Despite a heartbreaking top 10 series loss last weekend at the hands of Florida State, who moved up to No. 4 in the country following the sweep, sixth-ranked Clemson’s pitching staff still remains one of the nation’s best.

Boasting an impressive 0.95 ERA through 42 games, the Tigers are currently ranked No. 2 in the country in earned run average, only sitting behind the Oklahoma Sooners who picked up the top spot after completing the sweep over Texas Tech over the weekend. Prior to dropping three to the Seminoles, Clemson’s pitching staff had the country’s best ERA of 0.91.

“The main part of it is our defense has been so great,” sophomore pitcher Brooke McCubbin said last week regarding the Tigers pitching success. “Hits that might have been hits last year like this year aren’t hits. You trust your defense so much; you’re not trying to overthrow or anything. Just knowing people are behind you and you trust them, makes it so much easier to go out there and be confident. We do give up runs, like it happens, nobody’s perfect, so it sucks but at the same time, it happens and it’s a part of the game.”

Head coach John Rittman echoed McCubbin’s praise for the Tiger’s defense this spring, adding that Team Four’s defensive success, which has seen a jump to sixth in the country in fielding percentage (0.982), has only increased the confidence of this year’s pitching staff — a staff that sported a 1.78 ERA just one year ago.

“There’s no question, our defense has been fantastic all year long and the biggest thing is we’re taking care of the routine plays,” Rittman said last week. “As a pitcher, you find comfort in that if you make a mistake, you know that our outfielder’s got a lot of range and they cover the ground and our infielder’s got really good hands, cover ground and our catchers do an awesome job as well. The defense is a big part of our pitcher’s success as well.”

With some of the best pitching talent in the country in ace Valerie Cagle and lefthander Millie Thompson as well as rising talent in Regan Spencer and Brooke McCubbin and a stellar defense to back them up, Rittman has “complete confidence” that whoever he puts in the circle will not only get the job done but will do so in dominant fashion.

“This is a really good pitching staff, it really is. One through four, we have complete confidence in and when you get the good pitching that can change speeds and hit location and you’ve got a great defense behind them and you’ve got a powerful offense, that’s a great combination.”

After Tuesday’s 4-3 ninth-inning thriller on the road against the South Caroline Gamecocks, No. 6 Clemson is set to travel to Raleigh, N.C. for a three-game series this weekend beginning Friday, April 13, at Dail Softball Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. on ACCNX.

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