Clemson now knows exactly what path it must take to get out of regional play for the first time since 2010.
The Tigers, who will be the No. 6 overall seed and No. 1 seed in the regional, drew two familiar opponents in No. 2 seed Vanderbilt and No. 3 seed Coastal Carolina, with High Point also coming to Clemson as the No. 4 seed.
The Commodores were in Clemson’s regional in 2017 and 2018. Each time they eliminated the Tigers and advanced to the Super Regionals, so there should be no shortage of motivation, nor storylines, particularly when it comes to the coaches.
Tim Corbin has been the head coach at Vanderbilt for more than two decades. He served as an assistant on Jack Leggett’s staff at Clemson from 1994-2002, before taking over the Commodores’ program, meaning he was on the staff during Erik Bakich’s one season as an assistant at Clemson in 2002. A team that made it all the way to the College World Series. With Leggett back in the Clemson dugout, this regional should feature plenty of nostalgia.
While Vanderbilt began the season as a Top 10 team, the Commodores would drop some early season non-conference games, and then finish up just 13-17 in SEC play. Due to a rigid schedule, Vandy was still able to finish up at No. 20 in the RPI despite falling completely out of the Top 25 rankings.
After dropping two of its final three regular season games at Kentucky, the Commodores then won four straight in the SEC Tournament before being eliminated by eventual champion Tennessee in the semifinal round.
One interesting note about Corbin’s team is they have not been very good away from home, going just 4-12 in true road games. However, Vanderbilt is 7-0 in neutral site games.
Clemson is even more familiar with Coastal Carolina. The Tigers and Chanticleers have been playing a home-and-home midweek series each season for the past several years. Although, both of this year’s matchups were cancelled due to rain.
Gary Gilmore is in his final season as Coastal’s head coach after nearly three decades at the helm and you just know the Chants would love nothing more than to send him out on a high note by winning a regional in his final season.
Coastal also spent some time in the Top 25 this season, starting the season ranked No. 18. While they have more than proved they are capable of scoring plenty of runs, pitching has plagued this team at times, as the Chants finished up 34-23 and just 16-14 in the Sunbelt.
After winning its first game in the conference tournament, Coastal dropped its next two and was eliminated. They have more than held their own away from home though, going 9-12 in true road games.
High Point, the Tigers’ opening opponent on Friday, comes in fresh off a thrilling Big South Tournament championship, as the Panthers beat Charleston Southern 12-11 in walk off fashion, locking up the leagues automatic bid in the process.
Joey Hammond is in his third season as head coach and this is High Point’s first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. The Panthers are No. 122 in the RPI after finishing the season 34-25 overall and 17-7 in league play. The Panthers were also pretty good away from home, going 11-10 on the road and 3-0 in neutral site contests.
On the surface this looks like a winnable regional. While Vanderbilt got hot in the SEC Tournament, the Commodores don’t have the pitching Clemson saw back in 2017 and 2018. The same goes for Coastal. While they have an explosive offense, they don’t have the arms they’ve had in the past.
At the same time, the Tigers have dealt with their own share of pitching issues in recent weeks. If Clemson can get past High Point on Saturday, and get the Aidan Knaak we have seen for most of the season on Saturday against the winner of Vanderbilt-Coastal, you’ve got to like their chances of moving on to the Super’s for the first time in almost 15 years.
The Tigers will begin their march to Omaha on Friday against High Point at 7 p.m.
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