Clemson and South Carolina are renewing a baseball rivalry that, despite their differences, each side has one similar feeling about.

“It’s the best rivalry in college baseball, and it’s a privilege to say you’re able to compete in that and be a part of that,” Clemson coach Erik Bakich said.

The rivalry series will start today at Doug Kingsmore Stadium with first pitch set for 7:30 p.m. It will shift to Fluor Field in Greenville for the second game Saturday before wrapping up at Founders Park in Columbia on Sunday.

It will also mark a reunion between Carolina assistant Monte Lee and his former team. Lee coached Clemson (4-4) for seven seasons before being replaced by Bakich last summer, but Lee said none of that will matter once the games start.

“It’s about their players versus our players. It’s about the competition,” said Lee, who will coach in his 14th Clemson-Carolina series. “It’s about the opportunity for both programs and both coaching staffs to be a part of the greatest rivalry in college baseball.

“It’s special. Every pitch of this rivalry weekend is special to the coaches and the players, and it means a lot to the state of South Carolina. Just to be a part of it is a special thing.” 

It won’t be a new experience for Bakich either, though it has been a while for the Tigers’ first-year coach. Bakich got a taste of the rivalry in 2002 when he was getting his coaching career started as a volunteer assistant on Jack Leggett’s staff at Clemson.

He’s still got vivid memories of the teams’ five meetings during that season, including a pair of matchups in the College World Series.

“It’s Clemson-South Carolina,” Bakich said. “Two programs, two teams and two fan bases who don’t like each other. And you know what? That’s a good thing. It’s a good rivalry for our state, it’s good for college baseball, and it’s good when both programs are good and competing to be there at the end. … Look forward to jumping into it.”

Clemson enters the weekend trying to get back on track after losing four straight, including a 6-3 setback to USC Upstate on Tuesday. But it won’t be easy against a Carolina team that’s been among the most impressive early this season.

The 23rd-ranked Gamecocks (9-0) have a team earned run average of 2, and the pitching staff has been backed by one of the nation’s most potent offenses. Carolina leads the country with 27 home runs and ranks in the top 5 nationally in runs (11.7 per game).

“Power arms on the weekend. Power hitters,” Bakich said. “They’re a power team.”

Clemson will have to try to slow down the Gamecocks’ offense without its ace, Ryan Ammons, who will miss his start this weekend with an undisclosed injury. Sophomore right-hander Austin Gordon will get the ball in Ammons’ place tonight.

Freshman lefty Tristan Smith will get his first weekend start Saturday. Clemson hasn’t announced a starter for Sunday’s finale.

“Looks like a complete team,” Bakich said of Carolina. “They’re good on all sides, and we’ll definitley have our work cut out for us. It’s going to be a big challenge, but we’ll be up for it.”

Familiar faces

This weekend will also see three Gamecocks face off against their former team.

Dylan Brewer, Jonathan French and reliever Ricky Williams switched sides of the rivalry after transferring to South Carolina following last season. Brewer, an outfielder, started 87 games for Clemson the previous two seasons while French spent three seasons with the Tigers, platooning at catcher a year ago.

Brewer has started two of the six games he’s played for Carolina and has yet to record a hit in nine at-bats. French is hitting .333 in nine at-bats this season. Meanwhile, Clemson’s lineup won’t see Williams, who sustained a season-ending arm injury during the preseason.

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