CLEMSON — Erik Bakich and the Clemson coaching staff added a huge piece to the Tigers’ 2027 recruiting class on Wednesday.

Two-way standout Cullen Scott signed with Clemson during a ceremony at his high school. Scott, who is one of the top players in the country, chose the Tigers over Oregon, Texas A&M and Florida, with each of the four finalists getting official visits.

Between camping at Clemson in January and returning for his official visit last month, there was something about the program he just couldn’t pass up. A big part of that was the relationship Scott developed with members of the staff, including Bakich, pitching coach Jimmy Belanger and assistant Griffin Mazur.

“Going into the process, those first initial calls, we were looking for coaches who knew me personally and had that personal connection,” Scott told The Clemson Insider. “And then, those coaches who were explaining their programs, but not like bragging about it, I guess you would say. To be honest, they all did a really good job.

“I went to a camp in January, so I met coach Bakich there. He is just that guy who is going to bring energy to the program. Coach Bakich is definitely a big part of the decision. I met the whole coaching staff there. Connected really well. Met some of the players, too. That was kind of like the first step. But coach Bakich was great throughout this whole process. He connected every couple of weeks. August 1, I think we talked four or five times that first week. Then, getting on campus for that visit. They were all amazing. Belly, Griffin, everyone is cool over there. Walking away from Clemson, it just felt like home. That is where I wanted to go.”

Scott was originally a member of the 2028 class, but after all of the success he experienced during his junior campaign at Melissa High School in Texas, the decision was made to reclassify. Before the announcement, he was considered by Perfect Game to be the top pitcher in the ’28 class and the No. 2 player overall, regardless of position.

“I started off really hot, had a big high school season,” Scott said. “Halfway through districts, I was batting above .600 actually, so that is when they brought it to me. We kind of decided then that is what we wanted to do. I started my junior year online while I was still in school. I grinded that out all throughout the summer, so we were ready to reclass before we announced it.”

Already hitting in the triple digits with his overpowering fastball would have made Scott a hot commodity all by itself. However, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound right-hander has also shown plenty of pop at the plate. Back in the summer, he took home the MVP award playing both ways at the PG All-Star Game, which included launching a grand slam into the left-field seats at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Throughout the recruiting process, Scott had one thing that was fairly non-negotiable. He wants to continue to play both ways at the collegiate level. Clemson is going to give him that opportunity to do just that. Bakich has already proven with Caden Grice that he knows how to manage a player who excels both on the mound and at the plate. Sophomore Dylan Harrison and freshman Chase Kiker are two more players currently in the program attempting to take a similar route.

“I was transparent that I wanted to be a two-way,” Scott added. “That was my number one thing. That I wanted to be a two-way at all the schools. I wanted to have an opportunity to go out there and prove I can play and maybe gain some playing time freshman year.”

During his official visit last month, Scott also got some face time with the newest addition to Bakich’s staff, Tyler Smarslok, who was hired away from the Washington Nationals, where he served as the field coordinator.

“I love coach Smarz. He is amazing,” Scott said. “He is really good. Just the experience he has behind him is going to be really good for the program.”

And getting to learn from Belanger also factored heavily into the decision.

“He has been amazing,” Scott said. “He checked up every week. He was amazing. Being on campus, talking about his pitching philosophy, it was definitely something that I wanted to be a part of.”

With Scott now locked in with the Tigers, the question becomes, will he even play at the college level? Obviously, with his talent, Scott is going to draw a lot of interest come draft time next July. Some see him as a potential first-round pick.

However, while there is certainly nothing set in stone, the two-way star says right now the plan is to be on campus at Clemson come the summer.

“We have put a lot of thought into that,” Scott said. “But right now, my plan is to be on campus that Monday after the Fourth of July.”

– Photo courtesy of Cullen Scott