PREVIEW: #16 CLEMSON vs Duke

CUTrevor 2019-04-18 15:56:33


CLEMSON, S.C. - The Tigers host Duke in a three-game series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium this weekend.

SERIES SETUP
• Who - Duke (21-16, 8-10 ACC) vs. Clemson (25-12, 11-7 ACC)
• Best Ranking - DUK - NR; CU - No. 16 Collegiate Baseball
• Where - Clemson, S.C. (Doug Kingsmore Stadium)
• Watch - ACC Network Extra
• Video Announcers - Jose Alvarez (Saturday, Sunday), Ron Smith, Pete Yanity
• Listen (Radio) - WCCP (105.5 FM), ESPN Upstate
• Listen (Internet) -ClemsonTigers.com, TuneIn
• Live Stats - ClemsonTigers.com
• Social Media - ClemsonBaseball
• Promotion (Friday) - Giveaway - Trading cards set (4/5) for the first 1,000 fans
• Promotion (Saturday) - Game Highlight - Military Appreciation Day
• Promotion (Sunday) - Game Highlight - Kids run the bases

SERIES HISTORY
• Overall Record - Clemson leads 130-69-2 (1904-2017)
• Record at Clemson - Clemson leads 68-25-1 (1905-2015)

STARTING PITCHERS
• Friday - RHP Ben Gross (DUK) vs. RHP Davis Sharpe (CU)
• Saturday - LHP Bill Chillari (DUK) vs. LHP Mat Clark (CU)
• Sunday - TBA (DUK) vs. LHP Jacob Hennessy (CU)

CLEMSON OVERVIEW
• Clemson, who has a 16-6 home record, lost at No. 4 Georgia 3-2 in 20 innings on Tuesday night. It was the longest game in school history.
• The Tigers are averaging 6.3 runs per game and hitting .254 with a .358 on-base percentage, .418 slugging percentage and 63 steals.
• The pitching staff has a 3.59 ERA, .227 opponents’ batting average and 2.51 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Clemson is also fielding .970.

DUKE OVERVIEW
• Duke is led by seventh-year head coach Chris Pollard.
• The Blue Devils defeated No. 16 Texas Tech 13-6 at home on Tuesday. They are hitting .277 and have a 3.72 ERA and .962 fielding percentage.
• Matt Mervis is hitting .341, Kennie Taylor is batting .337 with four homers and 34 RBIs and Thomas Girard has a team-high five saves.

QUICK HITS
• Duke won two of three games at Jack Coombs Field in the most-recent series against Clemson in 2016.
• The Tigers won both games of a rain-shortened series the last time the Blue Devils visited Clemson in 2015.
• Clemson is 21-0 when scoring at least five runs and 4-12 when scoring less than five runs.

LONGEST GAME IN CLEMSON HISTORY
• Georgia defeated Clemson 3-2 in 20 innings in Athens on April 16 in the longest game in both Bulldog and Tiger history.
• The previous longest game in Tiger history was 19 innings in an NCAA Tournament game against Fordham at New Britain, Conn. on May 26, 1988.
• Clemson scored two runs in the sixth and Georgia scored two runs in the seventh before the Bulldogs scored a walkoff run in the 20th inning.
• The game lasted six hours and 33 minutes and ended at 1:35 a.m.
• Clemson's seven pitchers combined for a school-record 24 strikeouts, besting the previous mark of 23 set against Elon on Feb. 24, 2017.
• Tiger pitchers combined to allow just nine hits (eight singles, one double) and one earned run in 19.1 innings pitched.
• Grayson Byrd and Bryar Hawkins tied the school record with nine at-bats apiece in the game.


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