Monte Lee Going With Experience in Rotation; Geoffrey Gilbert to Take On Different Role

CLEMSON, S.C.- Monte Lee is hoping to have more consistency in his starting rotation this season.

The Tigers used 12 different starting pitchers last season, and the Tigers are hoping for more stability in 2022. With Indiana visiting this weekend to open the season, Lee has announced his starting rotation, choosing to go with a familiar name in the Friday slot.

"We're gonna go with (Mack) Anglin in game one," Lee said. "We're gonna go with Nick Clayton in game two. Nick has been our best starter. I mean, he has been very, very good in all of his starts in the preseason. And then on Sunday we're gonna go with Nick Hoffman."

Anglin was one of the more consistent starters for the Tigers a season ago. However, due to injuries, he was limited to just six starts, but still struck out 75 batters in 56.1 IP.

Clayton did much of his work out of the bullpen in 2021, starting just one game, but still led the team in wins, posting a 6-2 record. He was also tied for second on the team with 18 appearances.

Four of Hoffman's 17 appearances were starts, with one of those being a complete game win against Boston College. It was the first for a Clemson pitcher since 2017. His ability to pound the zone is something Lee thinks will help the Tigers on Sundays.

"He's one of the best pure strike throwers in the league and his command is exceptional," Lee said. "He doesn't walk anybody and on Sunday that's a pretty calming presence to be able to run out there. As a Sunday starter, you know that he is going to fill up the strike zone and pitch to contact and has the ability to get you deep into the game."

Outside of last season's closer, Geoffrey Gilbert, those are three of the more experienced pitchers on the team, and that is something Lee was looking for when filling out the weekend rotation.

"We feel like going into week one we wanted guys with stripes on their sleeves to go out there and start for us," Lee said. "And feel like those are the best three guys for those spots."

"We feel like we want to go with our veterans. Those guys have thrown the most innings for us outside of Gilbert."

As for Gilbert, the head coach said he will take on a different role in 2022. Instead of being in that closer's role, Lee thinks the Tigers will be better served by using the sophomore earlier in games.

"We need that strong left-handed presence out of the bullpen," Lee said. "Geoff's a guy that has done it. We've developed Geoffrey as a starter with the mindset that Geoff could go out there and throw three to four innings out of the bullpen if needed. So we built him to be a long reliever, sort of a piggyback option behind one of those starters, or be able to use him multiple times over the weekend."

Another left-handed pitcher, Ryan Ammons, will begin the season as Clemson's closer. Lee said the hard-throwing redshirt sophomore has earned the opportunity with his performances throughout the preseason.

"Ryan Ammons will close the game for us in the ninth," Lee said. "He's been, just again, absolutely dominant throughout the whole course of the season. So he'll be the guy that gets the ball in the ninth inning when we're in a save situation."

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