Monday Morning Reset: Clemson Baseball's in Real Trouble
Last week was bad enough for Clemson baseball.
The Tigers not only dropped a series a weekend ago at home to Virginia, but they also followed that up with a 13-6 loss to College of Charleston at Doug Kingsmore Stadium during the midweek.
That left Clemson out of NCAA tournament projections heading into the weekend. Coming out of it, the Tigers, ranked 69th in the RPI, look like a distant threat to make the postseason...and maybe any postseason. Monte Lee's squad fell to 9-12 in ACC play and two games below .500 overall after losing all three games at Miami over the weekend They were outscored by 18 runs, only being competitive in the series finale Sunday.
If the conference tournament, which takes 12 teams, started today, Clemson would be in, but there are only four teams with worse league records than the Tigers, and the team is in desperate need of wins any way it can get them. Clemson is running out of time on turning this into anything resembling a successful season. More on that later.
First, here are some other headlines from last week that you might've missed:
Trevor Lawrence felt the need to take to Twitter to emphasize his motivation
Amari Rodgers wouldn't mind the opportunity to join his Clemson teammate
Travis Etienne would be a great fit in Pittsburgh should the Steelers make a move
Clemson got a first look at season-opening opponent Georgia over the weekend
Local recruit Fletcher Cothran picks up a dream offer from Clemson football
Here are five storylines to keep an eye on this week:
1. Trevor in the NFL: You think it was wild that Lawrence had to defend himself over the weekend, just wait to see what this week brings. It's the last real chance for things to get really weird before the NFL draft, which is less than two weeks away. Talking heads and media members from coast to coast are looking for any intrigue. With Jacksonville a lock to take Lawrence, more narratives will arise in some form or fashion to garner interest around the big-time pro prospect and the draft as a whole.
2. Turnaround or bust: Clemson baseball begins the week in great need of wins with a road trip to Athens, where strong-pitching Georgia awaits. The Bulldogs already blanked the Tigers last month, and with confidence shaky, it's hard to see Lee's squad bouncing back in the midweek. But there's an opportunity awaiting at Wake Forest this weekend. The Demon Deacons are 6-14 in ACC play. Sure, the Tigers need quality wins, which isn't on the table at Winston-Salem, any win is a win right now.
3: Softball sweeps: John Rittman won his 800th career game as a head coach Saturday. Star player Valerie Cagle pitched another no-hitter Sunday. The Tigers swept a four-game series against Boston College. They've won 12 consecutive games and their second straight ACC series. Everything is coming up roses right now, and a rivalry game with South Carolina awaits Wednesday.
4. Portal perusing: With the NCAA passing legislation to give all student-athletes a free transfer, the portal is about as up and down as cryptocurrency these days, and you never know when a player will enter or exit. Clemson football could be on the lookout for a quarterback. They also might not find the right pick and need to wait until the summer. Meanwhile, college basketball players are picking new schools every day, yet it's been awfully quiet around Brad Brownell's team. Is this the week that changes?
5. The other guys: Yes, we all know where one Tiger is going in the draft, but what about the other former Clemson players? Rodgers, Etienne, Cornell Powell and Jackson Carman will all hear their names called in the very near future. All Clemson will be all over the speculation of their landing spots.
