CLEMSON — In Army West Point baseball’s team room, an American flag formed by 13 baseball bats hangs above USA jerseys, golden gloves, and a shrine to Stephen C. Reich, a former Black Knight player killed in action in Afghanistan.

The wood-fashioned flag, painted red, white and blue, was gifted to head coach Chris Tracz and the West Point team by then-Michigan head coach Erik Bakich in 2018, when Army opened its season against the Wolverines.

Now, eight years later, Tracz and his squad have another wooden flag to hang in the team room – this time given as a memento from a season-opening three-game series in Clemson. Dubbed “Heroes Weekend,” the series and the bat marked another gesture from Bakich.

“To Army baseball, as the future leaders, warriors, and protectors of our great country, it is an honor to compete against you this weekend,” Bakich wrote across the white portions of the painted bats. “Thank you for making the USA the greatest country in the world. God bless, Clemson baseball!”

For Bakich, both the gift and the idea of honoring military members throughout the weekend was a “no-brainer.”

“I just wrote that before the game yesterday and it was just what was on my mind,” Clemson’s head coach said. “Luckily, it all fit on the white parts of the bats.

“I wasn’t doing it thinking people would take photos of it and put it online. I was doing it for them. But it’s how I feel, and it’s how our program feels, and it’s how this community feels when it comes to our service members.”

While the etchings of Bakich’s handwriting on the uneven wooden surfaces may fade with time, the goal of the weekend was to ensure the sacrifices made by servicemen and women – at Clemson, Army, and beyond – never go underappreciated.

A Shared Moment of Gratitude

The celebration began Friday in the middle of the fourth inning of Clemson’s (3-0) season-opener– an eventual 3-2 win. After a moment of anticipatory silence, PA announcer Tim Willis asked all veteran patrons to stand and be recognized.

As Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to be an American” echoed through Doug Kingsmore Stadium, Clemson’s dugout emptied. Tigers players went to shake the standing veterans’ hands and thank them for their service – which was introduced at the stadium last season.

Simultaneously, Army’s dugout cleared as well. Black Knight players joined in the celebration, turning the viral tribute into a shared exchange with a little extra weight. And this time, the thanks went both ways. Clemson fans hugged Army players, shook hands, and even took pictures as they thanked the future officers for their commitment.

“I think our fans were just as excited to take pictures with those kids as well,” Bakich said. “Our fans are great. Us being a former military school and patriotism is one of our core values, and our fans have an opportunity to put their arm around those guys and shake their hands. I think it’s very special as well, them being able to recognize the veterans that have walked in the footsteps of what they’re about to walk in.”

When Bakich mentioned the idea of both teams joining in the celebration pregame, it was time for Tracz, now in his fourth season as Army’s coach, to have a “no-brainer.”

“Our guys have such an appreciation too for everybody that served before them and they understand what they’re here for and what their future holds,” Tracz said. “And to see it kind of in its fullest form this weekend was outstanding.

“I think when you see both teams in a Division I baseball game take two minutes to go thank people, it’s what we should do all around the country. I wish more programs would do it.”

ROTC Influence at Heroes Weekend

The idea fits naturally at Clemson University, originally founded as a military school on the belief that “a military atmosphere produced the highest academic excellence,” according to the school’s website. 

Today, between Clemson’s Army and Air Force ROTC programs, the university boasts approximately 300 students training to become commissioned officers in their respective branch programs. One of them – senior cadet Brendan Miller – played a special role in Heroes Weekend.

For the last four years, Miller has fired the cannon at Clemson football games in Memorial Stadium, a tradition started by the late IPTAY President George Bennett in the 1970s. During the Army series, Miller fired the cannon in Doug Kingsmore for every Tigers run, as well as for Team 129’s entrance and the Friday game’s final out – a strikeout from Clemson pitcher Joe Allen.

It marked just the second time the cannon has been utilized at a Clemson baseball game – fitting for Heroes Weekend. 

“I think it is super cool to carry on the tradition of the cannon while introducing it to a new sport, getting to play a small role in adding to the atmosphere this weekend,” Miller said. “It’s very rare that you find an ROTC program that is not a military academy that receives as much support, funding, and resources from the school and community as we do, and it is very cool that that is being recognized in athletics as well.”

As the Tigers plated 17 total runs during Saturday’s doubleheader, Miller eventually ran out of shells to fire.

Honoring the Fallen

Minutes before Saturday’s doubleheader, in which Clemson won both games by a total 17-0 margin, both teams joined again – this time to honor fallen soldiers.

Players placed dog tags, bearing the names of 498 Clemson alumni killed in action, onto a portable memorial wall positioned at home plate. The same names appear on Clemson’s Scroll of Honor Memorial just east of Memorial Stadium, which is also named to honor fallen soldiers.

As each tag was placed on a metal hook, the crowd fell silent.

“Each name tells a story of courage, service, and life given in defense of a nation,” Clemson public address announcer Tim Willis read. “Today, players from Clemson and the United States Military Academy will step forward to hang dog tags – a quiet but powerful symbol of shared sacrifice and enduring respect for those who gave everything for our freedom.”

Some players removed their hats. A few wiped tear-stained eye black. Others reread the name one last time before placing it on the wall. As the “clink” of the metal echoed across a quiet stadium, the moment felt far larger than a baseball game. 

“It was definitely a surreal moment,” Army outfielder William Parker said. “You take the time to look at the person that you got and learn to kind of appreciate that individual and their sacrifice. I looked at mine like, my officer died in World War II. That’s a human being at the end of the day, and he’s willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. So seeing something like that is definitely inspiring and it definitely hits home for sure.”

While military history is woven into Clemson’s identity – from 6,500 alumni serving in World War to university ring ceremonies featuring a presentation from the late Colonel Ben Skardon, a Bataan Death March survivor – Army players live in that legacy daily.

For Parker, a senior about to begin his time in the military after this baseball season, the appreciation at Clemson was deeply meaningful.

“Seeing that type of appreciation from people really motivates the whole team,” he said. “We have a long, long road ahead of us and we acknowledge that and that’s what we want to do. We volunteer for that but seeing the American people come together in moments like that is definitely super special.”

Clemson’s upcoming game against Charlotte at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Tuesday may not feature the same tributes, but Heroes Weekend is one neither team will soon forget. 

Especially with a new wooden American flag now hanging in Army’s team room.