If Clemson can avoid the raindrops, its ACC baseball season begins today with a difficult test.
Clemson starts its ACC slate with a 4 p.m. game against N.C. State, ranked in the top 30 in several national polls. The Tigers and Wolfpack will meet at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday in Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
Following last weekend’s rivalry series win over South Carolina (capped off by Sunday’s 19-6 rout in Columbia) and Thursday’s XX-X win over Gardner-Webb, the Tigers (10-1) are red-hot; they’re ranked No.12 by Baseball America.
But the Wolfpack (11-1) is on an equally big roll. State has won five straight, with its only loss a 6-3 defeat at Coastal Carolina. They’re batting .392 during the win streak, with 12 hitters batting .316 or better in that stretch.
State has scored at least 10 runs in a game eight times, piling up 10 hits or more 10 times, reaching double figures in both runs and hits seven times. They’ve had 20 hits or more three times and surpassed 15 runs five times, including a 32-3 rout of LaSalle.
Outfielder Drew Poulk and infielder/outfielder Kyle Wilson lead the way; Wilson is hitting .426 with a homer, four doubles and 12 walks. Poulk is hitting .392 with a homer, 16 RBI and six doubles. Pratt Maynard has hit safely in 10 straight games with a .455 average, two homers and 13 RBI.
Clemson is led by right fielder Kyle Parker, who entered Thursday hitting .378 with four homers and 10 RBI. Left fielder Jeff Schaus is hitting .355 with two homers and 15 RBI.
The Tigers will send junior lefty Casey Harman (2-0, 2.30) to the mound today; he’ll be opposed by sophomore righthander Cory Mazzoni (2-0, 2.16). Junior righthander Jake Buchanan (2-1, 1.77) will start for NC State on Saturday; Clemson’s game two starter is undetermined.
N.C. State’s starter for the finale is also undecided; Clemson will start sophomore righty Scott Weismann (2-0, 2.93).
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