Countdown to First Pitch – Wake Forest
By: rmacrae@bellsouth.net April 12, 2013

By Trey McCurry.

By Trey McCurry

Clemson (23-11, 9-5 ACC), ranked as high as #17 in the nation, will host Wake Forest (19-17, 4-11 ACC) in a three-game series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium this weekend. Friday and Saturday’s contests are schedule for 6:30PM starts while Sunday’s finale is slated for 1:00PM. 

 

The Series

Clemson and Wake Forest have met 175 times on the diamond, with the Tigers holding a 121-53-1 lead in the series. The teams first met in 1901 and have faced each other at least one time every year since 1954. 

Last season at Wake Forest, the Demon Deacons swept Clemson by scores of 5-2, 2-1, and 7-0. The last time the teams met at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, the Tigers won two of three games by a combined score of 15-13. 

Clemson holds a 61-19-1 lead over Wake Forest in games played at Clemson, including a 49-8 lead at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Tigers also lead 104-41-1 in ACC regular-season meetings. Jack Leggett is 43-22 all-time against the Demon Deacons (42-21 at Clemson, 1-1 at Western Carolina) and is 22-5 against Wake Forest at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. 

The Demon Deacons

Wake Forest, led by fourth-year Head Coach Tom Walter, are 19-17 (4-11 ACC) on the season. The Demon Deacons are 8-6 away from home in 2013, including a 5-6 mark on opponents’ home fields (3-3 against ACC opponents). Wake Forest enters the weekend off a midweek home-and-home sweep of High Point after being swept at home last weekend by #4 Virginia. The Demon Deacons were picked by ACC coaches to finish fourth in the six-team Atlantic Division and are coming off a 33-24 (13-17 ACC) season in 2012. 

The Demon Deacons are hitting .278 as a team in 2013 with 52 doubles, 10 triples, 24 homers, 48 stolen bases (in 62 chances), 188 walks, 42 hit-by-pitches, and 249 strikeouts while averaging 6.3 runs per game. Wake Forest’s pitching staff has a 4.54 ERA this season, allowing 347 hits (.276 opponents’ batting average) and 149 walks against 226 strikeouts in 323.0 innings. The Demon Deacons are fielding at a .964 clip, committing 52 errors in 1399 chances. 

The Tigers

Clemson enters the game 23-11 (9-6 ACC) off midweek, ninth-inning wins at Western Carolina and at home against Presbyterian College after sweeping Boston College on the road last weekend by a combined score of 17-7. The Tigers are ranked in two polls, coming in at #17 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball and #22 in the country by Baseball America. Clemson is 14-7 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in 2013, including a 3-3 mark against ACC opponents. The Tigers were picked to finish third in the Atlantic Division in 2013 by ACC coaches and is coming off a 35-28 (16-14) season in 2012 that included an appearance in the Columbia Regional. 

The Tigers are hitting .277 as a team in 2013 with 56 doubles, five triples, 11 homers, 51 stolen bases (in 76 chances), 112 walks, 15 hit-by-pitches, and 222 strikeouts while averaging 5.3 runs per game. Clemson’s pitching staff has a 3.33 ERA this season, allowing 303 hits (.258 opponents’ batting average) and 106 walks against 212 strikeouts in 308.0 innings. The Tigers are fielding at a .972 clip, committing 38 errors in 1308 chances. 

Projected Starting Lineups

Wake Forest

C        #6 Brett Armour (SR/.264 BA with 2 2B, 3 HR, & 19 RBI in 31 games in 2013)

1B      #25 Matt Conway (*JR/.341 BA with 11 2B, 2 HR, & 25 RBI in 33 games in 2013)

2B      #14 Conor Keniry (JR/.232 BA with 3 2B, 2 3B, & 12 RBI in 28 games in 2013)

SS      #11 Pat Blair (SR/.288 BA with 7 2B, 1 HR, & 22 RBI in 36 games in 2013)

3B      #2 Mark Rhine (SR/.264 BA with 2 2B, 2 HR, & 16 RBI in 34 games in 2013)

LF      #21 Kevin Jordan (*SO/.207 BA with 2 2B, 1 HR, & 4 RBI in 22 games in 2013)

CF      #5 Evan Stephens (JR/.391 BA with 4 2B, 2 3B, & 18 RBI in 36 games in 2013)

RF      #20 Jack Carey (*JR/.280 BA with 1 2B, 6 HR, & 29 RBI in 32 games in 2013)

DH     #24 Charlie Morgan (JR/.253 BA with 7 2B, 1 HR, & 11 RBI in 34 games in 2013)

 

Clemson

C        #30 Garrett Boulware (SO/.325 BA with 6 2B, 6 HR, & 30 RBI in 33 games in 2013)

1B      #12 Jon McGibbon (JR/.240 BA with 4 2B, 21 RBI, & 18 R in 34 games in 2013)

2B      #17 Steve Wilkerson (JR/.272 BA with 9 2B, 1 HR, & 18 RBI in 31 games in 2013)

SS      #3 Tyler Krieger (FR/.267 BA with 6 2B, 1 3B, & 13 RBI in 34 games in 2013)

3B      #11 Shane Kennedy (JR/.316 BA with 3 3B, 2 HR, & 20 RBI in 34 games in 2013)

LF      #18 Tyler Slaton (SO/.341 BA with 3 2B, 1 3B, & 8 RBI in 31 games in 2013)

CF      #4 Thomas Brittle (*SR/.285 BA with 4 2B, 1 HR, & 11 RBI in 33 games in 2013)

RF      #9 Steven Duggar (FR/.296 BA with 6 2B, 1 HR, & 17 RBI in 34 games in 2013)

DH     #5 Joe Costigan (JR/.368 BA with 5 2B, 5 RBI, & 2 R in 10 games in 2013)

 

Projected Starting Pitchers

In game one, Wake Forest will start sophomore righthander Matt Pirro. The Syracuse, NY native is 3-4 with a 5.87 ERA in eight starts for a total of 38.1 innings pitched in 2013. He has allowed 41 hits (.270 opponents’ batting average) and 24 walks against 21 strikeouts.

 

Clemson will counter with sophomore righthander Daniel Gossett. The Lyman, SC native is 4-2 with a 3.04 ERA in eight starts for a total of 50.1 innings pitched in 2013. He has allowed 41 hits (.215 opponents’ batting average) and 18 walks against 42 strikeouts.

 

In game two, the Demon Deacons will start senior righthander Justin Van Grouw. The Oakland, NJ native is 3-4 with a 4.54 ERA in nine appearances (eight starts) for a total of 39.2 innings pitched in 2013. He has allowed 48 hits (.302 opponents’ batting average) and 15 walks against 31 strikeouts.

 

The Tigers will counter with freshman lefthander Matthew Crownover. The Ringgold, GA native is 4-0 with a 2.94 ERA in eight appearances (seven starts) for a total of 33.2 innings pitched in 2013. He has allowed 29 hits (.234 opponents’ batting average) and seven walks against 19 strikeouts.

 

In game three, Wake Forest will start senior lefthander Austin Stadler. The Midlothian, VA native is 5-2 with a 2.39 ERA in eight starts for a total of 49.0 innings pitched in 2013. He has allowed 44 hits (.240 opponents’ batting average) and 15 walks against 41 strikeouts.

 

Clemson will counter with freshman Clate Schmidt. The Acworth, GA native is 3-1 with a 4.04 ERA in nine appearances (seven starts) for a total of 35.2 innings pitched in 2013. He has allowed 50 hits (.331 opponents’ batting average) and 16 walks against 20 strikeouts.

 

Worth Noting

  • Clemson is 32-34 all-time on April 12 with a 16-15 mark at home. The Tigers are 33-23 all-time on April 13 with a 17-9 mark at home. Clemson is 40-19-1 all-time on April 14 with a 13-9-1 mark at home.
  • The Tigers are 13-0 when scoring in the first inning and 15-1 when scoring first.
  • Clemson is 20-2 when scoring at least four runs and 15-0 when scoring at least six runs.
  • The Tigers are 17-1 when they outhit the opposition and 6-10 when they do not outhit their opponents.

 

Tiger Career Stats vs. Wake Forest

Player                             AVG   G-S     AB      R        H       RBI     HR

Jon McGibbon        .250    5-3     12      0        3        3        0

Steve Wilkerson     .182    5-3     11      2        2        0        0

Thomas Brittle       .167    3-3     12      0        2        0        0

Jay Baum               .000    2-2     6        0        0        0        0

Joe Costigan                   .000    3-1     4        0        0        0        0

Mike Dunster                   .000    2-0     2        0        0        0        0

Garrett Boulware    —–    1-0     0        0        0        0        0

Tyler Slaton           —–    1-0     0        0        0        0        0

 

Player                             ERA    G-S     W-L    IP       H       ER      BB      SO

Joseph Moorefield  0.00    3-0     0-0     0.2     2        0        0        1

Matt Campbell        0.00    1-0     0-0     2.1     0        0        2        4

Daniel Gossett       2.45    1-1     0-1     7.1     6        2        2        7

Jonathan Meyer     4.15    3-1     1-0     8.2     8        4        1        11

Mike Kent              6.00    4-0     0-0     6.0     3        4        4        4

Kevin Pohle            9.95    2-1     0-1     6.1     8        7        3        5

Scott Firth             11.57  2-1     0-1     2.1     2        3        4        1

Patrick Andrews     —–    1-0     0-0     0.0     1        0        0        0