MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Clemson and Coastal Carolina played the first of two scheduled exhibitions on Friday night at Pelicans Park in Myrtle Beach.
The Tigers plated three runs in the second, with freshman Louis Hernandez driving in two on a double into the gap in right-center, and that proved to be enough as Clemson won 5-1.
Erik Bakich basically divided his roster into two teams, meaning whoever started on Friday night is not expected to start on Saturday.
Each Clemson pitcher only threw one inning. That is also the plan for Saturday.
Here is what the starting lineup looked like:
- Jarren Purify 2B
- Issac Cadena C
- Chase Kiker 1B
- Isaac Incinelli SS
- Jack Schuman CF
- Bennett Edwards DH
- Sterling Coaxum RF
- Jackson Moore LF
- Louis Hernandez 3B
- Ty Marshall (2nd DH)
One big positive to come out of this one was that Clemson made just one error in the field. That was a huge issue for the Tigers during the 2026 season.
Nine Clemson pitchers limited the Chants to one run on three hits while striking out 11 and walking four.
Tiger hitters managed just four base hits, but did take advantage of a couple of late-inning walks that led to some insurance.
Pitching
– Aidan Knaak got the start. After allowing a leadoff single with two strikes, catcher Isaac Cadena gunned that runner down while trying to steal second. Knaak got the next two hitters, including striking out the final one.
– Transfer lefty Jackson Miller pitched the second. After walking the leadoff hitter, he came back and struck out the next three. There was no radar gun in use tonight, but I have been told the sophomore has been hitting the upper 90s with his fastball. What makes that impressive is he is only listed at 170 pounds.
– Freshman Ethan Trivison pitched the third, allowing one run on one hit. He walked one and struck out two.
– Chance Fitzgerald pitched the fourth. The senior walked two in the inning, but stranded the runners at first and second after striking out the final batter he faced.
– Sophomore Eston Simpson threw the fifth. He did hit a batter but retired the other three hitters hhe faced, including striking out one.
– Carson Admonik pitched the sixth. The freshman struck out all three hitters he faced. He stayed ahead of all three batters.
– Transfer Kailen Hickman threw in the seventh. With his bright blond locks and standing 6-foot-7, the right-hander is easy to pick out. Hickman should have had a 1-2-3 inning, but a throwing error allowed a runner to reach and make it all the way to third. However, Hickman was able to strand him there.
– Junior lefty Brendan Bennett came on to pitch the eighth. After two quick fly ball outs, Bennett issued a two-out walk before getting a line-out to center.
– Landon White threw the ninth. The fifth-year senior allowed an infield single to start things off but rallied to retire the next three to end it.
Hitting/Fielding
– Freshman Louis Hernandez started at third base, and his first at-bat came with the bases loaded in the top of the second. The freshman drilled one into the right-center gap, driving in two and giving the Tigers an early 2-0 lead.
Hernandez came up with one out and the bases loaded in the seventh and struck out.
– Jarren Purify walked and stole a base in the first. The senior then reached on an error in the fifth and then was basically picked off trying to swipe second. He walked for a second time in the seventh, meaning he reached three times.
– With two outs and a runner on first in the top of the fourth, Jackson Moore was at the plate. Coastal put the shift on, leaving a massive hole open at third base. Moore pushed a hard bunt right into the spot where no one was at and made it all the way to second. That is how you beat the shift.
Moore walked with one out in the ninth then moved to second on a wild pitch.
– Freshman Sterling Coaxum had a base-running blunder in the top of the fourth. He was at third and came home on a ball that got away from the catcher. However, it barely got away, and Coaxum realized once he was past halfway that he was going to be dead to rights. To make matters worse, it was the final out of the inning.
Coaxum worked a one-out walk in the seventh, then immediately swiped second. Later in the same inning, Ty Marshall worked a seven-pitch walk with the bases loaded, making it 4-1. After Coastal changed pitchers, Purify walked on four consecutive pitches, forcing in another run and making it 5-1.
– Isaac Isinelli had a throwing error on a routine ground ball in the seventh. It was the team’s only error of the night.
– Freshman Jack Schuman beat out an infield hit with two outs in the eighth. It was a nice hustle play.
– In the ninth, with a runner on first and nobody out. transfer CF Jamie Daly caught a liner on the run and doubled up the runner at first. The throw was on the money and on a line.
The two teams are scheduled to play another exhibition on Saturday. First pitch is set for 10 a.m. It was originally set for 1 p.m. but has been moved up due to inclement weather forecast in the area.