Countdown to First Pitch – ACC Tourney

By Trey McCurry.

By Trey McCurry

Clemson (39-17, 18-12 ACC) enters this week’s ACC Tournament at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, NC as the #5 seed and will play in Pool A. The Tigers will open the tournament with #4-seed NC State (42-13, 19-10) on Wednesday at 7:00PM. Clemson will then take on #1-seed North Carolina (47-8, 21-7) on Friday at 7:00PM. The Tigers wrap up pool play with #8-seed Miami (FL) (35-21, 14-16) on Saturday at 3:00PM. Should Clemson win Pool A, the championship game is Sunday at 1:00PM.

 

The Series (NC State)

Clemson and NC State have met 187 times on the diamond, with the Tigers holding a 112-74-1 lead in the series. The teams first met in 1921 and have faced each other at least once every season since 1953.

Earlier this season in Raleigh, Clemson won two of three games by scores of 10-5, 7-4, and 1-4. Last season at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, the Wolfpack came back to win the series after dropping the first contest in the three-game set.

The Tigers hold an 18-11 lead in ACC Tournament games and are 9-2 against NC State in the ACC Tournament under Jack Leggett. All-time, Leggett is 53-42 against the Wolfpack (46-35 at Clemson, 7-18 at Western Carolina).

The Series (North Carolina)

Clemson and North Carolina have met 184 times on the diamond, with the Tigers holding a 97-86-1 lead in the series. The teams first met in 1901 and have met on the diamond ever year but one (2007) since 1951.

Earlier this season in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels won the first two games in the series (10-3 & 6-2) before Clemson won the finale (5-4 in 11 innings). Last season at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, North Carolina swept the Tigers by scores of 4-3, 6-3, and 6-5 (11 innings).

Clemson holds a 16-11 lead in ACC Tournament games and are 4-3 against the Tar Heels in the ACC Tournament under Jack Leggett. All-time, Leggett is 32-33 against North Carolina (32-30 at Clemson, 0-3 at Western Carolina).

The Series (Miami (FL))

Clemson and Miami (FL) have met 59 times on the diamond, with the Hurricanes holding a 31-27-1 lead in the series. The teams first met in 1977 and began facing each other as ACC opponents in 2005.

Earlier this season in Coral Gables, the Tigers dropped two of three games (1-0, 1-2, 0-7). Last season at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, Clemson won two of three games by scores of 3-1, 3-1, and 2-4.

The Tigers hold a 2-1 lead in ACC Tournament games with all three meetings occurring under Jack Leggett. All-time, Leggett is 19-20 against Miami (FL) (19-19 at Clemson, 0-1 at Western Carolina).

The Wolfpack

NC State, led by 17th-year Head Coach Elliott Avent, is 42-13 (19-10 ACC) on the season including a 2-0 mark at neutral sites. The Wolfpack are ranked in the top-10 in all three major polls, coming in at #9 in both the Baseball America poll and USA Today Coaches Poll, and #10 in the Collegiate Baseball poll. NC State enters the ACC Tournament off a sweep of Duke at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Wolfpack were picked by ACC coaches to win the Atlantic Division and as the overall ACC champion in 2013. NC State is coming off a 43-20 (19-11) season in 2012 that saw them play in the Gainesville Super Regional and finish with a #12 national ranking.

The Wolfpack are hitting .285 as a team in 2013 with 110 doubles, 14 triples, 25 homers, 99 stolen bases (in 126 chances), 222 walks, 51 hit-by-pitches, and 331 strikeouts while averaging 6.5 runs per game. NC State’s pitching staff has a 3.40 ERA this season, allowing 408 hits (.222 opponents’ batting average) and 208 walks against 493 strikeouts in 500.0 innings. The Wolfpack are fielding at a .968 clip, committing 69 errors in 2131 chances.

The Tar Heels

North Carolina, led by 15th-year Head Coach Mike Fox, is 48-8 (21-7) on the season and are 3-0 at neutral sites. The Tar Heels are ranked in the top six of all three major polls, coming in at #3 in the Collegiate Baseball poll, #5 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, and #6 in the Baseball America poll. North Carolina enters the ACC Tournament off a 4-3, home, non-conference win over #7 Florida State on Monday after falling in two of three games to #7 Virginia at home last weekend. The Tar Heels were picked by ACC coaches to win the Coastal Division, also receiving four votes for overall champion, and are coming off a 46-16 (22-8) season in 2012 when they appeared in the Chapel Hill Regional and finished with a #17 ranking.

The Tar Heels are hitting .309 as a team in 2013 with 102 doubles, 22 triples, 45 homers, 77 stolen bases (in 103 chances), 312 walks, 69 hit-by-pitches, and 260 strikeouts while averaging 8.3 runs per game. North Carolina’s pitching staff has a 2.62 ERA this season, allowing 387 hits (.210 opponents’ batting average) and 200 walks against 453 strikeouts in 504.1 innings. The Tar Heels are fielding at a .975 clip, committing 50 errors in 2039 chances.

The Hurricanes

Miami (FL), led by 20th-year Head Coach Jim Morris, is 35-21 (14-16 ACC) on the season and have yet to play a game at a neutral site. The Hurricanes enter the ACC Tournament after taking two of three games at home against Georgia Tech last weekend. Miami (FL) was picked by ACC coaches to finish fourth in the six-team Coastal Division and is coming off a 36-23 (16-14 ACC) season and Coral Gables Regional appearance in 2012.

The Hurricanes are hitting .263 as a team in 2013 with 78 doubles, eight triples, 13 homers, 75 stolen bases (in 107 chances), 222 walks, 54 hit-by-pitches, and 345 strikeouts while averaging 4.6 runs per game. Miami (FL)’s pitching staff has a 3.27 ERA this season, allowing 468 hits (.250 opponents’ batting average) and 160 walks against 398 strikeouts in 501.1 innings. The Hurricanes are fielding at a .970 clip, committing 67 errors in 2218 chances.

The Tigers

Clemson enters the game 39-17 (18-12 ACC) and is 1-0 in neutral site contests. The Tigers are ranked in all three major polls, coming in at #14 in the Collegiate Baseball poll, #18 in the Baseball America poll, and #18 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Clemson enters the ACC Tournament after dropping two of three games at #8 Florida State last weekend. The Tigers were picked to finish third in the Atlantic Division in 2013 by ACC coaches and are coming off a 35-28 (16-14) season in 2012 that included an appearance in the Columbia Regional.

The Tigers are hitting .282 as a team in 2013 with 80 doubles, 14 triples, 18 homers, 102 stolen bases (in 139 chances), 239 walks, 30 hit-by-pitches, and 353 strikeouts while averaging 5.6 runs per game. Clemson’s pitching staff has a 2.97 ERA this season, allowing 496 hits (.258 opponents’ batting average) and 177 walks against 363 strikeouts in 506.0 innings. The Tigers are fielding at a .972 clip, committing 63 errors in 2208 chances.

Projected Starting Pitchers (NC State)

Clemson will start sophomore righthander Daniel Gossett. The Lyman, SC native is 9-3 with a 2.20 ERA in 14 starts for a total of 86.0 innings pitched in 2013. He has allowed 67 hits (.209 opponents’ batting average) and 31 walks against 83 strikeouts.

NC State will counter with freshman lefthander Brad Stone. The Charlotte, NC native is 2-2 with a 6.23 ERA in 14 appearances (13 starts) for a total of 47.2 innings pitched in 2013. He has allowed 44 hits (.240 opponents’ batting average) and 21 walks against 53 strikeouts.

 

Projected Starting Pitchers (North Carolina)

Clemson will start lefthander Zack Erwin.  The starting pitcher for UNC for Friday’s game have yet to be determined.

Projected Starting Pitchers (Miami (Fl))

The starting pitchers for Saturday’s game have yet to be determined.

 

Worth Noting

  • Clemson will be the visiting team against NC State on Wednesday and occupy the first-base dugout. The Tigers will be the home team against North Carolina on Friday and occupy the third-base dugout. A coin flip will determine the home team for the game against Miami (FL).
  • Clemson is 13-10 all-time on May 22 with a 6-6 mark at neutral sites. The Tigers are 8-6 all-time on May 24 with a 5-4 mark at neutral sites. Clemson is 12-4 all-time on May 25 with a 6-4 mark at neutral sites.
  • The Tigers have played four games against NC State three times in the past four seasons and 12 times in Leggett’s 20 seasons at Clemson.
  • Clemson and North Carolina’s last meeting in the ACC Tournament also came in Durham.
  • This will be the fourth time in Miami’s nine seasons in the ACC that the two teams have met in the ACC Tournament.
  • Jack Leggett is 39-34 in the ACC Tournament since taking over in 1994, winning two titles and playing in five more title games.

 

Clemson in the ACC Tournament

  • The Tigers are 103-62 all-time in the ACC Tournament and have appeared in all 40 tournaments (including this year).
  • Clemson has nine titles in the ACC Tournament, the most all-time, and has been to the finals in 21 of the previous 39 tournaments.
  • The Tigers and Virginia are the only two teams to appear in every single ACC Tournament.
  • Clemson is 10-13 in seven previous tournaments in Durham (2-1 vs. NC State & 1-2 vs. North Carolina).
  • All-time in tournaments held in North Carolina, Clemson is 36-28 in 16 tournaments with two titles.

 

Tiger Career Stats vs. NC State

Player                             AVG   G-S     AB      R        H       RBI     HR

Tyler Slaton           .500    5-1     2        2        1        1        0

Joe Costigan                   .400    2-1     5        0        2        0        0

Thomas Brittle       .375    6-6     24      5        9        7        1

Garrett Boulware    .357    4-4     14      4        5        5        2

Maleeke Gibson      .273    3-3     11      3        3        2        0

Steven Duggar        .231    3-3     13      3        3        1        0

Shane Kennedy       .222    3-3     9        2        2        0        0

Jon McGibbon        .200    9-7     30      3        6        3        1

Jay Baum               .200    6-6     25      3        5        0        0

Tyler Krieger          .200    3-3     10      1        2        0        0

Steve Wilkerson     .125    9-8     32      3        4        2        0

Kevin Bradley         .000    2-0     2        0        0        0        0

Jackson Campana  .000    1-0     1        0        0        0        0

 

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

Joseph Moorefield  0.00    5-0     0-0     2.0     2        0        0        0

Patrick Andrews     0.00    1-0     0-0     1.2     0        0        0        2

Mike Kent              0.00    1-0     0-0     1.2     0        0        0        2

Zack Erwin             0.00    1-0     0-0     0.1     0        0        0        0

Matt Campbell *     1.69    4-0     1-0     5.1     3        1        2        3

Kyle Schnell            1.80    2-0     1-0     5.0     5        1        1        4

Scott Firth             2.00    3-2     2-1     18.0    13      4        10      12

Clate Schmidt        2.45    1-1     0-0     3.2     8        1        2        3

Daniel Gossett       2.70    1-1     1-0     6.2     5        2        4        9

Jonathan Meyer     3.97    6-1     1-0     11.1    12      5        5        10

Clay Bates              27.00  1-0     0-0     0.2     1        2        1        1

* – has one save.

 

Tiger Career Stats vs. North Carolina

Player                             AVG   G-S     AB      R        H       RBI     HR

Shane Kennedy       .455    3-3     11      2        5        0        0

Tyler Slaton           .385    4-3     13      2        5        0        0

Tyler Krieger          .333    3-3     12      1        4        1        0

Garrett Boulware    .238    6-5     21      1        5        3        0

Thomas Brittle       .231    6-6     26      1        6        4        0

Steven Duggar        .231    3-3     13      1        3        1        0

Jay Baum               .214    5-4     14      1        3        0        0

Jon McGibbon        .200    9-6     25      3        5        2        0

Steve Wilkerson     .053    7-6     19      1        1        2        0

Kevin Bradley         .000    3-1     8        0        0        0        0

Joe Costigan                   .000    2-2     5        0        0        0        0

Maleeke Gibson      .000    1-0     1        0        0        0        0

 

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

Kevin Pohle            1.86    3-1     0-0     9.2     7        2        6        3

Scott Firth             2.38    4-1     1-0     11.1    7        3        9        7

Mike Kent              3.00    2-0     0-0     6.0     10      2        1        1

Jonathan Meyer     3.18    3-0     0-0     5.2     5        2        2        4

Zack Erwin             4.50    1-0     0-0     6.0     6        3        2        1

Kyle Schnell            5.40    1-0     0-0     1.2     1        1        0        0

Matthew Crownover   5.79    1-1     0-0     4.2     7        3        2        2

Matt Campbell        6.75    3-0     0-1     4.0     5        3        5        3

Patrick Andrews     7.71    2-0     0-0     2.1     1        2        3        0

Clate Schmidt        9.00    1-1     0-1     2.0     5        2        1        0

Joseph Moorefield  13.50  1-0     0-1     1.1     1        2        0        1

Daniel Gossett       33.00  2-1     0-2     3.0     12      11      1        1

 

Tiger Career Stats vs. Miami (FL)

Player                             AVG   G-S     AB      R        H       RBI     HR

Steve Wilkerson     .409    6-6     22      4        9        1        0

Jon McGibbon        .211    6-6     19      2        4        1        0

Tyler Slaton           .200    5-4     15      1        3        1        0

Jay Baum               .167    4-4     12      1        2        0        0

Garrett Boulware    .167    3-3     12      0        2        0        0

Thomas Brittle       .130    6-6     23      0        3        2        0

Steven Duggar        .111    3-3     9        0        1        0        0

Tyler Krieger          .111    3-3     9        0        1        0        0

Shane Kennedy       .083    3-3     12      0        1        0        0

Kevin Bradley         .000    1-1     3        0        0        0        0

Joe Costigan                   .000    1-0     1        0        0        0        0

Mike Dunster          .000    1-0     1        0        0        0        0

 

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

Daniel Gossett       0.00    1-1     1-0     7.0     3        0        2        10

Scott Firth ^           0.00    4-0     0-0     6.0     6        0        2        2

Matt Campbell        0.00    3-0     1-0     5.2     2        0        0        7

Matthew Crownover   0.00    1-1     0-1     4.1     7        0        1        0

Patrick Andrews *   0.00    2-0     0-0     3.0     1        0        1        1

Zack Erwin             0.00    1-0     0-0     2.1     0        0        1        0

Kevin Pohle            1.50    1-1     0-0     6.0     6        1        1        3

Jonathan Meyer     2.45    3-0     0-0     3.2     2        1        0        1

Clate Schmidt        9.82    1-1     0-1     3.2     8        4        1        0

Mike Kent              —–    1-0     0-1     0.0     2        2        0        0

Kyle Schnell            —–    1-0     0-0     0.0     2        2        0        0

^ – has two saves. * – has one save.