By Will Vandervort

Last week, Clemson pitcher Scott Firth was named to the NCBWA Stopper-of-the-Year Watch List, an award given to the top relief pitcher in the nation. But if Firth has his way, it’s an award he hopes he does not win.

As the Tigers get set to open up the 2013 baseball season this Friday against William & Mary, Firth has bigger aspirations than being a relief pitcher. Though he has enjoyed that role the last couple of years, he is now competing for one of the three starts in Clemson’s weekend rotation. There is a good chance he could get a start this coming Saturday or Sunday.

“I just want the team to do as well as possible and whatever I have to do to make that happen, is definitely what I will do,” the senior said.

That’s exactly what Firth has done in his first three seasons at Clemson. He has been used in long reliefs, has made spot starts and has even been a closer.

“The reason we used him in so many different roles last year is because his mindset is so good,” Clemson pitching coach Dan Pepicelli said. “When you need to try and win one, he is a guy you can put in there and you know he is going to get it done. He would go so many extra innings in a game like NC State last year, and go win it. He could do that for us.”

That’s why Firth has one of the best resumes on the pitching staff. In his three years at Clemson, he has an 11-2 record and a 2.81 ERA in 134.1 innings pitched over 56 appearances (11 starts). His 2.81 career ERA is one of the best in Clemson history.

“It is an exciting time and it’s about time to get going,” Firth said.

Firth is definitely itching to get back on the mound. He has not pitched in a game since his second appearance in the Cape Cod League last summer. In the fourth inning of that game, he strained a forearm muscle in his right arm.

After that, he shut everything down and came back to Clemson to start rehab. In the fall, he only faced live bats a couple of times, but since practice started a few weeks ago, he appears to be back to form.

“He is there. I like the way the ball is coming out of his hand right now,” Pepicelli said. “I think he is throwing the ball very well.

“The arm and the performance are acting the way they need to act. He is 100 percent to me. He will get a little sore and a little stiffness in that area and we have to be conservative with that. But we are going to progress him and get him ready to pitch.”

Pepicelli says the forearm strain had nothing to do with the way Firth was used last year. He says the injury more than likely occurred because the summer leagues don’t have the same resources and maintenance programs that Clemson offers its ball players.

“When he was with us last spring, he didn’t have any issues, but that is because of constant maintenance,” Pepicelli said. “You are on such a program that there is no way it can be duplicated when you go away for summer ball. No matter how hard you try, that’s not the same.

“You just can’t duplicate the environment that you have here. When you get warmed up, stretched, rolled out, the way you lift and the way people are watching you, it’s not like that in the summer league. Also, I know their mechanics. I know when they are not acting right. I know not let them throw too long when they are in that place.”

Firth says the forearm is healed and he can’t way to throw in his first game. He isn’t worried about being tired or having enough juice to throw six or seven innings, despite not having a start last year.

“I was always a starter coming up through high school and in my senior year I started and I went six or seven innings,” he said. “I don’t think there was a start that I did not go under six innings my entire senior year. That has never been a big issue for me.

“It’s about getting into that mentality where you can maintain and make quality pitches for six innings and maintain your stuff throughout that whole appearance. That’s what I have been working towards and getting that consistency all around. Hopefully, I can pepper the zone a little bit more and get some quick outs instead of having to work too much.”

Pepicelli says Firth is more than ready to go the distance as a starter.

“I think we can use Scotty and I think he can build up some volume of work and throw some pitches and be totally healthy as long as he gets the right type of between appearance treatments,” the pitching coach said. “He is lifting right, he is running right and he gets all that stuff right, and maybe a little bit of extra time, too, which a starter can be given. We will see.”

And chances are, that will be this weekend.