Coming into the 2021 baseball season, Clemson has a lot of new faces hitting the field including what looks to be the team’s newest dynamic duo.

Junior Davis Sharpe, who was named a preseason first-team All-American in December, is excited about welcoming another fellow utility player in Caden Grice to the roster this spring. The freshman lefty and first baseman has already turned heads in fall practice and now is looking to be a difference maker this spring.

“That kid has some of the most raw potential I’ve ever seen,” Sharpe said. “He’s just an unreal athlete. He’s got unreal power. He’s really good on the mound. He’s got control. I mean, he’s just like me.

“We’re together all the time, being the only two-ways here, so we go through the same thing together. We work out together. We’re always at first base together. We’re always hitting together. I mean, I’ve gotten really close with Caden.”

Position is not the only thing Sharpe and Grice have in common. The two also share the same level of competitiveness in the way they approach the game. For Sharpe, this caused some physical wear and tear in his first year and he hopes his experiences will help lead the way for Grice.

“I can just give him the advice to just have fun and don’t try to put too much pressure on yourself because he’s going to play a lot. He’s going to be a big part of this team this year,” the junior said. “Just helping him out, like I said, my freshman year my body kind of wore down. Just giving him some tips on that and how to just be ready for the longevity of the season and to be healthy for a whole season and I’m excited.

“I think we’re both going to play first base a bunch and he’s going to be a big asset to this team this year.”

With two strong two-way players on his squad, head coach Monte Lee knows he has something special on his team.

“When you have a guy like Caden Grice, who is certainly in the mix to be a weekend starter and he’s also a premier power bat that can play first base, and then you have a guy like Davis Sharpe, who is arguably the best two-way player in the nation, in my opinion, I would say he’s the best two-way player in the country. When you have those two guys at first base, I think you have a good problem on your hands.”

Clemson opens the 2021 season at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Feb. 19, when it plays host to Cincinnati in a three-game series.