Clemson opens the 2019 baseball today against South Alabama in Game 1 of a three-game series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson.
The Tigers, ranked as high as No. 14 in the pre-season polls, will host the Jaguars at 3 p.m.
Here is what you need to know:
Doug Kingsmore Stadium, Clemson, SC
Friday, 3 p.m.; Saturday, 3 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.
Rankings: USA – NR Clemson: No. 14 BA, No. 15 CB, No. 19 USA, No. 24 D1
The Series
Meetings: 11 (first met in 1973)
Series Record: Clemson leads 6-5
Record at Clemson: Clemson leads 4-3 (Clemson leads 4-3 at DKS)
Last Meeting(s): Clemson won 2 of 3 games at Clemson in 2002 (13-1, 4-6, 11-3)
Lee: Lee leads 5-1 (5-1 at CofC)
The Jaguars
Head Coach: Mark Calvi (8th season at USA)
2018 Record: 32-25 (18-11; T-3rd East) – N/A – NR
2018 Road Record: 15-20 (10-17 on road, 5-3 at neutral sites)
2019 Preseason: 2nd in Sun Belt East Division (6 teams)
2018 Batting Stats:.261 (6.7 RPG) with 86 2B, 9 3B, 54 HR, 331 BB, 45 HBP, 451 K, 43-60 SB
2018 Pitching Stats: 5.13 ERA, .265 OBA (503 hits), 233 BB & 455 K in 491.1 innings
2018 Fielding Stats: .978 (44 errors in 2259 chances)
The Tigers
2018 Record: 47-16 (22-8; 1st Atlantic) – Clemson Regional – No. 18 USA, No. 19 BA/CB, No. 20 D1
2018 Home Record: 28-9
2019 Preseason: 3rd (one first-place vote) in ACC Atlantic Division (7 teams)
2018 Batting Stats: .261 (6.4 RPG) with 95 2B, 2 3B, 98 HR, 350 BB, 58 HBP, 540 K, 52-70 SB
2018 Pitching Stats: 3.59 ERA, .257 OBA (563 hits), 143 BB & 562 K in 569.2 innings
2018 Fielding Stats: .975 (60 errors in 2370 chances)
Projected Starting Lineups
South Alabama
C: No. 14 Carter Perkins (SR/.301 BA with 9 2B, 9 HR, & 43 RBI in 53 games in 2018)
1B: No. 38 Wells Davis (SR/.295 BA with 10 2B, 8 HR, & 56 RBI in 56 games in 2018)
2B: No. 22 Hunter Stokes (JR/.222 BA with 7 2B, 3 HR, & 29 RBI in 53 games in 2018)
SS: No. 6 Santi Montiel (FR/first season at South Alabama)
3B: No. 15 Kaleb DeLaTorre (JR/first season at South Alabama)
LF: No. 25 Michael Sandle (*SO/.225 BA with 8 2B, 3 HR, & 32 RBI in 53 games in 2018)
CF: No. 2 Nick Lewis (JR/first season at South Alabama)
RF: No. 34 Ethan Wilson (FR/first season at South Alabama)
DH: No. 23 Colton Thomas (*SR/missed 2018 season with an injury)
Clemson
C: No. 10 Kyle Wilkie (JR/.324 BA with 10 2B, 5 HR, & 40 RBI in 62 games in 2018)
1B: No. 4 Grayson Byrd (*SR/.243 BA with 2 2B, 9 HR, & 26 RBI in 48 games in 2018)
2B: No. 9 Jordan Greene (GR/.250 BA with 6 2B, 5 HR, & 21 RBI in 48 games in 2018)
SS: No. 8 Logan Davidson (JR/.292 BA with 18 2B, 15 HR, & 46 RBI in 63 games in 2018)
3B: No. 5 Sam Hall (SO/.239 BA with 4 2B, 2 HR, & 7 RBI in 25 games in 2018)
LF: No. 1 Kier Meredith (SO/.195 BA with 1 2B, 1 HR, & 5 RBI in 13 games in 2018)
CF: No. 13 Bryce Teodosio (SO/.165 BA with 4 2B, 4 HR, & 9 RBI in 37 games in 2018)
RF: No. 11 Michael Green (*SO/first season at Clemson)
DH: No. 30 Davis Sharpe (FR/first season at Clemson)
Projected Starting Pitchers (2017 stats listed)
Game 1
JR RHP No. 6 Drake Nightengale (first season at South Alabama)
SR RHP No. 19 Brooks Crawford (8-2/16 app/16 GS/3.24 ERA (80.2 IP)/.234 OBA (71 hits)/18 BB/58 K)
Game 2
SO RHP No. 11 JoJo Booker (2-1/17 app/1 GS/7.15 ERA (34.0 IP)/.256 OBA (33 hits)/19 BB/40 K)
FR RHP No. 30 Davis Sharpe (first season at Clemson)
Game 3
South Alabama’s starter TBA
FR LHP No. 12 Justin Wrobleski (first season at Clemson)
Worth Noting
Clemson is 6-1 all-time on February 15 with a 5-1 mark at home.
The Tigers are 8-4 all-time on February 16 with a 7-2 mark at home.
Clemson is 8-5 all-time on February 17 with a 5-4 mark at home.
The Tigers have faced nine of the 12 programs in the Sun Belt (missing Georgia State, Little Rock, and UL-Monroe). Clemson is 134-51-1 all-time against those schools, including an 85-24 mark at home.
Lee has faced four of the 12 Sun Belt programs (Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, and South Alabama). Lee is 41-27 against the programs, including 4-2 at Clemson (2-1 against both Coastal Carolina & Georgia Southern).