Don’t count the Tigers out just yet
By: Will Vandervort
The Tigers, the top seed in its own regional, will have to win two games — first against Tennessee Tech at 3 p.m., and then against Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. — to keep their season alive.
If they can survive today, then they have to beat the Cowboys again on Monday to advance to the NCAA Super Regional round.
All year, we have seen this group of Tigers overcome several odds to get where they are today.
At the beginning of the season, few outside of the team felt the Tigers (41-20) would even host a regional. With a questionable pitching staff that is full of potential, but is young and inexperienced, and a lineup that has few hitters that can hit for power, no one expected much out of Jack Leggett’s team other than Jack Leggett.
Early in the season, Clemson lost two of three games at North Carolina and at Florida State. They lost two heartbreakers to South Carolina and Georgia outside the ACC, while somehow blowing a no-hit effort against Furman in the ninth inning and ultimately losing the game in the 14th.
But when everyone thought they were through, they persevered. The finally ended a long losing streak to South Carolina and beat the Gamecocks twice to close out the season-series. They beat Miami two of three and then Georgia Tech two out of three at The Doug.
They finished the regular season winning 14 of their last 17 games and finished third in the ACC standings and tied FSU and UNC for the most conference wins with 19.
When Clemson opened the ACC Tournament with losses to Virginia and Duke, no one gave the Tigers a chance to beat No. 5 national seed North Carolina in the final game, but they did. It earned Clemson its regional site, where the Tigers now face the possibility of seeing their season end after Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Oklahoma State.
But if we have learned anything about this Clemson baseball team this year, we have learned this — don’t count them out.
“I hope (the fans) will come out tomorrow and get behind our kids,” Leggett said. “Our kids have been battling hard and we have our backs against the wall so what better time to support your team than tomorrow.”
It sounds like the Tigers have Tennessee Tech and Oklahoma State right where they want them.
Today we will find out a lot about the Clemson baseball team. It’s either win, or watch the season end.
The Tigers, the top seed in its own regional, will have to win two games — first against Tennessee Tech at 3 p.m., and then against Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. — to keep their season alive.
If they can survive today, then they have to beat the Cowboys again on Monday to advance to the NCAA Super Regional round.
All year, we have seen this group of Tigers overcome several odds to get where they are today.
At the beginning of the season, few outside of the team felt the Tigers (41-20) would even host a regional. With a questionable pitching staff that is full of potential, but is young and inexperienced, and a lineup that has few hitters that can hit for power, no one expected much out of Jack Leggett’s team other than Jack Leggett.
Early in the season, Clemson lost two of three games at North Carolina and at Florida State. They lost two heartbreakers to South Carolina and Georgia outside the ACC, while somehow blowing a no-hit effort against Furman in the ninth inning and ultimately losing the game in the 14th.
But when everyone thought they were through, they persevered. The finally ended a long losing streak to South Carolina and beat the Gamecocks twice to close out the season-series. They beat Miami two of three and then Georgia Tech two out of three at The Doug.
They finished the regular season winning 14 of their last 17 games and finished third in the ACC standings and tied FSU and UNC for the most conference wins with 19.
When Clemson opened the ACC Tournament with losses to Virginia and Duke, no one gave the Tigers a chance to beat No. 5 national seed North Carolina in the final game, but they did. It earned Clemson its regional site, where the Tigers now face the possibility of seeing their season end after Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Oklahoma State.
But if we have learned anything about this Clemson baseball team this year, we have learned this — don’t count them out.
“I hope (the fans) will come out tomorrow and get behind our kids,” Leggett said. “Our kids have been battling hard and we have our backs against the wall so what better time to support your team than tomorrow.”
It sounds like the Tigers have Tennessee Tech and Oklahoma State right where they want them.
posted by Roy Philpott @ 12:59 AM
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