Clemson vs. Mississippi State Postgame Notes

by Press Release - Fri Jun 08 17:36:35 GMT-04:00 2007

Clemson vs. Mississippi State Notes

Mississippi State 8, Clemson 6

June 8, 2007 at Starkville, MS

*Mississippi State defeated Clemson 8-6 today, the exact same score in Clemson's win in the NCAA Tournament at Clemson last year.

*Clemson has lost the first game of the Super Regional. The Tigers have come back to gain a berth in the CWS once previously after losing the first game of a Super Regional. Clemson lost to Arkansas in the opening game of the 2002 Super Regional at Clemson, then won the next two games to earn a spot in Omaha.

*Clemson is now 3-4 in opening round Super Regional games.

*This was Mississippi State's first NCAA Tournament win over Clemson.

The Tigers had a 4-0 lead in NCAA Tournament games prior to today.

*Clemson now faces an elimination game on Saturday. Clemson is 12-13 in NCAA Tournament elimination games under Jack Leggett. Clemson last won an NCAA Tournament game in which it faced elimination in

2004 when the Tigers won a pair of elimination games at Georgia.

Clemson's best performance in elimination games took place in 1999 when the Tigers lost the first game of a regional in Arkansas, then won four straight to move on to the Super Regional. Clemson then lost the first game of the Super Regional at Texas A&M, and won the second game of the series to give the Tigers five straight wins in elimination games. Clemson then lost the Super Regional championship game 5-4 on a walk-off home run in the ninth.

*Clemson had three hitters hit home runs on the same day they were drafted. Taylor Harbin (8th round, Arizona), Doug Hogan (16th round,

Cleveland) and Andy D'Alessio (19th round, San Francisco), were all drafted and all hit round trippers this afternoon.

*D'Alessio tied Jeff Baker's career home run record with his 17th home run of the year and 59th of his Clemson career. It was D'Alessio's eighth career home run in NCAA Tournament play, just one short of Michael Johnson's Clemson career record of nine in NCAA Tournament play. D'Alessio replaced Johnson at first base in the Clemson lineup in 2004.

*D'Alessio now has 17 home runs for the season, but 14 in the last 28 games. He had just three in the first 35 games this year. Clemson had won six of its last seven games when D'Alessio hits a home run prior to today's game.

*D'Alessio was 2 for 4 today with three RBIs. He is now 8-16 at the

plate in the NCAA Tournament He is now 28-75 in his Clemson career

in the NCAA Tournament.

*Clemson Head Coach Jack Leggett is probably not a fan of having the Major League draft during the NCAA Tournament. For the second time in his career he had a pitcher who was a top four draft choice, struggle in the NCAA Tournament one day after being drafted.

On June 4, 1996, Kris Benson was the number-one pick of the MLB draft

by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The next day, in a College World Series

game in Omaha, Nebraska, Benson allowed a career high 13 hits and a career high nine earned runs in a 14-5 loss to Miami (FL). Benson had given up only six home runs all year entering the game, then gave up three to the Hurricanes.

On June 7, 2007, Daniel Moskos was the fourth pick of the Major League draft, again by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Moskos allowed a career high nine hits and a career high six runs (five earned, also a career high) in an 8-6 loss at Mississippi State. Moskos had given up just three home runs all year, then allowed two against Mississippi State.

*Taylor Harbin hit his sixth career NCAA Tournament home run today, his second this year. He hit four in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

Harbin is now 8-17 at the plate in the NCAA Tournament.

*Doug Hogan extended his hitting streak to 14 games, a career high, with a 2 for 3 performance, including a home run, his 12th of the season.

*Clemson hit three home runs today, yet lost the game. Clemson had won four straight games when it hit at least three home runs. The last time Clemson lost a game in which it hit three home runs was the first game of a doubleheader against Boston College on May 6.

Clemson lost that game by the same score as today's outcome, 8-6.