Clemson Tigers baseball

Clemson Tigers
Founded: 1896
University	Clemson University
Conference	ACC Atlantic Division
Location	Clemson, SC
Head Coach	Jack Leggett (15th year)
Home Stadium	Doug Kingsmore Stadium (Capacity: 6,346)
Nickname
Colors	Clemson Orange and Regalia
CWS Appearances
1958, 1959, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1991, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2010
NCAA Tournament Appearances
1947, 1950, 1958, 1959, 1963, 1967, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011
Conference Tournament Champions
1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2006
Conference Champions
SoCon: 1947 ACC: 1954, 1958, 1959, 1967, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2006 ACC (Atlantic Division): 2006, 2010

The Clemson baseball team represents Clemson University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team participates in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tigers are currently coached by head coach Jack Leggett and play their home games in Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Clemson baseball program is one of the most consistent in the country, having won 40 or more games in 21 of the previous 24 seasons (as of the end of the 2009 season). The Tiger program has also reached the NCAA Tournament in 22 of the previous 23 seasons. Clemson has made twelve appearances in the College World Series with an all-time record of 12–24 in Omaha.^[1]

History

Beginnings

April 24, 1896 - Clemson played its first baseball game, a 20-13 loss to Furman. The home games were played at Bowman Field in front of Tillman Hall. The Tigers’ first head coach was R. T. V. Bowman.

May 12, 1899 - Clemson played South Carolina for the first time. The Tigers won 21-8 in eight innings in Columbia. The Gamecocks are the Tigers’ most common opponent to date (271 meetings)

1900 Season - Legendary football coach John Heisman, who coached Clemson’s gridders for four seasons, was named the Tigers’ baseball coach. Heisman compiled a 28-6-1 (.814) record in three seasons (1901–03), which still stands today as the best winning percentage in Tiger history, slightly ahead of another legendary football coach, Frank Howard.

1907 - 1908 - In the off-season between 1907 and 1908, Ty Cobb negotiated with Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina, offering to coach baseball there "for $250 a month, provided that he did not sign with Detroit that season." This did not come to pass, however.^[2]

March 27, 1916 - Clemson defeated West Virginia Wesleyan 4-2 in the first game played at Riggs Baseball Field. Clemson played on this field until the 1970 season.

1921 - Clemson joined the Southern Conference and was a charter member.

1922 - Flint Rhem, one of the Tigers’ greatest players of the 20th century, played in his first season at Clemson. He played in the 1922-24 seasons and later went on to play 12 Major League seasons with the Saint Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Braves. He had a 105-97 career record with a 4.20 ERA and over 1,500 strikeouts. He was 20-7 with a 3.21 ERA with the Cardinals in 1926 in his best season. He once pitched a no-hitter (in 1924, one year before his rookie season in the Majors) while playing for the Fort Smith (AR) minor league team. He struck out 16 batters in the game and made it in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” by not allowing a ball to be hit out of the infield.

1931 Season - Clemson’s season was cut short due to an outbreak of meningitis on campus in April. Clemson finished 6-2.

1943 Season - Frank Howard, Clemson’s career leader in football wins (165), coached the baseball team for one season, compiling a 12-3 record. His career record is still the second best of any coach in Tiger history. There have only been five different baseball head coaches since his brief stint.

1947 Season - Clemson participated in the NCAA Tournament for the first time. The Tigers advanced to the NCAA Eastern Finals and lost to eventual finalist Yale (and first baseman George H. W. Bush) on June 20 at New Haven, CT.

1950 Season - Clemson played Alabama and Kentucky in the NCAA Tourney at Kannapolis, NC, losing both games.

May 8, 1953 - Clemson officially joins the newly-formed Atlantic Coast Conference.

1954 Season - Clemson won the ACC title with an 8-4 ACC regular season record in the conference’s inaugural season. Clemson participated in the NCAA Playoffs in a home-and-home series with Virginia Tech, but lost to the Hokies twice in as many games. Clemson lost the first game 11-10 on May 22. It marked the first NCAA Tournament event in any sport played at Clemson in history. The Tigers lost to Virginia Tech 7-1 two days later in Blacksburg, VA.

Bill Wilhelm era

Fall, 1957 - From the advice of North Carolina Head Coach Walter Rabb, Frank Howard hired a 27-year old assistant from China Grove, NC named Bill Wilhelm.

1958 Season - Bill Wilhelm coached his first game and defeated Michigan State 7-5 in seven innings at Clemson. On May 19 Clemson defeated North Carolina 4-1 at Gastonia, NC in a playoff game to determine the ACC Champion. Both teams had 11-3 records after the regular season, forcing the one-game playoff. In June, the Tigers won the NCAA District III Playoffs to advance to the College World Series. The Tigers lost their opening game of the NCAA Tournament to Florida 8-6. Therefore, the Tigers had to win five games in a row to advance to the College World Series in Omaha, NE, a destination never made before by Clemson at the time. So Clemson promptly defeated George Washington and Florida State to stay alive. The only problem was that Clemson had to defeat Florida twice on June 9 to advance. In the first game, the Tigers won a thriller 15-14 when first-year second-baseman Bailey Hendley singled home Larry Wilson in the bottom of the ninth. Later in the day, Clemson won 3-1 to advance to the College World Series. Harold Stowe, who went on to pitch with the Yankees, pitched a four-hitter to earn his 13th victory of the season. The two victories in one day still stands today as the only time that Clemson won twice in one day to advance to the College World Series. In Omaha, Clemson defeated Arizona 4-1 on June 14, but lost to Holy Cross 17-4 on June 15 and Western Michigan 5-3 on June 16.

1959 Season - After the 1959 regular season, Clemson, Wake Forest, and North Carolina were tied for first place, forcing a playoff among the three. Clemson beat Wake Forest 4-2 at Thomasville, NC on May 16 and downed North Carolina 9-7 in Gastonia, NC to claim the ACC crown. June 4–6, 1959 - Clemson raced through the NCAA District III Playoffs at Gastonia, NC, downing Georgia Tech 9-6 and Florida State twice (24-2, 5-0) to advance to Omaha. At the College World Series, the Tigers lost to Arizona 3-2 on June 13 in 12 innings in their first game in Omaha. They bounced back and defeated Colorado State 7-1 the next day, but were eliminated by Penn State 7-0 on June 15.

April 10, 1965 - May 17, 1966 - Rusty Adkins had a 41-game hitting streak. Adkins hit .438 during the streak that still stands as the longest in ACC history.

1966 Season - George Sutton sets the record for the fastest to 10 home runs by hitting 10 home runs in 18 games.^[3] His 10th homer came against Wake Forest on April 23, 1966.

1967 Season - The Tigers won the ACC title (11-2). Clemson was ranked #7 in the final Collegiate Baseball poll. Clemson participated in the NCAA District III Playoffs at Gastonia, NC. After losing the first contest against Florida State, Clemson rebounded with three straight victories. But Auburn ended Clemson’s season by defeating the Tigers 6-5 in the championship game in 13 innings.

June 6, 1968 - Left-hander John Curtis became Clemson’s first first-round Major League draft selection. Curtis was the #10 overall pick in the secondary phase by the Boston Red Sox.

1970s

March 7, 1970 - Clemson played its first two games at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Tigers defeated Louisville 10-0 and 8-1 in two seven-inning games. The field featured a “Crosley-like” terrace around the outfield fence that gave the field a more closed-in perspective and reduced maintenance for drainage purposes.

1975 Season - Clemson participated in the NCAA Mideast Regional in Ypsilanti, MI. Eastern Michigan and Penn State defeated the Tigers 5-3 and 5-4, respectively.

1976 Season - Clemson defeated North Carolina-Wilmington 10-2 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium for the 1,000th victory in school history. They also won the ACC regular-season title with a 10-2 record. At the end of the season, the Tigers won their first ACC Tournament Championship, defeating Wake Forest 2-0, and Maryland in two games (2-1, 3-2) at Clemson. The Tigers then went on to win the NCAA Atlantic Regional in Columbia, SC by downing Furman 13-2 in game one, defeating South Carolina 10-4 in the second game, and beating Furman 6-2 to advance to Omaha. Clemson participated in the College World Series. The Tigers defeated Auburn 9-4 on June 11 and lost to Eastern Michigan 3-2 in 10 innings on June 13. Arizona eliminated the Tigers 10-6 on June 14.

1977 Season - Clemson opened the season with a 26-game winning streak, the longest winning streak in school history. On March 17, Brian Snyder pitched a no-hitter in an 8-0 win over North Carolina-Wilmington. Clemson captured the ACC regular-season title with a 9-1 record. In May, Clemson defeated Mississippi and won two of three games from host Miami (FL) in winning the NCAA South Regional to advance to the College World Series In the College World Series, Clemson lost to Arizona State 10-7 on June 10, but beat Temple 13-4 the next day. However, Cal State Los Angeles eliminated Clemson 1-0 on June 14. Clemson was ranked #5 in the final Collegiate Baseball poll.

1978 Season - Clemson won the ACC regular-season title with a 10-2 record. The Tigers also started the tradition of wearing ankle-long, white pants for every game. The Tigers won the ACC Tourney title at Clemson. The Tigers swept through the tourney with wins over N.C. State (12-1), Duke (13-0), and Wake Forest (7-2). In the NCAA Atlantic Regional at Coral Gables, FL, the Tigers beat host Miami (FL) 8-5 in the first game, but lost to Marshall (9-3) and Miami (7-5). Clemson was ranked #25 in the final Collegiate Baseball poll.

1979 Season - On April 7, Clemson’s most productive offensive game came at N.C. State. The score...41-9. The Tigers led 18-6 after four innings and capped off the day with 18 runs in the ninth. Robert Bonnette had three hits in the ninth in which 22 Tigers batted. Neil Simons went 4-for-6 with three walks, six runs scored, three homers, and a Tiger record-tying 10 RBIs. Dave Buffamoyer also set a record with seven runs scored, while Bonnette and Tony Masone had five hits apiece. Future Major Leaguers Tim Teufel and Bill Schroeder batted fifth and sixth, respectively, and combined for five hits, nine runs, and nine RBIs. Clemson won the ACC regular-season title with a 10-1 record. There was no ACC Tourney that year. In the NCAA Atlantic Regional at Coral Gables, FL, the Tigers defeated Georgia Southern 8-4, but lost to Miami (FL) 2-1 in the Tigers’ next game. The next two games yielded the same results, as Clemson downed Georgia Southern 2-0, but lost to Miami 4-1. Clemson was ranked #9 in the final Collegiate Baseball poll.

1980s

1980 Season - Clemson won the ACC Tournament held at Raleigh, NC by winning four games in a row without a defeat. The Tigers defeated Wake Forest (4-0), Maryland (9-4), N.C. State (5-4), and North Carolina (12-3). In the NCAA Atlantic Regional at Clemson, the Tigers beat East Tennessee State (22-4) and South Carolina twice (6-2, 17-12) to advance to the College World Series. In the College World Series, Clemson lost to Miami (FL) 13-5 and California 6-4. Clemson was ranked #4 in the final Collegiate Baseball poll.

1981 Season - Clemson tied for the ACC regular-season title with a 10-4 record. They went on to win the ACC Tournament held at Chapel Hill, NC. Clemson defeated North Carolina 7-5 in the championship game. The Tigers won four straight after losing their second game of the tournament. In the NCAA Atlantic Regional at Clemson, the Tigers lost to Wichita State (7-2) and East Tennessee State (2-1).

1982 Season - Clemson captured the ACC regular-season title with a 10-2 record.

1984 Season - On March 6, Scott Parrish pitched a no-hitter in a 6-0 win over The Citadel in a seven-inning game. The no-hitter is the last by a Tiger to date. Clemson tied for the ACC regular-season title with a 12-2 record.

1985 Season - On May 13, The Tigers played host to the first night game ever at Clemson. The Tigers downed Furman 13-1. Clemson tied for the ACC regular-season title with a 9-4 record that year.

1987 Season - The Tigers played in the NCAA South Regional at Huntsville, AL. The Tigers defeated West Virginia, Seton Hall, and Auburn, but lost to Arkansas twice and were eliminated from the tournament. Clemson was ranked #10 in both the final Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball polls. The Tigers won 54 games, the first time Clemson reached 50 wins.

1988 Season - The Tigers won the ACC regular-season title with an 18-2 record. The Tigers participated in the NCAA Northeast Regional at New Britain, CT. Clemson defeated Fordham 3-2 in game-one in 19 innings. It still stands today as the longest game played in Clemson history. The Tigers also defeated Saint John’s, but lost to Rutgers and Kentuckey, and were eliminated from the tournament. Clemson was ranked #15 in the final Baseball America poll and #21 in the final Collegiate Baseball poll. Left-hander Mike Milchin was also a member of the United States Olympic team.

1989 Season - Clemson defeated Maryland, Georgia Tech, N.C. State, and North Carolina (twice) in winning the ACC Tournament title at Chapel Hill, NC. Clemson defeated the Tar Heels 12-4 in the championship game. The Tigers participated in the NCAA Atlantic Regional at Tallahassee, FL. Clemson defeated Stetson twice and Auburn once, but losses to Florida State and Auburn eliminated the Tigers from the tournament. On May 25, Brian Barnes won his 16th game in a 6-2 win over Stetson, setting the school record for most wins in a season. He also set the Clemson record and led the nation with 208 strikeouts in 1989. Clemson was ranked #14 in both the final Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball polls. Brian Barnes ended his career with an ACC-record 44 wins in four seasons.

1990s

1990 Season - On April 29, Bill Wilhelm won his 1,000th career game in a 17-10 win over Georgia Tech at Atlanta, GA. The Tigers won the ACC Tournament held at Greenville, SC. The Tigers beat Georgia Tech 24-8 in the championship game, winning for the fifth time in as many games.Clemson played in the NCAA Central Regional at Austin, TX. Clemson beat Texas-Arlington, but lost to Creighton twice and was eliminated from the tournament.

1991 Season - Clemson won the ACC regular-season title with an 18-3 record. Clemson swept though the NCAA Northeast Regional at Orono, ME and advanced to the College World Series. Clemson downed Princeton, Villanova, Mississippi State, and Maine. In the College World Series, the Tigers lost to Creighton and Long Beach State. Clemson was ranked #4 in the final Baseball America poll and #8 in the final Collegiate Baseball poll. The Tigers ended the season with a school-record 60 wins.

1992 Season - Clemson won the ACC regular-season title with a 19-5 record. The Tigers participated in the NCAA Mideast Regional held at Starkville, MS. Clemson defeated Yale, but then lost to UCLA and Oklahoma. Clemson was ranked #7 in the final Baseball America poll and #10 in the final Collegiate Baseball poll.

1993 Season - The Tigers won the ACC Tournament Championship at Greenville, SC. Clemson defeated N.C. State 11-7 in the championship game, a game that ended at 1:21 AM. Jeff Morris’ grand-slam propelled the Tigers to victory. It was just the senior’s second career homer. Ironically, both of his homers were grand slams off N.C. State pitcher David Allen. Both came in the eighth inning with one out and both gave Clemson the lead. Clemson participated in the NCAA Mideast Regional held at Knoxville, TN. The Tigers earned victories over Rutgers and Fresno State in their opening two games, but then lost to Fresno State and Kansas. Clemson was ranked #17 in both the final Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball polls. After the season, Bill Wilhelm announced his retirement after 36 seasons with the Tiger program. His retirement press conference was fittingly held in the first-base dugout at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. He had a 1,161-536-10 (.683) record and never had a losing season. He was the fifth-winningest coach in history at the time of his retirement.

Jack Leggett era

1994 Season - Clemson won the ACC regular-season title with a 20-4 record in Jack Leggett’s first season as the Tiger head coach. Leggett received ACC Coach-of-the-Year honors as well. The Tigers won the ACC Tournament Championship at Greenville, SC. The Tigers defeated Florida State 4-1 in the championship game. Clemson participated in the NCAA East Regional held at Clemson. Clemson downed The Citadel and Old Dominion, but lost to Notre Dame and Auburn. Shane Monahan set the ACC record and led the nation with 137 hits. He also led the nation in runs scored (97), and the Tigers led the nation as a team with 57 wins. Clemson was ranked #4 in the final Baseball America poll and #9 in the final Collegiate Baseball poll.

1995 Season - On April 14, the greatest comeback in Clemson history took place, the first game of a three-game set at N.C. State. The Wolfpack had just scored three and six runs in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, to take a 15-4 lead. The Tiger leadoff batter struck out to start the ninth inning. Clemson then got three straight hits and two walks. Seth Brizek hit into a fielder’s choice for the second out, as David Miller scored on the play to cut the deficit to 15-7. The next six Tiger batters all reached safely on hits, highlighted by Shane Monahan’s three-run homer that cut the Wolfpack lead to just two runs. After two more hits and a walk, Matthew LeCroy tied the score with a clutch double. The Tigers went on to win 17-15 in 10 innings. Clemson did so being down 11 runs on the road with no runners on base in the ninth inning and one out, and without the benefit of a Wolfpack error in the ninth. Clemson won the ACC regular-season title with a 20-4 record. Jack Leggett received ACC Coach-of-the-Year honors as well. Paul Galloway became Clemson’s first Academic All-American. The Tigers won the NCAA East Regional Championship held at Clemson with wins over Navy, Jacksonville, Winthrop, and Alabama. Clemson was ranked #8 in both the final Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball polls.

1996 Season - Jack Leggett won his 500th career game as a head coach with a 8-4 win over Virginia Tech at home. On April 21, Clemson played in one of the longest nonstop days of baseball in history. The Tigers and Georgia Southern were slated to play two nine-inning games, but the two games lasted a total of 28 innings. The first was a 10-inning affair, with Georgia Southern winning 8-6. The latter game also saw Georgia Southern win, this time 9-7 in 18 innings. The games combined for eight hours and 44 minutes in length (not counting the 31 minutes in between). The Tigers won the NCAA East Regional Championship at Clemson and advanced to the College World Series. Clemson recorded victories over Charleston Southern, Old Dominion, West Virginia, and Tennessee. When Clemson made its eighth College World Series appearance, it had lost seven straight games in Omaha and had never won more than one game in the double elimination tournament. Miami (FL) defeated the Tigers to open the tournament, so Clemson had to win to stay alive. The Tigers responded with a 10-inning, 8-5 win over Oklahoma State and next faced Alabama, the #1 seed. Tigers won 14-13 and advanced further in the College World Series than it ever had before. Clemson led the nation with a 3.03 ERA. Clemson was ranked #5 in the final Baseball America poll and #4 in the final Collegiate Baseball listing. Kris Benson was named national player-of-the-year by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball. One of the most decorated players in Tiger history also received the Dick Howser Trophy and the Smith Award. He won his first 14 decisions and had a 2.02 ERA in 156.0 innings pitched. He allowed 109 hits and 27 walks while striking out 204 (7.6-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio), easily a Tiger record. He had seven complete games and four shutouts as well. Benson was the #1 overall pick in the 1996 draft (Pirates), becoming the first Tiger to be picked at that position. He donned the Red, White, and Blue for Team USA in the Summer Olympics in Atlanta in 1996, earning a bronze medal. Tiger teammates Billy Koch and Matthew [LeCroy joined Benson on the Olympic team.

1997 Season - On March 21, Clemson scored 19 runs in one inning against Maryland. Ironically, Clemson did not score in any other inning of the game. The run total set an NCAA record for most runs in a third inning. In the inning, Clemson sent 23 batters to the plate, and had 12 hits and six walks. Clemson played in the NCAA Central Regional held at Lubbock, TX. Clemson defeated Nevada in its opener, but lost to Rice and Texas State.

1998 Season - Clemson won its 2,000th game in school history, as the Tigers defeated The Citadel 12-3 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in the NCAA East Regional on May 21. However, Clemson lost to South Alabama in 16 innings and eventual National Champion Southern California. Clemson was ranked #21 in the final Baseball America poll and #23 in the final Collegiate Baseball poll.

1999 Season - Clemson’s streak of 146 weeks being ranked in one of the major polls ended. The last time the Tigers were not ranked was at the end of the 1990 season. Clemson had a 407-138 (.747) record over that span. In the NCAA Fayetteville (AR) Regional, Clemson lost to Missouri State 23-5 in the first game and needed to win four games in two days to advance. The Tigers came through with wins on Saturday over Delaware and host Arkansas. Clemson had to beat Missouri State twice on Sunday and did just that by scores of 8-7 and 7-5. Texas A&M won two of the three games in the NCAA Super Regional at College Station, TX. Despite coming up short, Clemson battled back after a 20-3 defeat in the opening game and had the lead entering the ninth inning in game-three in a hostile environment. Clemson was ranked #17 in the final Baseball America poll and #13 in the final Collegiate Baseball poll.

2000s

2000 Season - On March 20, Clemson was ranked #1 by Collegiate Baseball after opening the season 19-3. The Tigers spent two weeks as that poll’s top team. Clemson played host to Middle Tennessee, Illinois, and Old Dominion in regional play, and claimed wins over Middle Tennessee (4-0, 21-3) and a win over Illinois (9-3) to earn the right at hosting the first-ever super regional at Clemson. Clemson beat Mississippi State 11-4 and 9-4 in the Clemson Super Regional to earn its ninth trip to the College World Series. Clemson made its first appearance in the College World Series since 1996. The Tigers beat San Jose State 10-6 before losing to top-ranked Stanford 10-4 to fall into the losers’ bracket. Clemson was then eliminated by Louisiana-Lafayette 5-4. Clemson finished 51-18 and was ranked #7 in the final Baseball America poll, #6 in the final Collegiate Baseball poll, and #5 in the final Sports Weekly poll.

2001 Season - The Tigers drew a #2 seed in the Clemson Regional and played host to South Alabama, William & Mary, and Seton Hall, claiming wins over William & Mary (4-1) and Seton Hall (24-4, 8-2) to advance. Clemson met Miami (FL) in the Coral Gables Super Regional and was eliminated with a pair of losses (10-8, 14-6). The Hurricanes went on to win the College World Series. The Tigers finished 41-22 and was ranked #17 in the final Baseball America poll, #13 in the final Collegiate Baseball poll, and #14 in the final Sports Weekly poll.

2002 Season - Clemson opened the season with 13 straight wins to vault to #2 in the polls. The Tigers defeated Auburn (3), South Carolina (2), and Purdue(3) during the stretch.

Clemson won 13 more games in a row to start 26-1. The winning streak helped the Tigers rank #1 in all three polls for seven straight weeks. On May 12, Khalil Greene set the ACC record for career hits with his 367th at Virginia. He went on to total 403 hits, second-most in NCAA history. Head Coach Jack Leggett also won his 800th career game this day. After sweeping through the Clemson Regional the weekend before, Clemson fell to Arkansas in the first game of the Clemson Super Regional. But the Tigers fought back to win the final two games and advance to Omaha for the 10th time in school history. Clemson had its most successful run in the College World Series when it won the first two games over hometown favorite Nebraska and Georgia Tech. Against the Cornhuskers, Clemson overcame a 7-2 deficit before rallying to win 11-10. Needing only one win to advance to the championship game, Clemson then ran into a buzzsaw in South Carolina, falling twice, 12-4 and 10-2 the following day. Clemson had defeated the Gamecocks three out of four times in the regular season. Greene played in his 272nd straight game, or every game he was a Tiger. He broke the NCAA record for career doubles (95) in the College World Series as well. Clemson finished 54-17 and was ranked #3 in all three final polls. The Tigers set school records for homers (112), fielding percentage (.971), and saves (26). The trio of Jeff Baker, Khalil Greene, and Michael Johnson combined for 77 homers and 259 RBIs. They were three of eight Tigers selected in the Major League Draft, including Greene, who was a first-rounder, and Johnson, who was picked in the second round. Greene went on to earn national player-of-the-year honors from all six services that gave the award.

2003 Season - Clemson extended its streak to 17 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

2004 Season - On April 25, Clemson’s 9-6 win over N.C. State gave Head Coach Jack Leggett his 500th win as the Tigers’ skipper in just his 11th season in Tigertown. Clemson set an ACC Tournament record with eight doubles in a 12-1 win over N.C. State. Trailing 9-2 and on the verge of having its season end in the Athens (GA) Regional, Clemson rallied for a 10-9 victory at Georgia, capped by Lou Santangelo’s grand slam in the seventh. The seven-run comeback tied the Tiger record for the biggest deficit overcome to gain victory in an NCAA Tourney game. In game-two that day versus the Bulldogs, Clemson led 6-4 entering the ninth. But against Tony Sipp, who had been nearly unhittable in the regional, Bobby Felmy and [Jason Jacobs hit solo homers to tie the score, then Clint Sammons hit a solo shot in the 10th for the game-winner. Clemson came one inning away from advancing to a super regional.

2005 Season - Clemson swept #4 Miami (FL) by a combined score of 30-9 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. It was the first time since 2002 that the Hurricanes were swept in a three-game series. In game-one, Clemson scored 11 runs in the fourth inning on its way to a 15-5 victory. The Tigers handed Cesar Carrillo his first collegiate loss in his 31st career start. The next week, the Tigers downed the Hurricanes 9-1 in the ACC Tournament, giving Clemson a 4-0 record against the Hurricanes in their first season in the ACC. The Tigers swept their way through the Clemson Regional with wins over North Carolina A&T, #22 College of Charleston, and Oral Roberts by a combined score of 26-5. Clemson traveled to Texas to play #6 Baylor in the Waco Super Regional. The Tigers won game one 4-2, but fell in the last two games by scores of 7-1 and 6-1. The Bears advanced to the College World Series. Clemson came one win away from a trip to the College World Series. The Tigers finished in the top 20 in all three polls, with a high ranking of #13 by Collegiate Baseball. Clemson won 21 ACC regular-season games, finishing second in the standings. The Tigers, who were 19-9 against top-25 ranked teams, started the season 15-13, but went 28-10 the rest of the way. They did all this while playing a difficult schedule, which included 42 of its 66 games against teams that played in the NCAA Tournament.

2006 Season - On February 6, Clemson had its earliest #1 ranking in school history when Baseball America put the Tigers atop its poll. On May 18, Clemson defeated #22 Wake Forest 26-1 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium thanks to 25 hits, including seven home runs. It set a new mark for largest margin of victory (+25) at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Clemson captured the ACC Tournament crown in Jacksonville, FL with a 4-1 record. Sean Clark made a surprise start in the title game against N.C. State and pitched 8.0 masterful innings of one-run and fourhit ball in his first career start in the 8-4 victory. Tyler Colvin earned ACC Tournament MVP honors. Clemson won all three of its games in the Clemson Regional, with wins over North Carolina-Asheville, Elon, and Mississippi State, to advance to the super-regional round. The Tigers won two close games in the Clemson Super Regional over #14 Oral Roberts to advance to the College World Series. Tyler Colvin’s walkoff grand slam, the first in school history, gave the Tigers an 11-8 win in the first game, then Clemson scored three runs in the eighth inning to beat the Golden Eagles 6-5. Clemson made its 11th trip to the College World Series. It was also the Tigers 20th straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Clemson defeated Georgia Tech in its opening game, but fell to North Carolina and Cal State Fullerton. The Tigers drew 184,946 fans for their 39 home dates, an average of 4,742 per date. Jack Leggett was named ACC Coach-of-the-Year after leading the Tigers to a 53-16 overall record, including a 26-9 mark against top-25 ranked teams, an ACC regular-season and tournament title, and a trip to the College World Series. Clemson finished #5 in all three major polls.

2007 Season - Clemson moved to #1 in the Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball polls before it played its first game of the season. On March 25, Clemson’s 5-0 win at Maryland gave Head Coach Jack Leggett his 1,000th win in his 28th season as a Division I head caoch. He became the 29th head coach in Division I history and second-youngest at age 53 to reach the 1,000-win mark. In its first-ever game at West End Field in Greenville, SC, Clemson defeated Wofford 12-3 behind five home runs, including two by Andy D’Alessio. Clemson defeated #2 Florida State twice in three games at Tallahassee, FL. It was the Tigers’ first series win at Florida State since 1993. The Seminoles entered the series with a 32-2 home record and had not lost back-to-back games all year until the Tigers won the final two games of the series. The Tigers went 2-1 in the ACC Tourney, but did not advance to the finals. Clemson won all three of its games in the Myrtle Beach (SC) Regional, with one win over Saint John’s and two victories over host Coastal Carolina to advance to the super-regional round. In the first game, Brad Chalk hit a two-out, run-scoring single in the ninth inning to give Clemson the walkoff win after it trailed 2-1 entering the bottom of the ninth inning. Four Tigers had at least three hits apiece in each of the two wins over the Chanticleers. Andy D’Alessio was named regional MVP. The Tigers lost two close games at Mississippi State by scores of 8-6 and 8-5 in the Starkville (MS) Super Regional in front of 26,335 combined fans.

2008 Season - Clemson finished the season with a 31-27-1 record and did not advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1986, ending its 21-year streak. Clemson was also swept in the four-game season series against rival South Carolina, the first season sweep in the series since the Gamecocks accomplished the feat in 2000.

Prominent players

Player	Position	Years at Clemson	Major League Teams
Jeff Baker	3B/SS	2000–02	Colorado Rockies (2005–present)
Brian Barnes	LHP	1986–89	Montreal Expos (1990–93), Cleveland Indians (1994), Los Angeles Dodgers (1994)
Kris Benson	RHP	1995–96	Pittsburgh Pirates (1999–03), New York Mets (2003–06), Baltimore Orioles (2006–07)
Jerry Brooks	3B	1986–88	Los Angeles Dodgers (1993), Florida Marlins (1996)
Mike Brown	RHP	1978–80	Boston Red Sox (1982–86), Seattle Mariners (1986–87)
Ty Cline	OF	1959–60	Cleveland Indians (1960–62), Milwaukee Braves (1963–67), Chicago Cubs (1966), San Francisco Giants (1967–68), Montreal Expos (1969–70), Cincinnati Reds (1970–71)
Tyler Colvin	OF	2004–06	Chicago Cubs (2009–present)
John Curtis	LHP	1968	Boston Red Sox (1970–73), St. Louis Cardinals (1974–76), San Francisco Giants (1977–79), San Diego Padres (1980–82), California Angels (1982–84)
Mark Davidson	OF	1982	Minnesota Twins (1986–88), Houston Astros (1989–91)
Rusty Gerhardt	LHP	1969–72	San Diego Padres (1974)
Khalil Greene	SS/3B	2000–02	San Diego Padres (2003–2008), St. Louis Cardinals (2009–"Present")
Bert Heffernan	C	1985–88	Seattle Mariners (1992)
Mike Holtz	LHP	1991–94	Anaheim Angels (1996–01), Oakland Athletics (2002), San Diego Padres (2002)
Jimmy Key	LHP	1980–82	Toronto Blue Jays (1984–92), New York Yankees (1993–96), Baltimore Orioles (1997–98)
Billy Koch	RHP	1994–96	Toronto Blue Jays (1999–01), Oakland Athletics (2002), Chicago White Sox (2003–04), Florida Marlins (2004)
Brian Kowitz	OF	1988–90	Atlanta Braves (1995)
Joe Landrum	RHP	1946–47	Brooklyn Dodgers (1950–52)
Matthew LeCroy	DH	1995–97	Minnesota Twins (2000–05), Washington Nationals (2006–present)
John McMakin	LHP	1900–01	Brooklyn Dodgers (1902)
Norm McMillan	3B	1915–17	New York Yankees (1922), Boston Red Sox (1923), St. Louis Browns (1924), Chicago Cubs (1928–29)
Billy McMillon	OF	1991–93	Florida Marlins (1996–97), Philadelphia Phillies (1997), Detroit Tigers (2000–01), Oakland Athletics (2001, 2003–04)
Mike Milchin	LHP	1986–89	Minnesota Twins (1996), Baltimore Orioles (1996)
Shane Monahan	OF	1993–95	Seattle Mariners (1998–99)
Ron Mussellman	RHP	1976–77	Seattle Mariners (1982), Toronto Blue Jays (1984–85)
Billy O'Dell	LHP	1952–54	Baltimore Orioles (1954, 1956–59), San Francisco Giants (1960–64), Milwaukee Braves (1965–66), Pittsburgh Pirates (1966–67)
John Pawlowski	RHP	1983–85	Chicago White Sox (1987–88)
Chuck Porter	RHP	1974–76	Milwaukee Brewers (1981–85)
Flint Rhem	RHP	1923–24	St. Louis Cardinals (1924–28, 1930–32, 1934, 1936), Philadelphia Phillies (1932–33), Boston Braves (1934–35)
Bill Schroeder	C	1977–79	Milwaukee Brewers (1983–88), California Angels (1989–90)
Kurt Seibert	SS	1974–76	Chicago Cubs (1979)
Danny Sheaffer	C	1980	Boston Red Sox (1987), Cleveland Indians (1989), Colorado Rockies (1993–94), St. Louis Cardinals (1995–97)
Vet Sitton	RHP	1904–05	Cleveland Indians (1909)
Brian Snyder	LHP	1977–79	Seattle Mariners (1985), Oakland Athletics (1989)
Bill Spiers	SS	1985–87	Milwaukee Brewers (1989–94), New York Mets (1995), Houston Astros (1996–01)
Harold Stowe	LHP	1957–59	New York Yankees (1960)
Tim Teufel	2B	1979–80	Minnesota Twins (1983–85), New York Mets (1985–91), San Diego Padres (1991–93)
Ken Vining	LHP	1994–96	Chicago White Sox (2001)
Denny Walling	1B/3B	1975	Oakland Athletics (1975–76), Houston Astros (1977–88, 1992), St. Louis Cardinals (1988–90), Texas Rangers (1991)
Matt White	LHP	1996–98	Boston Red Sox (2003), Seattle Mariners (2003), Washington Nationals (2005)
Keith Williams	OF	1991–93	San Francisco Giants (1996)
Scott Winchester	RHP	1993–95	Cincinnati Reds (1997–98, 2000–01)

Coaching history

Main article: List of Clemson Tigers head baseball coaches

Current staff

• Head coach: Jack Leggett
• Assistant head coach/pitching coach: Dan Pepicelli
• Assistant coach: Bradley LeCroy
• Assistant coach: Michael Johnson

Year-by-year results

For the entire season-by-season results, see List of Clemson Tigers baseball seasons.

Season	Coach	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
2002	Jack Leggett	54–17	16–8	4th	NCAA Clemson Regional & Super Regional Champions College World Series Participant
2003	Jack Leggett	39–22	15–9	T–3rd	NCAA Auburn Regional
2004	Jack Leggett	39–26	14–10	T–4th	NCAA Athens Regional
2005	Jack Leggett	43–23	21–9	2nd	NCAA Clemson Regional Champions NCAA Waco Super Regional
2006	Jack Leggett	53–16	24–6	1st, Atlantic	NCAA Clemson Regional & Super Regional Champions College World Series Participant
2007	Jack Leggett	41–23	18–12	2nd, Atlantic	NCAA Myrtle Beach Regional Champions NCAA Starkville Super Regional
2008	Jack Leggett	31–27–1	11–18–1	4th, Atlantic
2009	Jack Leggett	44–22	19–11	2nd, Atlantic	NCAA Clemson Regional Champions NCAA Tempe Super Regional
2010	Jack Leggett	45–25	18–12	1st, Atlantic	NCAA Auburn Regional Champions NCAA Clemson Super Regional Champions College World Series Participant
2011	Jack Leggett	43–23	18–12	2nd, Atlantic	NCAA Clemson Regional
National Champion         Conference Regular Season Champion         Conference Tournament Champion       Conference Regular Season & Conference Tournament Champion       Conference Division Champion

References

1. ^ "Won-Lost Records in Tournaments". 2010 NCAA Baseball Tournament Statistics and Records. National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 5. Archived from the original on 27 August 2011. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/baseball_champs_records/2010/D1/champs.pdf. Retrieved 27 August 2011. 
2. ^ Bryan, Wright (1979). Clemson: An Informal History of the University, 1889-1979. Columbia, S.C.: R. L. Bryan Company. p. 214. ISBN 0-934870-01-2. 
3. ^ "Tiger Baseball Team to Play Host to Coastal Carolina Wednesday Evening". Clemson University Athletics. 30 March 2010. Archived from the original on 27 August 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/61GEdkgcU. Retrieved 27 August 2011.