For the first time since 2018, the Clemson Tigers’ baseball program will host an NCAA Regional.

First-year head coach Erik Bakich, who began his coaching career as a Tiger in 2002, knows the importance of creating a hostile atmosphere for this week’s games.

“We’ll need DKS rocking,” Bakich said. “We want them to feel like the 10th man on the field for us.”

Clemson’s average attendance of of roughly 4,465 fans per home game in 2023 solidified Doug Kingsmore Stadium as one of the best home field advantages in all of college baseball.

“When you play in packed stadiums and the crowd is engaged and they consider themselves an active participant, it creates a huge advantage,” Bakich said. “Playing at this level, college kids 18-23, the crowd can create a physiological response inside of a player. Whether it’s a pitcher or a hitter, it can cause them to internally speed up.”

The Tigers will begin their regional on Friday at 1 p.m. when they take on Lipscomb. The game will be televised on ESPN+.