By Will Vandervort
Before the year began, Clemson pitching coach Dan Pepicelli was hoping to be a little more consistent with his weekend rotation. Since he got here in 2010, the Tigers have had a string of bad luck where injuries have derailed the development of one or two pitchers during the course of the season.
This year has been no different. Though he has found consistency with sophomore Daniel Gossett and freshman Matthew Crownover as Friday and Saturday starters Sundays have been a little more difficult. The issues there began before the season even started as right hander Kevin Pohle was forced to sit the entire year after suffering a shoulder tear in the Cape Cod League last summer.
Clemson is 5-6 in the last game of weekend series this year, which Pepicelli admits could have possibly been better had Pohle been available.
“If I had the Kevin that I thought was pretty good by the end of the year last year, certainly it would be another option,” he said. “It would be a good option. He would be a year better, he would be a year savvier, so yeah that experience and having that stuff, that would help us right now, but we don’t.”
Pohle—who has a 12-6 career record with a 3.14 ERA—never got to 100 percent and Pepicelli, along with head coach Jack Leggett, figured it was best to sit him out so he can allow his shoulder to heal properly.
“We are just trying to build up his arm and get it strong again,” Pepicelli said. “We rehabbed it back to a certain place and then we really plateaued. We backed way up and started the process over again to see if we could build some shoulder strength.
“It plateaus for about a week or two, then it takes a jump, plateaus again, then it takes a jump. I have been pretty happy the last couple of weeks with some of the jumps it has been taking.”
With Pohle not available, 14th-ranked Clemson has tried to get by on Sundays by committee. First senior Scott Firth was given the ball, but after going 2-4 he gave way to Crownover before the lefty took over Saturdays from Clate Schmidt, who dropped back to Sunday.
After getting off to a fast start this year, Schmidt has struggled in the last month. He has lost three of his last five starts with one no decision, while giving up 19 hits and 11 runs in his last two appearances, both defeats.
“His stuff was just getting hit,” Pepicelli said.
That has forced Pepicelli to put the freshman back in the bullpen.
“When you kind of watch Clate compete, and with his spirit, what plays well for him is he has some good intensity to him and I think that will really play out in the bullpen. I want to back this whole thing up on Clate a little bit and say, ‘Hey! Go have a good inning and let’s start there.’ Then let’s turn that inning into three innings and that type of thing.”
With Schmidt heading back to the bullpen and as a midweek starter, fellow freshman Zack Erwin will get the start for the Tigers against Maryland in Game 3 on Monday night. Clemson will open the three-game ACC series against the Terps on Saturday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson.
Erwin is 3-0 this year with a 2.77 ERA, which ranks third on the team. Opponents are hitting only .203 on the lefty.
“He had a good game at North Carolina, which was the equivalent of a start,” Pepicelli said. “He has shown in some of his appearances that he really handles good competition. There is clearly a level of deception to his delivery and the way he throws the ball because you do not see huge radar gun readings, but his batting average against proves that people struggle seeing him.
“The main thing I’m looking for out of Zack this week is consistency. I know what his good stuff is, and I want him to be able to go out there, stay in the moment and be in the right place mentally. I think the good stuff will show up.”
And if that can happen, Clemson might have its man on Sundays.