Clemson baseball coach Erik Bakich has reportedly found his replacement for Nick Schnabel.
Bakich is set to hire Tyler Smarslok as his newest assistant, The Clemson Insider has confirmed.
Smarslok is currently the field coordinator for the Washington Nationals and is expected to be in Clemson one day this week. In 2025, he served as the Miami Marlins’ first base coach. Smarslok also helped with base running and infield defense with the Marlins.
“Right now, as we are looking to get the best person available, I am looking at guys who specialize on both sides,” Bakich said recently. “To get someone who is either a defensive specialist or an offensive specialist, regardless, I am inserting myself back on both sides, all the way. So I will be working with this person hand in hand. Every day. I am excited about that and being able to hand-pick that guy that is going to fit our staff, fit our culture, fit the system that we want to run and ultimately create a championship team.”
Prior to that, Smarslok spent some time coaching with the Minnesota Twins AAA club and also served as manager of the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League.
Smarslok is being brought in to replace Schnabel, who stepped away from baseball in early August. Schnabel had served as Bakich’s right-hand man going back to their time at Michigan. The two also played together at East Carolina.
“I want to thank every player for their hard work and the memories we’ll always share,” Schnabel said in a statement. “I also want to thank my fellow coaches and the administration for the opportunity to be a part of this program, and to our fans, thank you for your passion. I will always be grateful for my time at Clemson.”
Smarlok was a four-year starter at Kean University as an infielder (2011-14), where he won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award.
In four seasons at Clemson, Schnabel helped the Tigers to 164 victories, an average of 41 per season. He also coached the Tigers to a regional host season in 2023, 2024 and 2025, one of only two schools in the nation that could make that claim. Clemson won the 2023 ACC championship as well.
Schnabel also served as the recruiting coordinator on Bakich’s staff, and the head coach has already promoted current assistant Griffin Mazur into that role.
“Griffin Mazur is going to absorb the recruiting coordinator title,” Bakich said. “He is a rising star in the ranks and wants to do the recruiting.”
After going just 31-26 last season and missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time during his Clemson tenure, Bakich and Smarslok will aim to get the Tigers back on track next year.
