Clemson has found its third weekend starter.

BJ Bailey made his first career start in the series finale against Georgia Tech and the left-handed hurler made the most of the opportunity.

Bailey dazzled one of the ACC’s best-hitting teams, setting career highs with his 6.2 innings pitched and eight strikeouts. The graduate senior limited the Yellow Jackets to just one run on four hits and retired 10 of the final 11 hitters he faced.

“That’s an Omaha caliber team,” head coach Erik Bakich said. “With a loaded lineup. Great pitching staff, a bunch of bullpen arms. They are going to have a ton of success this year. So when we look back on this one, it will be a marquee series win on the road for us.”

Bailey’s performance came at just the right time. In the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, an 18-2 run-rule loss, Georgia Tech pounded Clemson pitching to the tune of 19 hits. Tigers’ pitchers also gave up nine free passes.

However, in the nightcap, Bailey totally derailed a Yellow Jackets’ offense that had garnered plenty of momentum in the blowout defeat earlier in the day.

Clemson came into the weekend in search of a third weekend starter and Bailey made sure that the search didn’t last very long.

“BJ Bailey just solidified himself as a weekend starter for the Clemson Tigers,” Bakich said. “What a performance. Couldn’t have done it without him.”

Justin LeGuernic had served as the Tigers’ Sunday starter over the first six weeks of the season. After a shaky first start in Arlington against Ole Miss, LeGuernic bounced back with solid outings in wins over NC A&T and rival South Carolina. However, over his next three starts, the lefty never went more than three innings and failed to get out of the first inning twice, leaving the coaching staff looking at other options.

While Saturday was Bailey’s first start, the graduate senior has been as reliable as any pitcher on the staff. The lefty came into the weekend having made eight relief appearances and was sporting an ERA of 0.43. After the win over Tech, Bailey has now logged 27.2 innings and has allowed just two earned runs. He’s struck out 33, while issuing just 10 walks.

Now Bailey appears to be making the move from the bullpen to the weekend rotation. Having another starter capable of pitching deep into games will only help strengthen a bullpen that has already been one of the ACC’s best.

“We came out here in the second game, set the tone,” Bailey said. “Guys pulling the rope all day. The bunker energy was going crazy. Guys going in there and getting the job done. The bats battling when we needed them, coming in late to help us out.”