Clemson Transfer Pitcher to Miss Start of Season After January Arrest

Clemson Tigers head coach Erik Bakich met with the media on Tuesday to discuss the team's preparation for its opening weekend home series against Army and to provide updates on player availability heading into the season.

Bakich said that about 10 players are currently sidelined with the flu but are expected to be ready by game time. Additionally, he mentioned that Drew Titsworth, Jacob McGovern and Collin Priest are dealing with injuries as the season approaches.

However, one player set to miss time at the start of the season stands apart from the rest: Ariston Veasey.

In mid-January, the Alabama transfer pitcher was arrested and charged with two counts of third-degree assault and battery following an altercation at a downtown bar — ROAR Clemson, according to the city of Clemson Police Department records.

Many wondered if the 19-year-old would serve a suspension to start the season. And while Veasey isn't officially "suspended," he'll miss an undisclosed amount of time at the start of the year, as Bakich is taking a parenting approach to the situation.

"It's like parenting," Bakich said. "Kids make mistakes, you don't love them any less. You just own it, and you move on. And that is what we did, and he did."

"He'll be out for a little bit of time, not a long time, but a little bit of time to start the year. That's one of those situations where a really good kid makes a bad decision for five seconds, and it has a ripple effect."

Veasey is one of three transfer pitchers to join the Tigers for the 2026 season, entering the program alongside Division II All-American Hayden Simmerson and former Tennessee reliever Michael Sharman.

Before Clemson, the right-handed pitcher spent the past two years with the Crimson Tide, where he saw minimal action in that span.

Last season, Veasey played very sparingly, tallying just five game appearances. He struggled in the limited action, allowing four earned runs to only six strikeouts while posting a 9.82 earned run average.

But the hype surrounding Veasey centers on his potential, not the player he is now. While his play clearly wasn't great last year, his pitching velocity is off the charts. According to Perfect Game, he deals a 95 mph fastball and holds a 100 mph exit velocity.

With two years of eligibility remaining, Bakich hopes to get the most out of one of the hottest flamethrowers on his team.