Last Year was ‘Hell’ for Clemson Baseball

CLEMSON, S.C. — As he and his Clemson Tigers opened preseason practices Friday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, head baseball coach Monte Lee was very open about his approach to the new season.

Lee said there is no one to blame but himself for last year’s 25-27 campaign, the program’s first losing season since 1957.

“Look, last year was absolute Hell. That is just the truth, and we all know that,” he said. “But I have moved on from last year. Hopefully, I have learned from last year, right? If I have not learned from last year, then something is wrong. So, you make a lot of mistakes. You learn from it. You hold yourself accountable than anybody else.”

Lee understands being the head baseball coach at Clemson has a different kind of pressure that comes with it. For years, during the Bill Wilhelm and Jack Leggett eras, Clemson baseball was the standard, and not just in the ACC, but around the country.

No team has won more ACC Championships than Clemson. The program has been to 12 College World Series and has nine Super Regional appearances. Last season was just the second time since 1987, the Tigers did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament and the first time since 2008.

“I am the head baseball coach at Clemson. Last year, was not good. I know that. I have taken responsibility for that,” Lee said. “I did make any excuses about it. I am accountable for it. But now, it is time to move on and get this team ready. That is my focus right now.

“Every day, making sure I am doing my job of making sure, as a coaching staff, that I am leading our coaches, I am leading our players and getting them better and putting ourselves in a position to be successful.”

Caden Grice, who hit .317 last year, says what happened last season is the last thing the Tigers want to think about right now.

“We are always looking ahead and trying to play our best baseball each day,” he said. “We are trying to get one percent better every day we come out.”

Clemson’s motto heading into the new season is “Toughness Over Talent.” The Tigers feel they may not have the most talented team, but they have a bunch of guys that are not afraid to get dirty and play really hard.

They feel this is the identity of this year’s team and how they are approaching the 2022 season.

“I think this is going to be a group of tough guys, who compete until the last pitch is made,” said Grice, who was a Freshman All-American in 2021. “So, I think that is going to help us out a lot this season and I think we are going to be really successful.”

Clemson opens the new year at home on Feb. 18 against Indiana (4 p.m.). It is the first of a three-game series on opening weekend.