Clemson Baseball Receives Solid Preseason National Rankings

With Clemson Baseball on the horizon and a revamped roster going into the 2026 season, plenty of preseason rankings have been pouring in, including two respected publications that believe the Tigers are in for a solid season.

In the past week, D1 Baseball posted its Top 25 rankings for Division I baseball. Meanwhile, Perfect Game released their own respective preseason rankings.

Coming off a 45-18 season that tragically ended in a disappointing first-round tournament upset, D1 Baseball ranked the Tigers at No. 19, while Perfect Game had a similar placement, with Clemson landing at No. 20.

While it's certainly not as high praise as last year, most likely due to how the season ended and the loss of star outfielder Cam Cannarella, head coach Erik Bakich isn't worried about what happened last season and is done with all the talk of Omaha — he's ready to be about it.

"It's year four now," Bakich began. "We haven't been [to Omaha], and everyone — including ourselves — is tired of talking about it, and let's talk about it when we go there."

"Everybody's going to lift, run and train, but it's the standards by which you do those things that are going to determine those Omaha teams, and then you just hope you do that consistently enough that you can get hot at the end and be one of those teams."

That type of mindset is reflected most clearly in how Clemson is shaping its roster entering 2026, starting with a familiar name at the top of the pitching rotation. Junior Aidan Knaak, who was recently named a Second-Team Preseason All-American by Perfect Game, is poised to be one of the leaders on the mound this season following a First-Team All-ACC selection in 2025.

Bakich praised Knaak's routine-oriented approach and mental maturity, noting that his development has followed a clear, intentional plan.

"He's had some targeted goals that he's wanted to develop each year," Bakich continued. "Last year, it was adding more of a sinker and slider to give him five total pitches. This fall, it was more on just letting his shoulder and arm recover, as well as being able to sustain his consistently good starts all through the year so that we can go further than we've ever gone."

The emphasis on recovery and durability this offseason aligns directly with Clemson's broader pitching philosophy for the 2026 season.

Rather than riding one clear-cut ace or overextending arms early, Bakich plans to lean heavily on depth and flexibility. Clemson returns 23 pitchers, allowing the staff to manage workloads, rotate roles and keep arms fresh as the season progresses. Simply put, the goal is not to dominate early — as we saw last year — but to be available and effective by May and June.

That approach became critical after Clemson lost nine players to the transfer portal over the offseason, with seven being pitchers. Despite the turnover, Bakich has remained confident in both the remaining depth and how the staff will be deployed, utilizing matchup-based decisions and controlled innings to protect the team's health throughout the year.

Most importantly, the portal proved to be more about gains than losses.

Clemson added seven new players, including versatile infielder Ty Dalley from Mercer, Loyola Marymount catcher Nate Savoie, App State's Tyler Lichtenberger — 2025 Sunbelt Freshman of the Year — Georgia center fielder Bryce Clavon, SEC pitchers Michael Sharman and Ariston Veasey, as well as D2 All-American Hayden Simmerson.

"There's some explosiveness, depth, pretty good offensive weapons, and stability defensively. I thought we filled the holes we were trying to fill and plugged the gaps we needed to plug," Bakich said about the transfer class. "We shouldn't have any issues from a talent standpoint; it's just going to be execution and staying healthy."

The preseason rankings may suggest tempered expectations from the outside, but internally, the Tigers believe they've built a roster capable of turning preparation into results.

Clemson Baseball and Bakich will kick-off their 2026 season on February 13, facing off against Army West Point in a three-game home series.