TIGER BASEBALL'S MARCH TO THE C.W.S.

By Seigler, guest columnist

Playing for the Myrtle Beach regional championship and perhaps the chance to host the upcoming super regional tournament, the Clemson Tigers soundly defeated the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers by a score of 15-3. The Tigers were the only undefeated team in the regional, giving them great momentum heading into the super regional. Clemson joins North Carolina as the second ACC team to win their regional. Virginia is playing for their regional Championship today as well and the game is still in progress at this time.

Former outfielder D.J. Mitchell (5-0) continued his success on the mound, earning the win for his fifth victory in seven starts this season. Mitchell allowed only 6 hits and one run in five innings of work, escaping a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the second by striking out Chanticleer Senior 2nd baseman Adam Vrable, then inducing a groundout by left fielder David Sappelt. Freshman Nick McCully took the loss for the Chanticleers.

Clemson relievers combined to limit the Chanticleers to 2 runs and 3 hits in the final 4 innings of the game. P.J. Zocchi pitched the ninth in the non save situation, giving up only a single. The runs came in the 6^th inning off reliever Alex Martin, whose cause was only hurt by the Tiger’s second error of the game, which allowed Designated Hitter Dock Doyle to reach base, and eventually score. The Tiger’s first error came on a play to second in the second inning, but did not result in any runs.

The Tigers led off the game scoring two runs in the top of the first on a home run by 1^st baseman Andy D’Alessio, who drove in 3^rd baseman Marquez Smith for his 2^nd RBI of the afternoon. They continued to break the game open by scoring 5 runs in the 3^rd and 6 runs in the 4^th off home runs by Smith and 2^nd baseman Taylor Harbin. Smith (who went 4 for 5) and Harbin (3 for 5) led the team in RBI’s for the day with 4 and 3 respectively.

Center fielder Brad Chalk also added 3 of the Tigers’ 20 hits, scoring two runs and hitting his second triple of the year. The Tigers were one hit shy of tying their season record of 21 hits in a game they set vs. Gardner Webb on March 27^th. They did however beat the season record for at bats in a game with 47, the previous record of 45 being met twice, once against George Mason and once against Gardner Webb, earlier in the season.

The time and location of the super regional has yet to be announced, but tournament play will resume on Friday the 8^th of June. Look forward to more analysis of Clemson postseason baseball by Seigler this weekend as I will be covering the rest of the Tigers postseason action for DFIG. Send questions, comments and hate to spseigl@clemson.edu.