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Clemson Baseball Rises in National Rankings Following Undefeated Start

After their seventh straight win to start the season on Sunday, Clemson Baseball is looking to prove their preseason ranking wrong.
Angelo Feliberty|
Clemson Baseball is ranked No. 15 in the D1 Baseball Week 2 rankings, moving up four spots from their initial preseason mark.
Clemson Baseball is ranked No. 15 in the D1 Baseball Week 2 rankings, moving up four spots from their initial preseason mark. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After an undefeated start to the season, holding a 7-0 record, the Clemson Tigers have risen in the first updated rankings for college baseball. 

Initially ranked as the No. 19 team in the country, the Tigers have risen four spots, landing at No. 15 in D1 Baseball’s Week 2 rankings, which were released on Monday morning. 

They’re the fourth-highest ranked team in the ACC, sitting behind Georgia Tech (No. 5), North Carolina (No. 8) and NC State (No. 14). Trailing Clemson are Wake Forest at No. 16, Miami at No. 17 and Florida State at No. 21.

(Note: Baseball America moved Clemson up four spots as well, jumping to No. 14)

Clemson’s No. 19 ranking to begin the season was primarily centered around the fact that there are a lot of new faces on the team, but those new additions haven’t held back the team whatsoever. If anything, they’ve made this team better.

On the pitching side, Clemson boasts arguably the best staff in the country, even with the recent news that key reliever Jacob McGovern will miss the entire 2026 season with an elbow injury that he’ll undergo surgery for this week.

When taking a look at the statistics, it’s hard not to find the Tigers within the top 20. They rank first in the country in ERA (1.35), first in earned runs (9), fourth in runs (13), fourth in batting average (.157), eighth in walks (15) and 16th in hits (33), according to D1 Baseball.

Tennessee transfer Michael Sharman has emerged as one of the best available arms in the rotation, pitching a team-high 11 innings while allowing just three hits and one earned run against 36 batters, equating to a .083 batting average. 

He holds a 2-0 record to go with 14 strikeouts, and also led a double-header shutout against Army during Opening Weekend, which was the program’s first since 2001.

Primary reliever Justin LeGuernic has also started hot, allowing zero earned runs and just four hits across seven innings. He’s accumulated a 1-0 record and eight strikeouts, with batters holding a measly .154 average when facing the lefty junior.

Not to mention, junior starter Aidan Knaak remains heavily involved in the rotation after earning Preseason First-Team All-American honors from D1 Baseball entering this year.

He got off to a slow start while battling the viral flu that sidelined more than 10 players in the clubhouse, but he looked like himself again this past weekend, striking out eight over five innings in a 9-3 win.

But, while the outcome on the mound has stolen the show to open the season, the bats have also been impressive. 

The team is hitting .345 — a mark that ranks inside the top 15 nationally — while posting a 1.002 OPS, good for 26th in the country. They’ve also shown strong plate discipline, striking out just 30 times through seven games, the 13th-fewest total in Division I.

Key returner Luke Gaffney has led the way at the plate, recording 12 hits, seven RBIs, six walks, five runs and one home run while batting an efficient .500, which leads the team and is top-40 nationally. He also holds a team-low one strikeout.

However, Loyola Marymount transfer Nate Savoie has additionally stuck out to start the season. He was at one point the nation’s leader in batting average, but came back down to earth this past weekend against Bryant. Still, he’s stepped up as a sophomore with his new team, racking up 13 hits (team-high), 10 RBIs, nine runs and three home runs in 27 at-bats.

The sophomore slugger is tied with speedy third baseman Tryston McCladdie for second-most home runs on the team, both trailing senior catcher Jacob Jarrell, whose four long balls are tied for the third-most in the country.

Overall, Clemson and Erik Bakich have assembled a well-balanced, cohesive roster despite the significant turnover following the 2025 season. If the early results are any indication, the Tigers could be in for something special. Although, it’s only February, and sustained consistency over the long haul will be what ultimately elevates this team when postseason play arrives.

Clemson returns to action Tuesday, February 24, at 4:00 p.m. EST at Doug Kingsmore Stadium against Presbyterian College before heading to Columbia this weekend for its first road trip of the season, which opens the Palmetto Series against rival South Carolina.

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Angelo Feliberty
ANGELO FELIBERTY

Angelo Feliberty is a Sports Communication major who got his start with The Tiger newspaper at Clemson University starting as a contributor and working his way up to senior reporter covering multiple sports for the Clemson Tigers. A native of Myrtle Beach, S.C., Feliberty was a three-year letterman in track at Myrtle Beach High School.

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