Clemson baseball coach Erik Bakich announces Game 1 starter for Tigers' NCAA regional
Clemson baseball coach Erik Bakich announces Game 1 starter for Tigers' NCAA regional
Clemson baseball coach Erik Bakich announced on Thursday his Game 1 starter for the Tigers' NCAA Tournament regional against USC Upstate.
The Tigers (44-16 overall) will start sophomore right-hander Drew Titsworth in its NCAA Tournament opener at Doug Kingsmore Stadium Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ACC Network.
Bakich called the decision to start Titsworth a "no-brainer."
"Drew Titsworth has got the ball (Friday)," Bakich told reporters Thursday, adding, "We knew we were going to do it the whole time. Kind of a no-brainer for us. So yeah, excited to see him get out there for us. I feel really confident when he's on the mound."
Titsworth began the year in the bullpen but transitioned to the rotation as Clemson's Saturday starter when left-hander Ethan Darden was sidelined by an injury in April. In 19 appearances including six starts, Titsworth is 5-1 with a 4.26 ERA. He's struck out 48 batters and issued 14 walks through 50 2/3 innings.
Friday will mark Titsworth's seventh consecutive appearance as a starter.
"We spent a lot of time recruiting Drew and his family,' Bakich said. 'Obviously from Frakenmuth, Michigan, so he was committed to Michigan. We got a long look at him early in his high school career. Just watched him really over the last six years, and he's always been a starter. He didn't become a reliever until he got here last year and the early part of this year.
"He's a big, strong, physical, durable kid. He's just got that physical makeup that his body can handle the starting role. So it was more just the timing and the opportunity had to present itself for him to get into the rotation. With us switching out Sunday starters and Ethan Darden getting hurt, it really just presented the opportunity."
Clemson is the No. 11 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and is hosting a regional for the third consecutive season. The Tigers are ranked No. 12 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and No. 11 by the NCBWA. They're No. 9 in the RPI.
USC Upstate (36-23) defeated Charleston Southern in the Big South tournament championship game on Sunday to clinch its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
"They've had a monster year and just have a lot of power hitters and 5-6 guys with double-digit homers and are coming off a dogpile," Bakich said of the Spartans. "We know they're feeling really good and confident and hot.
"We have a lot of respect for them, their program. Their program's always been good, but they certainly have been playing with some extra juice this year."
Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
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