Clemson Baseball Hands Wake Forest First ACC Loss in Series Opener

The Clemson Tigers baseball team put together a great game behind their Friday starter and stopped Wake Forest at home.

Clemson pitcher Aidan Knaak (19) pitches to Notre Dame during the top of the first inning at Doug Kingsmore Stadum in Clemson, S.C. Friday, March 14, 2025. / Ken Ruinard - staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers send right-handed pitcher Aidan Knaak to the mound every Friday night for a reason.

The sophomore, who has been in a groove since the season’s opening weekend, won his fourth game in the Tigers’ 5-1 win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Friday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

The victory lifted the Tigers (22-2, 3-1 ACC) to their third league win in four games. More importantly, the Demon Deacons (18-5, 6-1 ACC) suffered their first league loss after winning their first six ACC games of the season.

For the second straight weekend, it was Knaak mowing down hitters throughout a sterling start.

This time, he threw six innings, giving up two hits and striking out 10 hitters. This came a week after he set a career-high 12 strikeouts in seven innings against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

He allowed only one run and two walks against a Wake Forest squad that entered the game fourth in the nation in runs per game (10.2).

After he left the game, the bullpen locked things down.

Drew Titsworth threw 1.2 innings of relief behind Knaak, as he gave up one hit and one walk while he struck out two. Lucas Mahlstedt pitched 1.1 innings to record his eighth save of the year.

Clemson took care of Wake Forest starter Logan Lunceford (4-1) a right-hander who absorbed his first loss of the season. He allowed all five Tigers runs, as he gave up five hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out six. He also allowed three extra-base hits.

All three of Lunceford’s walks were allowed in the first inning, which positioned Clemson to take control of the game with a four-run first inning.

After the Tigers loaded the bases, Collin Priest’s sacrifice fly scored a run, followed by Luke Gaffney’s two RBI single. Later in the frame, Tryston McCladdie hit a two-out double, which scored Gaffney to put Clemson up 4-0.

The Tigers scored their other run in the fourth inning, as Dominic Listi brought in a run on a sacrifice fly to up Clemson’s lead to 5-0.

Clemson and Wake Forest play Game 2 at 2 p.m. Saturday, followed by the finale on Sunday at 3 p.m.

Clemson expects to start left-hander Ethan Darden on Saturday, who started last week when the Tigers beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Wake Forest is expected to start left-hander Matthew Dallas.  

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