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Here are three storylines to follow as Clemson baseball prepares to open its 2024 season
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- Here are three storylines to follow as Clemson baseball prepares to open its 2024 season
CLEMSON – Clemson baseball wasted little time in rekindling some of its past glory last season – its first under coach Erik Bakich .
Picked for a fifth-place finish in the ACC's Atlantic Division, the Tigers won 44 games, posted the second-best record in league play at 20-10, then proceeded to capture its first ACC Tournament title since 2016.
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So what will the Tigers do for an encore? We'll begin to find out on Friday when Clemson opens its 2024 schedule against Xavier in the opener of a three-game series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
Expectations have been elevated considerably. The Tigers are picked to finish second in the Atlantic Division behind only Wake Forest – the No. 1-ranked team in all major preseason college polls. Clemson is ranked ninth in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll .
Here are three storylines to watch as Clemson embarks on its 127thseason of baseball:
Can Clemson's Will Taylor be even better in 2024?
After interrupting his baseball career to play football for the Tigers the previous two years, Taylor declared full-time devotion to baseball in July.
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"This is the first time in his life that he has specialized in baseball," Erik Bakich said of Taylor, who was a projected first-round selection the 2021 MLB draft before committing to play baseball at Clemson.
Imagine the possibilities. Taylor batted .362 last season and led the team in walks (48) and on-base percentage (.489). He also was successful on all 11 of his stolen base attempts and was second on the team in runs scored (67) and doubles (16).
"He's got all five tools – hit, hit for power, run, field, throw – he can do it all," Bakich said. "There's nothing he lacks. He's good at everything."
How will the Tigers' Wofford connection work out?
Bakich has added two former Wofford pitchers to the roster, and both should prove valuable additions. Graduate transfer Matthew Marchal is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound right-hander who went 22-10 with a 4.16 ERA over 61 appearances in four combined seasons at Furman and Wofford.
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"Matthew Marchal has the most starting experience of anyone on our team," Bakich said. "He brings a wealth of experience. He's a strike-throwing machine."
Bakich also added junior Lucas Mahlstedt, a 6-3 junior reliever/closer with a sidearm delivery.
"He's got the combination of command plus stuff plus durability," Bakich said. "He's a workhorse."
In two seasons at Wofford, Mahlstedt went 7-2 with six saves and a 2.69 ERA that led the Southern Conference.
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Who will emerge as impact freshmen for Clemson?
Early expectations are soaring for infielder Jarren Purify of Detroit, outfielder Devin Parks of Fort Mill and right-handed pitcher Aidan Knaak of Fort Myers, Florida.
"We've got some really explosive, athletic newcomers who are going to provide a spark," Bakich said.
Foremost among them are Purify and Parks.
"They stand out," Bakich said. "Those guys are going to be stars and household names."
On the mound, remember the name Aidan Knaak. Clocked at 95 mph at the 2023 MLB Combine last June, he had the third-fastest pitch recorded.
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"He's the guy that I think the guys on the team would say is one of the toughest pitchers to face on our team," Bakich said.
Scott Keepfer covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at skeepfer@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ScottKeepfer
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: 3 storylines for Clemson baseball ahead of Tigers' 2024 season opener
