2026 Clemson Tigers baseball team

2026 Clemson Tigers baseball
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
Record31–26 (10–20 ACC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Nick Schnabel (4th season)
  • Jimmy Belanger (4th season)
  • Griffin Mazur (4th season)
Home stadiumDoug Kingsmore Stadium
2026 Atlantic Coast Conference baseball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L T PCTW L T PCT
No. 10 Georgia Tech ‍†‍‡‍y 25–5–0 .83350–11–0 .820
No. 2 North Carolina ‍‍‍y 22–8–0 .73354–14–1 .790
No. 18 Florida State ‍‍‍y 19–11–0 .63340–19–0 .678
Boston College ‍‍‍y 17–13–0 .56740–24–0 .625
Wake Forest ‍‍‍y 16–14–0 .53339–21–0 .650
Miami (FL) ‍‍‍y 16–14–0 .53339–20–0 .661
Virginia Tech ‍‍‍y 15–15–0 .50030–26–0 .536
Virginia ‍‍‍y 14–16–0 .46737–23–0 .617
NC State ‍‍‍y 14–16–0 .46732–24–0 .571
Louisville ‍‍‍ 13–17–0 .43330–27–0 .526
Notre Dame ‍‍‍ 13–17–0 .43331–22–0 .585
Stanford  ‍‍‍ 13–17–0 .43328–26–0 .519
California  ‍‍‍ 12–18–0 .40029–26–0 .527
Pittsburgh ‍‍‍ 11–19–0 .36733–24–0 .579
Clemson ‍‍‍ 10–20–0 .33331–26–0 .544
Duke ‍‍‍ 10–20–0 .33326–31–0 .456
† – Conference champion
‡ – Tournament champion
y – Invited to the NCAA Tournament
As of June 23, 2026[1]
Rankings from D1Baseball

The 2026 Clemson Tigers baseball team was the varsity intercollegiate baseball team that represented Clemson University during the 2026 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Tigers competed in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and were led by fourth-year head coach Erik Bakich. Clemson played its home games at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on campus in Clemson, South Carolina.

The Tigers began the season with a sweep of Army in a four game series. They followed that with a sweep of Charlotte and a defeat of Presbyterian to win their first nine straight games. They were ranked fifteenth in the D1Baseball Poll after the wins. The streak was broken at South Carolina in a rivalry loss. Clemson went on to win the next to games against South Carolina to take the series. Clemson continued their winning ways with a defeat of Michigan State and a sweep of La Salle to rise to eleventh in the rankings with a record of 15–1. They lost to Georgia Southern in a neutral site game before opening the ACC season with a 1–2 series loss against fourth-ranked Georgia Tech. After mid-week road defeats of College of Charleston and The Citadel, the Tigers were swept at Notre Dame. This loss saw them fall out of the rankings for the first time this season. They lost to fifteenth-ranked Coastal Carolina and had a 1–2 series loss to Miami (FL) to end March. Their fortunes didn't turn around much in April as they only won one ACC series in the month, at Stanford. They lost series to sixth-ranked North Carolina, at ninth-ranked Virginia, and at Louisville. A 3–1 record in mid-week games, saw the Tigers go 7–9 in the month. The team began May on a high note, winning their first ACC series in a month, defeating twentieth-ranked Boston College two games to one. They followed that with a defeat of eighth-ranked Coastal Carolina in Conway. The results proved to be a blip instead of a trend as the Tigers lost their next series against fourteenth-ranked Florida State, their final mid-week game against USC Upstate, and their final series of the season at Virginia Tech.

The Tigers finished the season 31–26 and 10–20 in ACC play to finish in a tie for fifteenth place. They were the fifteenth seed in the ACC tournament and were defeated in the first round by tenth-seed Notre Dame. Their fifteenth place finish was the lowest in program history. They were not invited to the NCAA tournament, breaking a streak of qualifying for three straight seasons. Their twenty-six losses were the most in during the tenure of head coach Erik Bakich.

Previous season

The Tigers finished the ACC regular season 41–15 and 18–12 in ACC play to finish in fifth place, just one game back of first. They were the fifth seed in the ACC tournament and earned a bye into the Second Round in the new tournament format. There they defeated twelfth-seed Virginia Tech 6–1. In the Quarterfinals, they faced fourth-seed NC State who had swept the Tigers during the regular season. Clemson executed its revenge, winning 7–6. They defeated first-seed Georgia Tech in the Semifinals, and prevailed 9–4. They qualified for their second ACC final in three years, but fell to third-seed North Carolina 14–4. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and were selected as the eleventh-overall seed. They hosted a regional and were placed in the Baton Rouge Super Regional. The Tigers won their opening game against USC Upstate 7–3. They lost their next game against West Virginia 9–6. They faced Kentucky in an elimination game and lost 16–4 to end their season. The Tigers finished with a final record of 45–18. Their 45 total wins were the most since 2018.

Personnel

Roster

2026 Clemson Tigers baseball team
PlayersCoaches
#Pos.NameB/THeightWeightYearHome town
00 RHP Drew Titsworth L/R 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Jr Frankenmuth, Michigan
1 OF Bryce Clavon R/R 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 195 lb (88 kg) So Stockbridge, Georgia
2 OF Briggs Sullivan R/R 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) RS Fr Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
3 OF Ty Dalley L/R 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Sr Vidalia, Georgia
4 INF Tryston McCladdie L/R 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Jr Harlem, Georgia
5 OF Jack Crighton R/R 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Sr Rochester Hills, Michigan
6 C Ty Marshall S/R 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Jr Cayce, South Carolina
8 INF Tyler Lichtenberger L/R 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 195 lb (88 kg) So Boca Raton, Florida
9 C Jacob Jarrell R/R 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Sr Florence, South Carolina
10 INF Jason Fultz Jr. R/R 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Fr Harborcreek, Pennsylvania
12 RHP Hayden Simmerson R/R 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Jr Salisbury, North Carolina
13 INF Collin Priest L/R 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 260 lb (118 kg) Jr Mount Dora, Florida
15 INF Jackson Taylor L/R 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Fr Marietta, Georgia
16 INF Luke Gaffney R/R 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 235 lb (107 kg) RS Jr Danville, Kentucky
18 RHP Ariston Veasey R/R 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Jr Peachtree City, Georgia
19 RHP Aidan Knaak R/R 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Jr Fort Myers, Florida
20 RHP Nathan Dvorsky R/R 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Sr Suwanee, Georgia
21 INF Jay Dillard R/R 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 175 lb (79 kg) RS Jr Anderson, South Carolina
23 INF Jarren Purify R/R 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Jr Detroit, Michigan
24 RHP Joe Allen R/R 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Sr Hampton Falls, New Hampshire
25 LHP Nick Frusco L/L 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Fr Miller Place, New York
26 OF Jackson Moore L/R 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Fr Hartsville, South Carolina
27 LHP Dan Margolies R/L 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Fr Cheshire, Connecticut
29 LHP Michael Sharman R/L 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) RS Sr Woodstock, Georgia
30 RHP Luke Kissenberth R/R 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Gr Greenville, South Carolina
31 LHP Jacob McGovern L/L 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Jr Seneca, South Carolina
32 LHP Brendon Bennett L/L 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 220 lb (100 kg) RS Fr Novi, Michigan
33 LHP Justin LeGuernic R/L 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Jr Dix Hills, New York
35 LHP Noah Samol L/L 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 245 lb (111 kg) RS Jr Mason, Ohio
36 RHP Dane Moehler R/R 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 210 lb (95 kg) RS Fr Marietta, Georgia
37 RHP Danny Nelson R/R 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Fr Hershey, Pennsylvania
39 RHP Peyton Miller R/R 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Fr Phoenix, Maryland
40 RHP Landon Fowler R/R 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Fr Easley, South Carolina
43 LHP Jake Morris L/L 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Fr Lugoff, South Carolina
44 RHP Dylan Harrison L/R 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Fr Fontana, California
47 RHP Eston Simpson R/R 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Fr Jefferson, Georgia
49 RHP Chance Fitzgerald R/R 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Jr Sanford, Florida
93 RHP Dion Brown R/R 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 155 lb (70 kg) So York, South Carolina
96 LHP Talan Bell L/L 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 185 lb (84 kg) So Oviedo, Florida
99 C Nate Savoie R/R 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 215 lb (98 kg) So Fontana, California
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Current redshirt

Roster
Last update: February 24, 2026

Schedule

Legend
 Clemson win
 Clemson loss
 Cancellation
BoldClemson team member
*Non-Conference game
†Make-Up Game
2026 Clemson Tigers baseball game log (31–26)[2]
Regular season (31–25)
Postseason (0–1)

Note: All rankings shown are from D1Baseball Poll.

Roster moves

2025 MLB draft

The Tigers had two players drafted in the 2025 MLB draft.

Player Position Round Overall MLB Team
Cam CannarellaOutfield243Miami Marlins[3]
Lucas MahlstedtRight Handed Pitcher7199Los Angeles Angels[4]

Other departures

Other Departures[5]
Name B/T Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason for departure
Lleyton LackeyS/L1OF5'6"160JuniorEvans, GeorgiaTransferred to Lenoir–Rhyne
Hideki PratherR/R2C5'10"195FreshmanOakland, CaliforniaTransferred to California
Andrew Ciufo5INF6'0"200Graduate StudentMedford, New YorkGraduated
Dominic ListiL/L6OF5'11"205Crystal Lake, Illinois
Josh PainoR/R8INF200Temecula, California
Steele Burd11C6'0"210FreshmanHilton Head Island, South CarolinaTransferred to State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota
Hudson LeeR/L12LHP6'4"230Redshirt SophomoreRoebuck, South CarolinaTransferred to South Carolina
B.J. BaileyL/L136'3"180Redshirt SeniorWoodruff, South CarolinaGraduated
Reed GarrisR/R15RHP6'0"215SeniorMount Pleasant, South Carolina
Josh CastellaniL/R17INF6'4"210FreshmanSt. Petersburg, FloridaTransferred to State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota
T.P. WentworthL/L18OF6'3"230Ripon, CaliforniaTransferred to Oklahoma State
Anthony WilkieR/R22RHP6'5"225Gainesville, FloridaTransferred to Florida SouthWestern
Luke Brown256'7"205SophomoreApex, North CarolinaEntered transfer portal
Casey Tallent266'0"225Redshirt JuniorHartwell, GeorgiaGraduated
Tristan BissettaL/L27OF6'1"225Greenville, South CarolinaTransferred to Ole Miss
Jackson Cole37LHP6'2"190FreshmanBoiling Springs, South CarolinaTransferred to The Citadel
Ethan Darden396'0"175JuniorRock Hill, South CarolinaTransferred to Texas A&M
Brodey ConnL/R40INF6'1"205Redshirt SophomoreClemson, South Carolina—
Cannon FeazellR/R41RHP195FreshmanWindermere, Florida
Michael Gillen426'2"220JuniorRochelle Park, New JerseyTransferred to UCF
Chayce Kieck456'1"185FreshmanJacksonville, FloridaTransferred to Northwestern
Austin Jacobs48INF6'0"175Geneva, FloridaTransferred to UCF
Owen AnchorsL/L55OF6'2"190Dunwoody, Georgia—

Incoming transfers

Incoming transfers[6]
Name B/T Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Previous school
Bryce ClavonR/R1OF5'10"195SophomoreStockbridge, GeorgiaGeorgia
Ty DalleyL/R36'3"210SeniorVidalia, GeorgiaMercer
Tyler Lichtenberger8INF6'0"195SophomoreBoca Raton, FloridaAppalachian State
Hayden SimmersonR/R12RHP6'2"205JuniorSalisbury, North CarolinaCatawaba
Ariston Veasey186'1"185Peachtree City, GeorgiaAlabama
Michael SharmanR/L29LHP180Redshirt SeniorWoodstock, GeorgiaTennessee
Nate SavoieR/R99C/OF6'0"215SophomoreFontana, CaliforniaLoyola Marymount

Incoming recruits

Incoming Recruits
Name B/T Number Pos. Height Weight Hometown High School
Jason Fultz Jr.R/R10INF6'0"215Harborcreek, PennsylvaniaP27 Academy
Jackson TaylorL/R156'4"195Marietta, GeorgiaWalton
Nick FruscoL/L25LHP6'4"200Miller Place, New YorkMiller Place
Jackson MooreL/R26OF5'9"185Hartsville, South CarolinaHartsville
Dan MargoliesR/L27LHP6'1"175Cheshire, ConnecticutCheshire Academy
Danny NelsonR/R37RHP185Hershey, PennsylvaniaHershey
Peyton Miller396'4"205Phoenix, MarylandIMG Academy
Landon Fowler406'3"210Easley, South CarolinaPowdersville
Jake MorrisL/L43LHP6'6"230Lugoff, South CarolinaLugoff-Elgin
Dylan HarrisonL/R44RHP6'5"215Fontana, CaliforniaSummit
Eston SimpsonR/R476'5"195Jefferson, GeorgiaJefferson County

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre123456789101112131415Final
Coaches'[7]1717*1112917RV——————————
Baseball America[8]20181415121424——————————
NCBWA†[9]1715121081524RVRVRV———————
D1Baseball[10]191915141119———————————
Perfect Game[11]201919191119———————————

† NCBWA ranks 30 teams in their preseason poll, but only ranks 25 teams weekly during the season.
* A new poll was not released for this week, so for comparison purposes, the previous week's ranking is inserted in this week's slot.

References

  1. ↑ "Baseball Standings". theacc.com. Atlantic Coast Conference. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  2. ↑ "2026 Baseball Schedule". clemsontigers.com. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  3. ↑ Hennessy, Brian (July 13, 2025). "Cannarella Chosen No. 43 Overall in MLB Draft". clemsontigers.com. Clemson University Athletics. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  4. ↑ Hennessy, Brian (July 14, 2025). "Mahlstedt Selected in Seventh Round of MLB Draft". clemsontigers.com. Clemson University Athletics. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  5. ↑ Carter, Derrian (June 3, 2025). "Clemson baseball roster 2026: Erik Bakich's departures, arrivals, transfer portal priorities". The Greenville News. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  6. ↑ Feliberty, Angelo (January 15, 2026). "Breaking Down Clemson Baseball's Seven Transfer Additions for 2026". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  7. ↑ Baseball Coaches Poll
  8. ↑ Baseball America College: Top 25
  9. ↑ NCBWA Division I poll
  10. ↑ D1 Baseball
  11. ↑ Perfect Game Top 25 Rankings