One Tiger credits ‘better culture’ for Clemson’s recent baseball success vs USC
The Clemson and South Carolina baseball series is widely regarded as one of the best and most intense rivalries in college baseball. But the matchup has been rather one-sided over the past several years.
During the early portion of this decade it was the Gamecocks that held the upper hand as USC won back-to-back national titles in 2010-11 and reached the national championship series again in 2012.
But the momentum has shifted in recent years as it is the Tigers that have earned four consecutive series wins against South Carolina after being swept by the Gamecocks in 2014.
So how have the Tigers been able to grab control of the rivalry showdown? Clemson shortstop and team leader Logan Davidson has a theory.
“I feel like we believe more. I feel like we have a better culture,” the projected first-round pick said. “I think that’s what it comes down to is I trust in our teammates and that family feel that we’re gonna get it done. We trust the guy behind us. We trust the guy in front of us. I think that’s the main difference. I think we’re really close and we’re able to have that trust that the other guy’s going to get it done if you don’t.”
In order for Clemson’s success to continue this weekend, Tigers coach Monte Lee said the Tigers must compete every pitch and take advantage of any opportunities that they get.
Lee pointed out that the past couple of years the series has come down to the last pitch in Game 3. Clemson earned a walk-off victory in Game 3 last year in Clemson and rallied to win Game 3 in extra innings the previous year in Columbia.
“I think it’s the best rivalry in all of college baseball. One thing that we sell recruits when they come and visit at Clemson is Clemson and the University of South Carolina is the Red Sox and the Yankees of the state of South Carolina. That’s just the way it is,” Lee said. “The people of this state, they’re on one side of the fence or the other, and that’s what makes this rivalry so great is everybody across the state is pulling for one of us. It’s very intense. It’s very heated.”
As for this particular year, Lee sees a South Carolina club that has plenty of talent.
The Gamecocks enter with a 7-1 record and have won seven consecutive games after dropping their opener against Liberty in extra innings.
USC will start sophomore Carmen Mlodzinski (0-0, 4.32 ERA) Friday night in Clemson, with freshman Dylan Harley (0-0, 9.45 ERA) to get the start Saturday in Greenville. Junior Reid Morgan (1-0, 1.29 ERA) will take the mound Sunday afternoon in Columbia.
Clemson will counter with senior Brooks Crawford (0-0, 3.60 ERA) getting the start on Friday, followed by freshman Davis Sharpe (2-0, 0.00 ERA) and fellow freshman Justin Wrobleski (0-1, 6.75 ERA).
“Their starting pitching is very good. We’re facing a guy on Friday night who has been up to 94, 95, so he’s got a very good arm. They’ve got a very talented freshman on Saturday in Harley that’s been up to 94-95. And then they’ve got a guy on Sunday that’s a junior college transfer that really sinks it in the low 90s,” Lee said. “But their bullpen’s very good too. So the bottom line is it’s going to come down to who makes the least amount of mistakes and do we do a good job of locating and executing pitches.”
Lee, who spent time early on in his career as an assistant at South Carolina, is anxious for another opportunity to earn a win against the Gamecocks this weekend.
“It’s like a Super Regional environment,” he said. “There’s not going to be any motivational speeches or anything like that because I’m not going to have to do that. Our guys will be ready to go. Our guys are pretty dang competitive.”
