Clemson hosts VMI for weekend series |
| - Thursday, February 21, 2019, 4:12 PM |
The Tigers continue their homestand with a three-game series against Virginia Military this weekend.
SERIES SETUP • Who – Virginia Military (2-3) vs. Clemson (3-1) • Best Rankings – VMI – NR; CU – No. 14 Baseball America • When – Saturday 1 p.m., game two 60 minutes after; Sunday (1 p.m.) • Where – Clemson, S.C. (Doug Kingsmore Stadium) • Watch – ACC Network Extra • Video Announcers – Fred Cunningham (Saturday), Ron Smith, Pete Yanity (Friday, Sunday) • Listen (Radio) – WCCP (105.5 FM), ESPN Upstate • Listen (Internet) – ClemsonTigers.com, TuneIn • Live Stats – ClemsonTigers.com • Promotion (Sunday) – Game Highlight – Kids run the bases SERIES HISTORY • Overall Record – Clemson leads 1-0 (1916) • Record at Clemson – 0-0 STARTING PITCHERS • Friday – RHP Jacob Menders (VMI, 0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Brooks Crawford (CU, 0-0, 3.86) • Saturday – RHP Adam Jewell (VMI, 0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Davis Sharpe (CU, 1-0, 0.00) • Sunday – RHP Zak Kent (VMI, 1-0, 3.60) vs. LHP Justin Wrobleksi (CU, 0-1, 6.35) CLEMSON OVERVIEW • Clemson built a 6-0 lead and edged Charlotte 7-6 at home on Monday behind four home runs and five stolen bases. • The Tigers are averaging 5.8 runs per game and hitting .229 with a .386 on-base percentage and 12 steals. • The pitching staff has a 3.00 ERA, .195 opponents’ batting average and 6.57 strikeout-to-walk ratio and Clemson is fielding .986. VIRGINIA MILITARY OVERVIEW • Virginia Military is led by fifth-year head coach Jonathan Hadra. • The Keydets lost at Virginia 9-0 on Tuesday. They are hitting .237 and have a 4.50 ERA and .960 fielding percentage. • Jake Huggins has both of the team’s home runs and is hitting .391 with seven RBIs. Will Knight is batting .389 with two steals. QUICK HITS • The only previous meeting between Virginia Military and Clemson took place on April 29, 1916 in a game Clemson won 2-0 at Lexington, Va. • Seventeen of Clemson’s 23 runs in 2019 have come on its 10 home runs. • Grayson Byrd, Michael Greene, Jordan Greene, Sam Hall and Bryce Teodosio have all reached base in all four games in 2019. 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 10 home runs in four games, good for 2.5 per game. The Tigers were second in the nation in that category in 2018 (1.6). • Clemson has hit at least two homers in all four games, including a season-high four homers in the Tigers’ 7-6 win over Charlotte on Feb. 18. • Seven Tigers have accounted for the 10 homers. Logan Davidson, Davis Sharpe and Bryce Teodosio are tied for the team lead with two apiece. • Clemson has also showed a penchant for stealing bases in 2019. The Tigers have 12 steals, an average of 3.0 per game. • Six Tigers have accounted for the 12 steals. Logan Davidson has a team-high four steals, while Sam Hall is second with three stolen bases. • Clemson is the only team in the nation with both seven homers and seven stolen bases in 2019 (through games of Feb. 19). SHARPE SHINING AS FRESHMAN • Freshman utility player Davis Sharpe has made an immediate impact, both on the mound and at the plate. • He is 1-0 with an 0.00 ERA, .118 opponents' batting average and eight strikeouts against two walks in 5.0 innings pitched over one start. • He is hitting .429 with two homers, three RBIs and two runs in two games on offense. • He made his college debut a memorable one in a doubleheader against South Alabama on Feb. 16. • In the first game, he started on the mound and tossed 5.0 scoreless innings of two-hit ball with eight strikeouts to earn the win. • In the second game, he made his offensive debut and hit two homers with three RBIs as the designated hitter. • He was named ACC Player-of-the-Week on Feb. 18 for his performances in the doubleheader against South Alabama on Feb. 16.
