Two of the best in the game are set to face off this weekend.

When No. 3 Clemson squares off with No. 5 Florida State on Friday to kick off a crucial three-game ACC series, two of the nation’s best pitchers are set to go head-to-head.

Aidan Knaak (6-1) gets the nod for the Tigers. The sophomore has been the anchor of the Clemson rotation this season and comes in with an ERA of 4.80 and a WHIP of 1.11. Knaak is coming off the worst start of his career, after NC State roughed him up to the tune of eight runs on 11 hits in just four innings. The outing caused his ERA to rise almost a full run. Knaak has still struck out 76 hitters in 60 innings pitched and opponents are hitting just .226 against him.

Jamie Arnold (5-1), one of the ACC’s most consistent hurlers in 2025, gets the start for the Seminoles. The left-handed junior has allowed more than two earned runs just once all season. Arnold sports an impressive ERA of 2.39, a WHIP of 0.96 and has allowed only 13 earned runs all season. Clemson is 10-3 against lefty starters, but the argument can easily be made that he is the best pitcher the Tigers have faced to this point. Arnold has 68 strikeouts in 49 innings and has walked just 16 hitters all season.

The Tigers are currently mired in an offensive slump, and trying to come out of it against a pitcher the caliber of Arnold won’t be easy. In getting swept last weekend at NC State, the Tigers mustered just eight runs on 20 hits across all three games. Even worse, Clemson hitters were just 1-for-21 with runners in scoring position, while stranding a total of 22 base runners.

“I am not worried about the baseball stuff,” head coach Erik Bakich said. “We will iron out the baseball stuff. Knowing our guys and seeing how they have trained and prepared, we will respond to this and we will be fine.”

First pitch of the series opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ACCNX.