No. 4 Tigers welcome back starter to rotation, hosts Pittsburgh |
No. 4 Clemson hosts Pittsburgh for the first time in a three-game series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium since 2016 this weekend.
SERIES SETUP • Who – Pittsburgh (15-19, 4-14 ACC) vs. Clemson (30-6, 11-4 ACC) • Best Ranking – PIT – NR; CU – No. 4 Baseball America • When – Friday (6 p.m.), Saturday (1 p.m.), Saturday (45 minutes after game one) • Where – Clemson, S.C. (Doug Kingsmore Stadium) • Watch – ACC Network Extra • Video Announcers – Tim Bourret (Sunday), Ron Smith (Friday, Saturday), Pete Yanity • Listen (Radio) – Clemson Athletic Network (locally on WCCP (105.5 FM)) • Listen (Internet) – ClemsonTigers.com • Live Stats – ClemsonTigers.com • Social Media – ClemsonBaseball • Tickets – ClemsonTigers.com, 1-800-CLEMSON SERIES HISTORY • Overall Record – Clemson leads 7-4 (2014-22) • Record at Clemson – Clemson leads 2-1 (2016) STARTING PITCHERS • Friday – RHP Ryan Andrade (PIT: 0-3, 9.96 ERA) vs. LHP Tristan Smith (CU: 2-0, 2.55) • Saturday – RHP Jack Sokol (PIT: 3-2, 5.63) vs. LHP Ethan Darden (CU: 5-1, 3.19) • Saturday (previously announced matchup for Sunday) – LHP Ryan Reed (PIT: 0-4, 7.34) vs. RHP Aidan Knaak (CU: 3-0, 2.87) CLEMSON OVERVIEW • Clemson, which has a 20-4 home record, defeated Charlotte 8-5 on Tuesday. • The Tigers are averaging 7.9 runs per game and hitting .284 with a .491 slugging percentage, .401 on-base percentage and 37 steals. • The pitching staff has a 3.93 ERA, .228 opponents’ batting average and 2.57 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and Clemson is fielding .967. PITTSBURGH OVERVIEW • Pittsburgh, which has a 4-8 road record and is averaging 6.9 runs per game, is led by sixth-year Head Coach Mike Bell. • The Panthers split two midweek games. They are hitting .287, have a 6.20 ERA and .967 fielding percentage. • Josh Spiegel is hitting .333, Luke Cantwell is batting .330 with nine homers and 31 RBIs and Phil Fox has a team-high three saves. QUICK HITS • Clemson has a 30-2 record when scoring 3+ runs. • Clemson’s bullpen has a 19-3 record, 10 saves, a 4.21 ERA, .216 opponents’ batting average and 159 strikeouts in 151.2 innings pitched. • A total of 17 Tigers have started at least one game in the batting order. CIUFO STEADY AT SHORTSTOP • Junior Andrew Ciufo was the starting shortstop in the first half of 2024 until he suffered a season-ending injury at Notre Dame on April 6. • He hit .280 with two homers, a triple, two doubles, 16 RBIs, 19 runs, a .378 on-base percentage and five steals in 27 games in 2024. • He had five sacrifice bunts. • He had a .955 fielding percentage, committing only five errors in 110 chances. • He committed five errors in the first six games, but did not commit an error in his last 21 games of the season. • He did not commit an error in 47 chances in 11 ACC regular-season games. • Clemson had a 24-3 record in his 27 starts. • He was 4-for-6 with nine RBIs with the bases loaded. • He hit a walkoff solo homer in the 12th inning in Clemson’s 5-4 win over No. 12 South Carolina at Segra Park in Columbia, S.C. on March 2. • He also made several highlight-reel plays on defense against the Gamecocks to save runs late in the game on March 2. • He received the Bob Bradley Award as Clemson’s MVP of the series against South Carolina, as he was 4-for-10 at the plate.
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