MLB Draft Combine Set to Host Multiple Clemson Baseball Players and Commits

With Clemson Baseball's season having now been over for nearly a month, it's time to take a look at what players from the team will be representing the Tiger Paw during the MLB Draft Combine, which will take place on June 23-26 at Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

On Monday, Baseball America released a list of all 335 players that will be in attendance, which included five Clemson players (three current + two high school commits): infielder Jarren Purify, right-handed pitcher Aidan Knaak, left-handed pitcher Justin LeGuernic, right-handed pitcher Blake Bryant and right-handed pitcher Chase Kiker.

That said, we're going to give a quick rundown of each player's most recent season, as well as some background on how their careers have shaped up to this point.

2B Jarren Purify

Ahead of the 2026 season, Purify was touted as one of the best second basemen in the country, earning a No. 4 ranking in the ACC and a No. 9 ranking nationally by D1 Baseball in February.

However, his junior year didn't go as planned, as Purify suffered a broken hand after being hit by a pitch during game two of the three-game series against Notre Dame in late March. The injury sidelined him for a month, but he would come back to pinch-run and plate a run against Louisville in late April.

Purify finally returned to full health for Clemson's three-game series against Boston College at the beginning of May, turning into an immediate impact for the Tigers as he logged three hits, three RBIs, one triple and one sacrifice fly in the ranked series win.

While he'd continue to impress to finish out the season, it just wasn't enough, as the Tigers fell to Notre Dame in the first round of the ACC Tournament and consequently missed the NCAA Tournament.

Purify finished with a .344 batting average (best on the team) and a 1.072 OPS (second-best on the team) to go with 35 runs, 25 walks, 21 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, eight doubles and five home runs across 40 games (35 starts). However, he struggled defensively, logging just a .960 fielding percentage.

Since the season ended, the 5-foot-10 second baseman has been exceeding expectations with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the MLB Draft League, totaling 13 runs, 10 RBIs, nine walks, four stolen bases, three home runs and one double while batting .342 across his first 11 games. Most recently, he earned Player of the Week honors for his performance.

As it stands, Purify is the No. 144 prospect in this year's MLB Draft, according to Perfect Game. However, it's unclear whether he'll leave or stay at Clemson, with Purify saying he was "open to all options" following the team's loss in the ACC Tournament nearly a month ago.

"I don't know what the future holds for me, but I just thank God for every opportunity that comes my way," Purify said after the game. "It's been a great three years here, and if I have to do another year, and if I have the opportunity to do another year, I'm grateful for every opportunity that happens."

RHP Aidan Knaak

Knaak is one of the most intriguing prospects in this class, as he's been looked at as an MLB talent since his first collegiate season.

As a freshman in 2024, Knaak was one of the best pitchers in the country, boasting a 3.35 ERA and a 5-1 record while dealing 108 strikeouts to just 67 hits across 83.1 innings pitched.

The debut earned him a multitude of accolades, including but not limited to: National Freshman Pitcher of the Year (NCBWA), Third-team All-American (multiple outlets), First-team Freshman All-American (multiple outlets), and First-Team All-ACC.

Entering 2025, Knaak held high expectations and became a Golden Spikes Watch List member. While it didn't feel like he took that huge next step, he still performed well and ultimately set career highs in his sophomore campaign.

The 6-foot-1 righty boasted a 4.18 ERA and a 9-1 record while logging 110 strikeouts and a .214 opponent batting average (career-high) to 71 hits across 16 starts and 90.1 innings. Following the season's end, he earned a First-Team All-ACC selection.

That leads us to this year, when Knaak was held to high standards once again, as he was named a Preseason First-Team All-American by D1 Baseball, a distinction he also earned heading into 2025.

He performed well across his first two starts against Army and Bryant, totaling 14 strikeouts to just four hits and zero earned runs across eight innings.

While he would stay consistent in terms of strikeouts, averaging about seven per game throughout the season, he totaled career lows in starts/appearances (13), ERA (5.18), pitching record (2-6), innings pitched (57.1), total strikeouts (88) and WHIP (1.640). By the final weeks of the season, he even lost his Friday starter spot to redshirt freshman Dane Moehler.

It also didn't help that there was much less depth behind Knaak, as Dane Moehler was still recovering from a UCL tear to begin the season, key reliever Jacob McGovern suffered a season-ending elbow injury, Drew Titsworth was injured to start the year and sophomore Talan Bell was still recovering from a UCL tear, too, before he suffered another setback in preseason by breaking his thumb.

Similar to Purify, there's been no clarification on whether the starting pitcher will move on to pursue his professional career or stick with Clemson for his final season. As it stands, Knaak is the No. 143 overall prospect in this year's draft, according to Perfect Game.

LHP Justin LeGuernic

LeGuernic has a vastly different story from Knaak, as he didn't see as much playing time across his first two years.

In 2024 and 2025 combined, the 6-foot-4 lefty struggled immensely while shifting back and forth from a reliever to a starter, holding an 8.88 ERA and a 0-4 record across 21 appearances (7 starts) and 30.4 innings.

In 2026, though, he finally found his spark as a true reliever, recording a 4-2 record, 1.463 WHIP, and a 4.69 ERA to go with 50 strikeouts and three saves across 19 appearances on the mound and 40.1 innings. His numbers across the board were all career highs.

Like Purify and Knaak, there's been no confirmation on whether he will stay at Clemson or begin his professional career. LeGuernic is the No. 151 overall MLB Draft prospect, according to ESPN rankings.

RHP Blake Bryant (Citizens Christian Academy)

Bryant is one of two high school prospects that we'll be covering in this piece, as he committed to Clemson back in September of last year. The Douglas, Georgia, native is one of the best overall players and pitchers in the country, according to Perfect Game.

The 6-foot-5 righty has been playing varsity baseball for Citizens Christian since seventh grade — which already tells you how talented a prospect he is — and while he didn't play much his first year, he's dominated over the past five years as both a hitter and hurler.

In his six-year tenure, Bryant has accumulated a .371 batting average and a 1.091 OPS along with 157 RBIs, 156 hits, 110 runs, 103 walks, 44 stolen bases, 38 doubles, 12 home runs and 10 triples across 146 games and 421 at-bats.

On the mound, he's been even more dominant, boasting a 1.67 ERA, 28-10 record and a .168 opponent batting average to go with 421 strikeouts across 57 appearances and 256 innings.

His senior season in 2026 was by far his best year, as he finished with a perfect 10-0 record, a 0.22 ERA and a 0.77 opponent batting average, along with 141 strikeouts to just 16 hits and two earned runs across 12 appearances and 64 innings. He also led the Patriots to their second consecutive GIAA Class A state championship, beating out David Emanuel Academy, 2-0.

Bryant is the No. 60 overall prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft, according to Perfect Game.

Unfortunately, Clemson has seen this scenario before, as high school commits like the Miami Marlins' Dillon Head and New York Yankees' Dax Kilby ended up forgoing college and opting to head straight into the majors after becoming first-round draft picks. But only time can tell if Bryant follows suit.

RHP Chase Kiker (Metrolina Christian Academy)

Kiker has been committed to Clemson since September 2024 and signed with the program in November of 2025. Like Bryant, Kiker is an extremely talented high school player, ranked among the best pitchers in the country by Perfect Game.

The Indian Trail, North Carolina, native has been dominant at both the plate and mound over the past five years at the varsity level.

Note: Clemson Tigers on SI could only find three years' worth of stats

As a hitter, Kiker accumulated a .429 batting average to go with 107 RBIs, 106 hits, 65 runs, 26 doubles, 25 walks, 13 home runs across and just 11 strikeouts across 83 games and 247 at-bats.

On the mound, he's been just as impressive, boasting a 1.36 ERA, 17-2 record and a .149 opponent batting average while logging 302 strikeouts to 87 hits across 53 appearances and 165 innings. Most recently, as a senior, he led the Warriors to a state final appearance while batting .408 and striking out 104 batters over 58.1 innings.

Kiker is the No. 97 overall MLB Draft prospect, according to Perfect Game.

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