Erik Bakich isn’t proclaiming his Clemson lineup as one of the deepest in the country, but the head coach certainly feels the Tigers have enough.

With Opening Day on Friday, Clemson will be wrapping up the preseason this week. As the Tigers get set to host Army for a three-game weekend series to begin the season, Bakich feels like there are 12 hitters he has full trust in. Not only at the plate, but also in the field.

“Just looking at the depth at certain positions, certainly you can say it’s a two-deep, and sometimes a three-deep if you move some guys around,” Bakich told The Clemson Insider. “It’s not like we’ve got crazy depth from a position player standpoint, so keeping the Top 12 hitters healthy will be important.”

Jarren Purify, Jack Crighton, Luke Gaffney, Jacob Jarrell and Collin Priest are all back. Bakich also added several bats to his roster via the transfer portal, including Nate Savoie, Ty Dalley, Bryce Clavon and Tyler Lichtenberger, who are expected to contribute.

Another one of those 12 is newcomer Jason Fultz. The freshman quickly made an impact during the fall and has kept that momentum through the preseason.

The right-handed hitter saw a lot of time at third base during the fall, but he’s also capable of playing at first base. His bat is one that Bakich says has to be in the lineup most days.

“He is one of the 12, so he’s got to be in there a majority of the time,” Bakich added. “He can play third, or he can slide over to first. But Jason Fultz is a name you heard a lot for good reason. Because he can really slug the ball. He’s got big-time pop for a young kid. Really for any kid. He can hit it 106-108 MPH (off the bat). In the games, not just in BP. Just has a knack for hitting. He can really, consistently, fire his barrel, which is something you like to see in a young hitter with power.”

One of the goals has been to add more power to the lineup. After belting 109 home runs in 2024, the Tigers hit just 73 last season.

Another goal is more consistency at the plate. After hitting .298 as a team two years ago, Clemson hitters combined to hit just .278 last year. Although the 2025 team drew 54 more walks.

While it might take a few weeks for everyone’s role to be defined in the field, Bakich feels really good about what Team 129 brings to the plate.

“We will move guys around and platoon as we need to, but I really like the top heaviness of the offense,” Bakich said. “I feel like there are 12 hitters in there that can rotate in there at anytime and we will certainly give those guys a shot. But the 12 that are going to get the majority of the ABs are very capable.”