Since Erik Bakich’s arrival at Clemson, the Tigers have been mainstays when it comes to the postseason.

The Tigers won the ACC Championship during his first year, have hosted regionals in each of his three seasons and hosted a Super Regional in 2024.

However, with each passing weekend, the chances of postseason baseball being played at Doug Kingsmore this season continue to dwindle. It would take a serious kind of run to make that a possibility. At this point, it’s fair to question whether the Tigers will make the field at all.

After watching his team drop a fourth ACC series to North Carolina, Bakich was asked about the Tigers’ postseason hopes, with the head coach quickly pointing out that, no matter what happens the rest of the way, there is always a path, seeing as the winner of the ACC Tournament receives an automatic bid.

“Every team in the ACC is mathematically a contender because everyone goes to the ACC Tournament, so yes, of course,” Bakich said. “But our focus is on playing better on the weekends so that we are not one of those that is not even in consideration for not making it — it’s just automatic. That is Clemson baseball.”

After going 3-1 on a west coast swing last weekend and then winning the opener against the Tar Heels, Bakich believed the Tigers were on the verge of getting things turned around. Then came the blown lead late on Saturday that resulted in a 14-inning loss and the drubbing Clemson took on Sunday, and suddenly the Tigers once again find themselves one game out of last place in the ACC standings. That is something Bakich is having a hard time wrapping his head around.

“At least, how I think… Clemson baseball hosts regionals — again, I was here in ’02. I saw Clemson baseball at its best,” Bakich said. “That is burned into my mind. I will never be able to unsee that or unexperience that. What I felt and saw in 2002, to me, is what Clemson baseball needs to get back to. That is why I am so freaking pissed off with the way this season has gone up to this point, because I consider 2002 how it needs to be around here. And it is not right now.”

That 2002 team, when Bakich was a member of Jack Leggett’s staff, made a run to Omaha, winning 54 games in the process. To Bakich, that is the standard, and he knows his current team is nowhere close to playing to that.

“It is my responsibility to get it back there and beyond, and we are not there right now,” Bakich said. “We have had a little bit of success in the three years that I have been here, but not compared to ’02. We know we are not meeting expectations right now.”