Clemson adds JUCO transfer to baseball program

Williams threw out 26-of-50 runners this past season

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Fri Jul 03 15:07:23 GMT-04:00 2015

Garden Grove, California is over 2,300 miles from Clemson but Chris Williams isn’t at all intimidated about traveling from coast to coast to play baseball.

The Garden Grove (CA) Golden West College catcher is the fourth player to commit to baseball head coach Monte LeeMonte Lee
Baseball Head Coach
View Full Profile in the last five days, but as a junior college transfer Williams will have the opportunity to play right away.

Williams told TigerNet that he didn’t know anything about the Clemson program before recruiting coordinator Bradley LeCroyBradley LeCroy
Assistant Head
View Full Profile contacted him to gauge his interest in becoming a Tiger.

“A friend of mine contacted Coach LeCroy and he then contacted me and asked if I was interested and of course I was,” Williams told TigerNet Thursday evening. “It's Clemson and the ACC. I didn't know about the coaching change. I didn't really even know anything about Jack LeggettJack Leggett
Baseball Head Coach
View Full Profile , so that part didn't bother me at all.”

However the more he thought about, the more Williams became comfortable with the idea of coming to South Carolina.

“When I thought about Clemson, I didn't feel like I was going to a whole new world because I've actually been out there before, so I knew about the area and the weather,” Williams said. “So, it's not something that's completely new - the atmosphere and the landscape and that kind of stuff didn't really scare me or shock me, because I actually have family in Virginia, so I've been there before.”

A phone call with Clemson’s new head coach sealed the deal for Williams.

“He [Lee] is an awesome dude. He and his wife are both really nice people,” he said. “He treats me with respect and I really appreciate that. He treats me like an adult and I already have so much respect for him.”

The 6-1, 205 pounder will enroll this fall and will have three years of eligibility remaining; however, his first season will likely be spent backing up Chris OkeyChris Okey
So. Catcher
#25 5-11, 195
Mount Dora, FL
View Full Profile , and Williams said he hopes to learn a lot from Clemson’s junior catcher.

“I'm extremely excited. I've heard that Chris Okey is an amazing guy,” Williams said. “I'll learn a lot from him. The first thing I heard is that he's kind of like the prankster on the team. He keeps the team in a good mood. He's a good leader. I'm excited to meet him and I'm excited to get to Clemson this fall.”

In 42 games at Golden West College, Williams had a .319 batting average and a .403 on base percentage, with 53 hits, 17 doubles, four home runs, 33 runs and 32 RBI. He also threw out 24-of-50 runners trying steal.

Despite his impressive statistics, Williams said he still has a lot to learn.

“Not to be cocky, but I feel like I'm a really solid catcher behind the plate. I block everything," he said. “I need to get a little better on the receiving end of catching. Hitting wise, the only thing that I struggle with is that I end up drifting and I chase balls that are down in the dirt.”