It is perhaps the biggest regular season series of Erik Bakich’s stint at the Clemson head coach when his Tigers host another top 10 opponent in the North Carolina Tar Heels. Four games under .500 in ACC play, this is a must win for Clemson if they’re going to work their way into the postseason.
The Heels (28-5-1, 11-4 ACC) enter the weekend winners of nine out of their last ten contests, including a three-game sweep over Notre Dame, who swept the Tigers earlier this season. This past weekend, North
Carolina won a thrilling series over top-25 Boston College. Clemson is coming off a thrilling weekend themselves, winning their first ACC series over Stanford and wrapping up a West Coast trip with a win over Santa Clara.
The Heels have some real firepower in their lineup. Three Carolina batters have amassed more than 40 hits this season, and six are batting over .300. Owen Hull, Jake Schaffner, and Erik Paulsen do the bulk of the damage for the UNC lineup. Schaffner, a junior infield transfer from North Dakota State, has 14 stolen bases. The Heels score at a high clip, amassing 278 runs so far, good for 21st nationally.
On the mound, Carolina relies heavily on starters Ryan Lynch and Jason DeCaro. DeCaro has certainly had the better year so far, racking up a 5-1 record and a 2.20 ERA. The Heels have a killer closer in Caden Glauber, who’s 3-0 in his 13 appearances, collecting three saves and maintaining a 2.00 ERA in the process. If it’s not Glauber coming in to close things out, it’s Walker McDuffie, who is just as dominant on the mound. McDuffie’s made 18 appearances, earning himself a 6-1 with a 2.45 ERA. McDuffie and Glauber each lead the staff with 45 strikeouts. It’s a safe bet to make that Clemson will see a good dose of this duo this weekend.
The stakes are high for Bakich and his staff. Clemson is trending towards the bubble of the NCAA tournament, despite the 22-12 record. The Tigers don’t have much meat on the bone when it comes to the SOS, and they not only need wins— they need impressive wins. After a disappointing effort against Georgia Tech and Miami, and getting swept by Notre Dame, Clemson desperately needs a big time series win on the resume as the calendar churns along.
Friday’s first pitch is set for 6 p.m., Saturday kicking off at 2 p.m., and wrapping up on Sunday with the 12:30 p.m. first pitch. Sunday’s game is slated to start on ESPN2.
