Former South Carolina Commit Flips to Clemson

The Clemson Tigers and head coach Erik Bakich are on a tear in the recruiting department, having three different commits for the 2027 class in the past 24 hours.

Most recently, the program acquired an in-state product, Griffin McKain, who was previously committed to rival South Carolina.

Congrats to Junior OF/LHP Griffin McKain on his commitment to continue his career at Clemson!@GriffinMcKain1 | @ClemsonBaseball #CatholicBSB || #RollCougs || #HTT pic.twitter.com/zhB6Cs8NQS
— Charlotte Catholic Baseball (@diamondcougs) October 21, 2025

McKain does it all, playing outfield and first base, and has made appearances as a left-handed pitcher. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound athlete boasts a 9.5 Perfect Game grade and is coming right off an official visit to Tiger town.

This past summer, McKain earned a spot in the USA National Team Development Program, where he showcased his elite talent over the course of a three-day event. He was also ranked the No. 2 outfielder in North Carolina (2027) by Prep Baseball NC and listed as the No. 6 left-handed pitcher in the 2027 class by Baseball America.

The junior spent his first two years of high school at Legion Collegiate Academy in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

As a freshman, he racked up 24 hits, 12 RBIs, 17 runs and one home run with a .320 batting average and .429 on-base percentage. Defensively, McKain had 17 putouts on 21 total chances, making only one error the entire season. Additionally, in four appearances on the mound, he totaled 17 strikeouts and finished the season with a 1-0 record and a 3.00 ERA.

McKain’s sophomore campaign saw him take a massive jump in his game, top to bottom. In 28 games played, he stole 12 bases and recorded 24 hits, 16 RBIs and 22 runs with a .421 batting average and .519 on-base percentage. He had a similar year to his freshman season fielding-wise, but got more playing time on the mound, totaling 36 strikeouts in 29.2 innings pitched. In six appearances, McKain finished with a record of 4-1 and a 3.07 ERA.

Ahead of his junior season, he transferred to Charlotte Catholic High School, as the baseball team is coming off a playoff appearance and finished the 2024-25 season ranked as the No. 22 program in North Carolina.

McKain is the sixth player to commit to Clemson’s 2027 class, joining right-handed pitcher Logan Bristol, catcher Caden Borcherding, right-handed pitcher Gray Davis, outfielder Vaughan Steinert and first baseman Rome Derenzo.

With an already loaded 2027 class and the addition of the versatile McKain, the future of Clemson Baseball looks to be in good hands.