Future MLB Star Cam Cannarella Leaves Lasting Mark on Clemson Baseball

Tigers fans said goodbye to one of their favorite, and best outfielders, Cam Cannarella, after a Regional loss to the Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday.

Clemson Head Coach Erik Bakich gets a hug from Clemson outfielder Cam Cannarella (10) after the NCAA baseball Clemson Regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Sunday, June 1, 2025. Kentucky won 16-4, ending Clemson's season. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There wasn’t a dry eye at Doug Kingsmore Stadium Sunday afternoon in Clemson, S.C. and it wasn’t necessarily just because of the Clemson Tigers' loss to the Kentucky Wildcats which ultimately ended their season. 

Were fans disappointed with how the year came to a close? Absolutely. They were hoping for a run to the Men's College World Series.

But it was also watching outfielder Cam Cannarella leave the field for the last time wearing a purple and orange uniform that really did it.  

Cannarella is a gifted center fielder who left it all out on the field every game. There was no denying his passion and nobody failed to notice that the young man had tears in his eyes as he walked up to the plate for the final time as a Tiger. 

While he is only a junior, this was most likely his last game representing Clemson. Insiders aroundMajor League Baseball consider him to be a first-round pick in July's MLB draft, all but assuring that Cannarella will start his professional career instead of returning to the Tigers for his senior year.

His list of accolades on the field are lengthy. Going into this season he was listed as a preseason first team all-American by D1Baseball, Baseball America, NCBWA, anbd The Athletic. Baseball America also noted him as the preseason ACC player of the year.

He’s been deemed the picture-perfect idea of consistency both in fielding and hitting for his three years with the Tigers. Last season he played through a torn labrum as the Tigers reached super regionals. He didn't reveal the injury until the season was over.

For his career he played in 178 games and had 728 at bats. He finished with 262 hits, 192 runs and 159 RBIs. His career Tigers slash number is .360/.453/.551.

Clemson's season is over, but Tigers fans will be waiting to see where Cannarella is selected in this year's MLB draft.

If the left-handed hitting center fielder is drafted in the first round, he could become the highest-drafted Tiger in program history. At the moment, the honor of being the highest-drafted player in Tigers history is shared by Billy Spiers (1987) and Tyler Colvin (2006) at No. 13.