Clemson hosts East Tennessee for midweek game |
| - Monday, February 25, 2019, 4:46 PM |
CLEMSON, S.C. - The Tigers host East Tennessee State on Tuesday afternoon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
GAME SETUP • Who - East Tennessee State (6-1) vs. Clemson (6-1) • Best Rankings - ETS - NR; CU - No. 14 Baseball America • When - Tuesday (4 p.m.) • Where - Clemson, S.C. (Doug Kingsmore Stadium) • Watch - ACC Network Extra • Video Announcers - Jose Alvarez, Fred Cunningham • Listen (Radio) - WCCP (105.5 FM), ESPN Upstate • Listen (Internet) - ClemsonTigers.com, TuneIn • Live Stats - ClemsonTigers.com • Tickets - ClemsonTigers.com, 1-800-CLEMSON • Promotion - Fans can purchase a ticket for only $2. SERIES HISTORY • Overall Record - Clemson leads 20-6 (1969-11) • Record at Clemson - Clemson leads 18-4 (1969-11) STARTING PITCHERS • LHP Colby Stuart (ETS, 1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. LHP Keyshawn Askew (CU, 1-0, 5.06) CLEMSON OVERVIEW • Clemson swept Virginia Military at home in three games by a combined score of 27-14 last weekend. • The Tigers are averaging 7.1 runs per game and hitting .237 with a .389 on-base percentage and 21 steals. • The pitching staff has a 3.00 ERA, .192 opponents’ batting average and 4.05 strikeout-to-walk ratio and Clemson is fielding .976. EAST TENNESSEE STATE OVERVIEW • East Tennessee State is led by second-year head coach Joe Pennucci. • The Buccaneers swept Wagner at home in three games last weekend. They are hitting .326 and have a 3.26 ERA and .975 fielding percentage. • Cullen Smith is hitting .458, Jackson Greer is batting .400 with three homers and 12 RBIs and James Giambalvo has a team-high two saves. QUICK HITS • Thirty of Clemson's 50 runs have come on its 15 home runs in 2019. • Clemson has not allowed a steal. East Tennessee has 19 steals in 21 attempts in 2019. • Nine Tigers have hit at least one home run. No Tiger has hit more than two home runs. POWER & SPEED SURGE • Many prognosticators predicted Clemson's power numbers to drop off from 2018, when the Tigers hit 98 homers, tied for third in the nation. • Clemson has belted 15 home runs in seven games, good for 2.1 per game. The Tigers were second in the nation in that category in 2018 (1.6). • Clemson has at least one homer in all seven games, including a season-high four homers in the Tigers' 7-6 win over Charlotte on Feb. 18. • Nine Tigers have accounted for the 15 homers. Six Tigers lead the team with two long balls apiece. • Clemson has also showed a penchant for stealing bases in 2019. The Tigers have 21 steals, an average of 3.0 per game. • Eight Tigers have accounted for the 21 steals. Logan Davidson and Sam Hall are tied for the team lead with six steals. • Clemson is the only team in the nation with at least 15 homers and 20 stolen bases in 2019 (through games of Feb. 24). SPIERS MOVES INTO CLOSER ROLE • Junior righthander Carson Spiers was one of Clemson's best relievers in 2018 and has moved into the closer role in 2019. • He has all of the team's three saves in three relief appearances. • He is 0-0 with an 0.00 ERA, .071 opponents' batting average and six strikeouts against one walk in 4.1 innings pitched. • He has not allowed any of his three inherited baserunners to score in 2019. • In his career, he is 2-2 with seven saves, a 1.95 ERA and 48 strikeouts against 20 walks in 50.2 innings pitched over 35 relief appearances. • His cousin, Will Spiers, was the starting punter on the Tigers' 2018 national championship football team. • His father, Michael Spiers, hit .301 with 16 homers, 110 RBIs and 32 steals in 184 games as a Tiger from 1988-91. • His uncle, Bill Spiers, hit .325 with 17 homers, 119 RBIs and 60 steals in 173 games as a Tiger from 1985-87, then played 13 MLB seasons. • His grandfather, Bud Spiers, hit .254 with seven homers and 44 RBIs as a Tiger from 1956-58.
