Clemson Baseball Goes With Star Pitcher in Game 1 of Postseason Play

Clemson is handing the ball to one of their stars to get things started.

Clemson Head Coach Erik Bakich waves to the crowd before the game with University of Louisville at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Friday, April 18, 2025. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Clemson is set to face USC Upstate to get postseason play started.

Head coach Erik Bakich revealed who will be the starting pitcher, with Cole Gerard of Clemson Sports Media reporting that Drew Titsworth is being handed the ball.

Titsworth has had a noteworthy start to his career with the Tigers.

Overall he is 9-1 during his two seasons with Clemson. He went undefeated his first year with a 4-0 and 3.15 ERA in 19 appearances. This season, his record was 5-1 while his ERA was 4.26 with 48 strikeouts and two saves in 19 outings with six of them being starts.

His right-handed delivery is considered unorthodox, but he was still one of the team’s top relief pitchers in his first year. He was widely considered one of the best in the entire country heading into the 2025 season, and it is also worth noting that he is predicted to be the No. 37 ACC prospect for the 2026 MLB draft. 

Titsworth getting things started for Clemson is notable.

May 30 is the first round of the NCAA regional tournament, so the Tigers will attempt to get off to a strong start. If they can advance out of this round, then they will continue their postseason journey to the Super Regionals that will start on June 6.

Clemson has tallied a 44-16 record as a team.

Playing at home has definitely been their strong suit with a 26-7 record compared to a 10-7 record at opponents’ fields, so hosting this regional should benefit them. 

USC Upstate had a strong season of their own, too, with a 36-23 overall record while going 14-9 away from home, meaning Clemson will have to be ready for this one if they want to win their first game of the postseason.