sites will be in contention to host super regionals.

Clemson’s inaugural season was truncated by COVID, but the second season has seen the Tigers shoot up the rankings and take hold of the ACC.

“When we hired John, I knew of his great background in softball and I knew where we sat as it relates to the means of production,” Radakovich said. “What I mean by that, I knew that there was a lot of great softball in this three-state area and I think that Clemson is a brand that could bring incredible young women to this area. And John, being the long-time coach that he was and how he goes about it - you know, this is the second time he has started a program, he did this at Washington back in the day - so he has seen it happen and he has a road map for it and I am really excited about the success the program has had.”

If that success continues, expansion to McWhorter Stadium will happen at some point in the future.

“Somewhere in my computer is Phase 2 to the softball stadium,” Radakovich said. “But, we will get to that in due time. We have to get back to a full softball stadium first. We have to walk before we run. And hopefully, that is in the not too distant future. And they certainly deserve it. They are a lot of fun to watch and a great group of young women.”

Expansion could see seats added beyond the outfield walls or added down the lines.

“I think all of those things are on the table in the way the stadium was pulled together and what opportunities might be available,” Radakovich said. “We need to get the football stadium in its path as it relates to the phasing that is going to be done there. We have some work that needs to be in Jervey and upgrading some of those areas in that part of our facility and then we will look at some of our other competitive facilities as we get down the road. It won't be a long road, but it does need to follow a path.”

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