Clemson Star Cam Cannarella Addresses Surgery, Transfer Portal Rumors

Clemson baseball superstar Cam Cannarella spoke about the transfer portal and the injury he played with all season.

Jun 2, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson sophomore Cam Cannarella (10) hits a home run against Coastal Carolina University during the bottom of the eighth inning of the NCAA baseball Clemson Regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson. / Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

Clemson's baseball season came to an end last weekend, losing to Florida in the Super Regional round. They played well, losing 10-7 in Game 1 and 11-10 in Game 2, which was a 13-inning contest.

However, being eliminated always hurts, as the Tigers had a legitimate opportunity to win a National Championship this year.

Cam Cannarella was the best player all season for Clemson and proved that again in the Super Regional. He made one of the best catches in college baseball history and hit a massive three-run home run to right field in the ninth inning, bringing them back into the game.

Cannarella was reportedly dealing with a shoulder injury all season and is expected to undergo surgery, adding to what was an already impressive season. He told Jon Blau of the The Post and Courier that he noticed the injury during their April series against Notre Dame.

"When we got to Notre Dame (in April), I couldn't throw at all because it was just so cold," Cannarella said. "But when it's hot outside, it feels fine. But getting surgery is gonna help me a lot next year."

A true competitor, Cannarella showed that by playing much of the year with a labrum tear.

Head coach Erik Bakich has been a fan of the left-handed hitter. Bakich always sticks up for his guys, evident in their series against the Gators.

"He's just the single greatest clutch performer I've ever been around in sport," Bakich said. "He's just got an 'it' factor that we're so fortunate to have him on our team, and any professional organization after next year is going to love having this kid on their team because he's just going to make them win. And he makes us win."

There were some quiet rumors about him hitting the transfer portal. While it would've come as a surprise, it's not uncommon to see high-end players leave in the portal. It doesn't matter that Clemson has an elite program, players have left in the past to other schools.

Chase Burns, a projected top-10 pick in the 2024 MLB draft, transferred from Tennessee to Wake Forest last year, a perfect example of the transfer portal.

Despite other players' decisions, Cannarella doesn't have any plans of leaving, saying he's "not going anywhere."

"I mean, I like the coaches here, the facilities, everybody here," Cannarella said. "Just a great place to be, and I'm not going anywhere."