This past week, Clemson head baseball coach Monte Lee announced his program’s 2019-20 signing class, which consists of 14 recent high school graduates and a couple of Division I transfers.

Among the incoming high school prospects is Max Wagner, a talented infielder from Green Bay, Wis., who committed to the Tigers two years ago this month.

In May, Wagner was named the 2019-2020 Gatorade Wisconsin Baseball Player of the Year, a prestigious honor given to the nation’s best high school athletes. The 6-foot, 190-pounder concluded his prep baseball career with a .457 batting average to go with 28 doubles, 86 runs scored, 69 RBI and 36 steals. A two-time first team all-state selection, he also posted a 16-3 record on the mound for his career with a 0.82 ERA and 177 strikeouts in 128.2 innings pitched.

The Clemson Insider recently spoke with Wagner as he gets set to move into Clemson and start his career as a Tiger in roughly two weeks.

“I’m just truly grateful of the opportunity that I have to play baseball at a top program in the country,” he said. “I know we have really good talent, so just really excited to get on the field and start playing.”

Wagner personally knows former Clemson pitcher and fellow Green Bay native Jason Berken, and their relationship played a role in his decision to play for the Tigers.

Wagner met Berken when he was about 10 years old at one of Berken’s local baseball camps, and Wagner’s father now helps Berken run a sports academy in the Green Bay area.

“Clemson has pretty much always been my dream school ever since I started high school,” Wagner said. “I kind of have some influences up here in Green Bay as Jason Berken, who went to Clemson and pitched for the Tigers down there when he was in college — he lives up here, and so he kind of talked me into it a little bit, influenced my decision to pick the Tigers, and it’s probably been the best decision I’ve made throughout my whole entire life.”

Wagner, who expects to play anywhere in the infield for Clemson, has been playing summer ball with Clemson junior outfielder Bo Majkowski. They have been competing with the Green Bay Booyah in the Northwoods Collegiate League.

“It’s been awesome playing with Bo,” Wagner said. “He’s a great guy. He’s been a great guy to rely on, just trying to get information about Clemson baseball and how things are run down there, and trying to make it easier for myself. But yeah, he’s been a great teammate and I can’t wait to start playing with him down at Clemson.”

After committing to Clemson on Aug. 7, 2018, Wagner is counting down the days until his arrival to Tigertown and can’t wait to begin the next chapter of his academic and athletic career.

“I’m super excited,” he said. “It’s kind of weird to think that I was just in high school, now I’m going to a big-time program. But yeah, my excitement is very high. I mean, it’s something I dreamt of when I was a little kid was playing college baseball. So, I’m truly really excited just to play ball at a really good program.”

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