Clemson Looking to Solidify Starting Rotation Heading Into Spring Ball
With the baseball season now just three weeks away, the competition is starting to heat up for spots in the Tigers starting rotation.
Clemson head coach Monte Lee says the coaching staff will use the next three weeks of spring ball to finalize a rotation that should be a strength of this year's team.
Davis Sharpe is the leading candidate to move into the Friday night role. Lee says that if the season were to start right now that the right-handed junior is exactly who would get the ball for the Tigers.
"If we were to start the season today, Davis would get the ball," Lee told the media on Friday.
However, Lee was quick to point out that nothing is set in stone and the competition is still wide open as Clemson starts spring ball this weekend. Keyshawn Askew, Mat Clark, Carter Raffield, Jackson Lindley, and even freshman Caden Grice are all fighting for spots in the rotation.
Even Estridge is another guy the Tigers head coach says to keep an eye on. Lee says the redshirt junior is one of the most improved pitchers on the team.
"I would say that our starting rotation is certainly up for grabs up to this point," Lee said. "Right now, Sharpe, Askew, Grice, Estridge, Clark, Raffield, those guys are probably in the mix to start. Lindley factor in there as well."
"Evan Estridge is by far the most improved pitcher on our staff. We feel like he's going to have a major, major impact on this team. His velocity and stuff has increased dramatically."
Lee says that the coaching staff will put each pitcher in the best position possible to solidify a spot in the rotation and then they will let the chips fall where they may.
"We feel like based on what we saw in the fall, we tried to match up our guys with who we think had a chance to start on those given days," Lee said. "When we intra-squad on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and on Tuesday, which is what we're going to do over the next three weeks, we want to put guys in a position that we feel like have a chance to start on those days."
The backend of the pitching staff is one area that appears to be a little more settled, despite the fact that the Tigers lost closer Carson Spiers. Left handed sophomore Geoffrey Gilbert is coming off an extremely impressive freshman campaign that saw him post an ERA of 0.71 in 12.2 IP and Lee says that as of now he would have a hard time turning to anyone else in a save situation.
"Geoffrey is going to be a major, major piece for us," Lee said. "If you were to tell me to make a decision right now, it would be very hard for me not to give Geoffrey Gilbert the ball in the ninth inning to save a ballgame. He's tough as nails, he's a competitor, he's been in high leverage situations already, so he would be the guy that I would think would have a chance to be the guy on the back end right now."