CLEMSON — It was around this time last month when Clemson’s baseball team was facing a dilemma.

The Tigers were in the midst of a slump, losing eight of 10 games. After peaking at No. 2 in the national polls, with talks about being a top eight national seed, they went into the final week of the regular season on the outside looking in as a possible regional host.

“There was a chance where it was kind of up in the air,” pitcher Lucas Mahlstedt said on Thursday.

However, Aiden Knaak, Joe Allen and Mahlstedt combined to no-hit Pittsburgh on May 15, which got the ball rolling again. The Tigers went on to win six straight games and advanced to the championship game of the ACC Tournament last week.

The six-game run not only pushed Clemson back into the host conversation, but cemented it, as the Tigers earned the No. 11 overall seed. They will host No. 4 USC Upstate, No. 2 West Virginia and No. 3 Kentucky in the Clemson Regional this weekend at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

The Tigers (44-16) will get things started in Game 2 of the Clemson Regional on Friday when they host Upstate at 6 p.m. West Virginia and Kentucky play at noon in Game 1.

Even when they were struggling and fans and media were doubting the Tigers, they never stopped believing in themselves and they knew they would get things turned around.

“We knew we were in a dip, but it was a matter of when we get out of it,” Mahlstedt said. “At some point, and most seasons, it is never smooth sailing, there is always a roller coaster, to a degree, and we were kind of at that dip, and we needed to ride that wave back up again.”

Clemson hopes there are no more dips, as the Tigers try to advance to the Super Regional round of the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year.

“I am a senior,” Mahlstedt said. “This is my last chance at a College World Series. So, I am going to put it all on the line, and whatever it takes, I am going to do what it takes.”

The Tigers have to first beat a USC Upstate team that is playing well at the moment. Though they beat the Spartans, 7-0, back on March 4, Clemson head coach Bakich warns this is not the same team they saw two months ago.

“They are a totally different team now. It would be foolish to look back,” he said. “We do not draw anything from that game. We are a different team. They are a different team. That was a random game on a neutral site, and they have gone on to have a monster year with a lot of power.”

Upstate is hitting .319 as a team and as 99 home runs. Scott Campbell is hitting .400 with 11 homers, 54 RBIs and 21 steals to lead the way, while Johnny Sweeney has 17 homers and 81 RBIs.

“They got five or six guys with double digit homers, and they are coming off a dog pile, so they are playing with a lot of confidence,” Bakich said.

2025 NCAA Clemson Regional

Today

Game 1: Kentucky vs West Virginia – 12:00 p.m.
Watch (ESPNU) 

Game 2: USC Upstate vs Clemson – 6:00 p.m.
Watch (ACC Network)

Saturday

Game 3: Game 1 Loser vs Game 2 Loser – 12:00 p.m.

Game 4: Game 1 Winner vs Game 2 Winner – 6:00 p.m.

Sunday

Game 5: Game 3 Winner vs Game 4 Loser – 12:00 p.m.

Game 6: Game 4 Winner vs Game 5 Winner – 6:00 p.m.

Monday

Game 7: If necessary – TBA