By the Numbers: Clemson Preview

The Tigers (9-3) have a talented pitching staff and an offense that has been slow to start.

After losing a disappointing pitchers duel to North Carolina A&T last Friday, Boston College bounced back by shellacking Fairfield over a two-game mini-series. Unfortunately for the Eagles, though, that momentum didn’t fully carry over to a Monday afternoon rematch with the Aggies. They stormed out to a 5-0 lead but couldn’t sustain it, falling 8-5 to drop back below .500.

Wednesday’s game against South Carolina was canceled, so BC (5-6) now gears up for a three-game set with Clemson—its first conference series of the season. The Tigers (9-3) are a talented team that will be seeking to avenge a loss to the Eagles in last year’s ACC Championship pool play.

Lineup (AVG/OBP/SLG)

C-R Adam Hackenberg (.273/.327/.318)
1B-L Dylan Brewer (.188/.333/.313)
2B-R Mac Starbuck (.160/.300/.240)
SS-R James Parker (.267/.303/.400)
3B-R Bryar Hawkins (.259/.313/.370)
LF-R Elijah Henderson (.302/.436/.395)
CF-R Sam Hall (.133/.212/.300)
RF-L Bo Majkowski (.059/.059/.059)
DH-L Kier Meredith (.455/.556/.568)

Take this projected lineup with a grain of salt, as head coach Monte Lee has shuffled his team around quite a bit. Clemson has 13 players that have started at least four games, and just three—Adam Hackenberg, Kier Meredith, and Elijah Henderson—have started all 12. This is likely because the Tigers haven’t gotten off to a particularly good offensive start to the year, hitting just .243 as a team through 12 games. A step back from last season was expected, as they lost their top three hitters in Grayson Byrd, Kyle Wilkie, and Logan Davidson.

Hackenberg is a mainstay behind the plate because of his defense but has swung a good bat in the early going with hits in four of his last five games. Meredith, meanwhile, has simply exploded out of the gate and earned ACC Player of the Week honors last week after hitting .611 (11-for-18). Davis Sharpe, a two-way player, has totaled 29 at bats in 11 games and only been held hitless twice, slugging two home runs in the process. Henderson fills the leadoff role well, reaching base at a .436 clip and has more walks (9) than strikeouts (4).

After those four, it’s been a rough opening stanza. Only two semi-regulars—Parker (8 starts) and Hawkins (8)—have a batting average above the Mendoza line, while the likes of Hall and Brewer have struggled with strikeouts. Lee has had to mix-and-match his starting lineups so don’t expect them to necessarily stay the same from game-to-game this weekend.

Starting Pitching

The Tigers have a trio of highly capable arms to trot out against BC. It’s safe to say that Weatherly—groomed as a starter by spending last year in the bullpen—has hit the ground running. The lefthander has a mid-90s fastball, a sweeping slider, and a changeup that he’s improved on from last year. The results have been glowing in the early going, as Clemson has won each of his first three starts and he’s compiled a 0.53 ERA with 33 strikeouts to just four hits allowed in 17 innings.

Sharpe was tagged for four earned runs against South Carolina last weekend but had started the year with 11 scoreless frames. He was the staff ace a season ago, going 7-4 with a 3.20 ERA, and spun seven shutout innings with six strikeouts against BC back on Mar. 22, 2019.

Strider, meanwhile, was an All-ACC Freshman Team selection in 2018 but missed last year with an arm injury that required Tommy John surgery. He wasn’t at full strength during fall practices, throwing from flat ground, but has worked his way back. The redshirt sophomore has made three starts, all four innings or less, but has 14 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings while allowing just two earned runs.

Bullpen

If you think the Tigers’ rotation is strong, just wait until you see who they bring out of the bullpen. Clemson has a deep group of relievers that are off to good starts and boast plenty of experience. The Tigers bullpen is striking out over a third of the batters they face, and while their FIP is almost a full point higher than their ERA—a sign of an adjustment to come—they’re still a quite capable group. Carson Spiers (10 IP, 0.00 ERA) is the established closer and already has four saves in four tries. Mat Clark (10 IP, 1.80 ERA) and Geoffrey Gilbert (7 IP, 1.29 ERA) have combined for eight appearances and have been consistent. Clark was a starter last year and a reliever in 2018, and it seems he’s shifted back to the bullpen where he can provide quality innings in middle relief. Nick Hoffmann, Keyshawn Askew, and Nick Clayton have all made at least four appearances—with the last two pegged as potential midweek starters at some point.

Photo Credit(s): Kaitlyn Cote, Clemson Athletic Communications