CLEMSON BASEBALL

Mickey Plyler's Blog for June 14


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In keep with our schedule, this was supposed to be tight end preview week on the blog but like most Tigers, I caught baseball fever and have decided to devote the week to Clemson baseball. We will star back with tight ends next week.

Omaha Notes

The Clemson SID notes that Crump posted were awesome but a couple really struck me and I felt like adding some commentary.

*All five of the Tigers' games in the regional and super-regional featured a sellout crowd of 5,617 fans. As I said yesterday, Clemson fans love their baseball team. I think they could have had 20,000 for each game. The growth in popularity of Clemson baseball is incredible. Tailgating and ticket scalpers are not just for football.

*Tiger batters have walked (23) more times than they have struck out (22). I love that stat. Patience at the plate plus the ability to put the ball in play is a great combination.

*Taylor Harbin has been the hottest hitter in NCAA Tourney play, as he is 8-for-14 (.571) with eight runs scored, a double, four homers, 12 RBIs, and five stolen bases in five games. When Harbin struggled early, I thought that it was a good sign. I knew no one could keep this superstar down for the entire year. Also, his defense is phenomenal.

*The pitching staff has also allowed just five extra-base hits in the five NCAA Tournament games. I could not believe that stat. That is one extra base hit per contest. If they keep that up in Omaha then look out.

*Clemson will be the designated home team (third-base dugout) against the Yellow Jackets on Friday. The winner of that game will play the winner of the Cal. State-Fullerton vs. North Carolina game on Sunday at 7:00 PM EDT, while the two losers will play on Sunday at 2:00 PM EDT.

*In 2006, Clemson has played six games against the Yellow Jackets, splitting those six games. In a three-game series at Georgia Tech in April, the Yellow Jackets won two of three games. Then in the ACC Tournament, Clemson won two of three match ups on its way to the tourney title. It is also important to note that Clemson was 3-0 in night games against Georgia Tech, but 0-3 in day games. I don’t believe that is a huge day-game stat. The best team will when Friday.

*For the third year in a row, Clemson set the school record for average home attendance. The Tigers drew 184,946 fans for their 39 home dates in 2006, an average of 4,742 per date. That mark broke the previous record of 4,049, set in 2005. Awesome!

*Clemson has a 25-7 record against top-25 ranked teams in 2006. In 13 seasons at Clemson, Head Coach Jack Leggett has 172 wins over teams ranked in the top 25. Only three times in his first 12 seasons has he had a losing record against teams in the top 25.

*Clemson will enter the 2007 season with the nation's longest active home winning streak at 16 games. Since suffering a 5-4 loss against Furman at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on April 19, Clemson won its last 16 games at home to close out the 2006 season. The current streak is the longest in the nation. Ironically, Oral Roberts has the second-longest active home winning streak at 14. If the Golden Eagles had defeated the Tigers in either one of the close super regional games, it would have ended Clemson's home winning streak and given them the nation's longest active streak. Nine of the 16 games were against top-25 ranked teams. Clemson finished with a 36-5 home record in 2006 as well.

One note that I added is Clemson is 9-20 in their previous 10 trips to Omaha. But the Tigers were 4-14 before 1995 including a seven game losing streak from 1977 to 1995. Since 1996 Clemson is 5-6 in Omaha.




NCAA Tournament Appearances

1. Texas 50

2. Florida State 44

3. Southern Cal 36

4. Miami 35

5. Oklahoma State 34

6. Clemson 32

Consecutive NCAA Tournament Appearances

1. Miami 34

2. Florida State 29

3. Clemson 20

Oklahoma State 20

Most College World Series Appearances

1. Texas 32

2. Miami 22

3. Southern Cal 21

4. Arizona State 19

5. Oklahoma State 19

6. Florida State 18

7. Stanford 15

8. Arizona 15

9. Cal-State Fullerton 14

10. LSU 13

11. Clemson 11

ACC CWS Notes

*Only one ACC team has won the College World Series. Wake Forest won the 1955 College World Series when they beat Western Michigan 7-6.

*Miami has won four national baseball title but they were not in the ACC at the time. The Canes won the title in 1982, 1985, 1999 and 2001 but they did not enter the ACC until 2005.

*Despite going to the College World Series 18 times FSU has never won the national title in baseball. The Seminoles have not advanced to the CWS since their 2000 trip to Omaha.

*North Carolina has only been to Omaha four times. This is the Tar Heels first trip since the 1989 season.

*Georgia Tech is making only its third CWS appearance. That is hard to believe a team with that much build up has only been to Omaha twice before.

*The ACC has sent 25 teams to the College World Series but has only had two teams in a single year only five times. The conference has never had more than two teams go to the CWS until this year when they will have four teams there.

*This is the first year since 2002 that an ACC team is in Omaha. That year Clemson and Georgia Tech advanced to the CWS.

Mr. Knickerbocker

I was in Mr. Knickerbocker in Clemson today and they have several new items of interest and can be purchased at their three locations (Clemson, Greenville, Central) or online by clicking on the link above. The College World Series apparel will be in Thursday so go by and check it out. The have ACC Championship gear in as well for the baseball team. The new Nike sideline apparel is staring to come in. I liked the two new coaching shirts they have in stock now. Please support them because this stuff looks great and makes for a good Father’s Day gift.

Please excuse the typos and grammar. Also, please visit our sponsors, Mr. Knickerbockers, George Coleman Ford and Brad Hughes Allstate Agency. It is there patronage that keeps the blog free. If you are interested in great advertising opportunities on the blog contact me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com.

Our motto remains, “Since the blog is free, at least you get your money’s worth.”

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