Clemson Baseball Loses Three Players to the Transfer Portal After the Regional Loss
Clemson Baseball Loses Three Players to the Transfer Portal After the Regional Loss
Clemson baseball's offseason roster turnover has begun, as three Tiger pitchers — junior Ethan Darden, sophomore Luke Brown, and redshirt freshman Jackson Cole — have entered the NCAA transfer portal, according to multiple sources.
The moves come on the heels of Clemson's season-ending 16-4 loss to Kentucky in the regional round of the NCAA Tournament.
Darden is the most experienced of the trio, having made 47 appearances (32 starts) over three seasons. The Rock Hill native opened 2024 as a weekend starter but struggled in ACC play, eventually losing his rotation spot. He suffered a triceps injury in April that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
'He's got a tricep thing and his treatment protocol, they want him to immobilize it with a brace,' head coach Erik Bakich said in early May. 'Nothing surgical, nothing serious.'
Darden finishes his Clemson career with a 12-9 record and 5.50 ERA over 162 innings, striking out 121 and walking 54.
Brown, a 6-foot-7 righthander from Apex, N.C., appeared in five games this season after pitching just once as a freshman. He threw 2.1 innings in 2024, giving up seven runs on seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts. A former first-team all-state selection and record-setting strikeout artist at Middle Creek High School, Brown was rated as the No. 6 righthander in North Carolina by Perfect Game coming out of high school. His mother, Ashley Self, played volleyball at Clemson in the 1990s.
Cole, a redshirt freshman lefty from Boiling Springs, S.C., saw limited action this season, pitching 3.2 innings across six outings. He allowed six hits and seven runs (six earned), walking four and striking out one. Cole was highly decorated in high school, earning region and county player of the year honors as a senior and was ranked as the No. 7 lefty in South Carolina by Perfect Game.
All three pitchers leave Clemson looking for a fresh start, while the Tigers will look to reload heading into year three under Bakich.
Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Texas A&M to big leagues: Former Aggie pitcher makes MLB debut for Chicago White Sox
The Texas A&M baseball program had its 65th player in program history make their Major League Baseball debut, as a former Aggie pitcher stepped on the mound for the Chicago White Sox on Saturday afternoon. Left-hander Jake Palisch became the first player to represent the program in their big league debut this year, as he pitched the eighth inning in relief for the White Sox in Game 2 of the road series against the Toronto Blue Jays. Palisch's call-up on Friday was part of multiple moves by the franchise to freshen up a depleted pitching rotation. His contributions during the Aggies' College World Series run can't be overstated, as he notched five saves and 73 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings. Palisch also earned the Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week honor during a weekend series against Arkansas, where the Richardson, Texas, native struck out 13 batters in 9.1 innings pitched. After his lone season pitching for Texas A&M, he signed with the White Sox as an undrafted free agent. In 15 appearances with the MiLB's Birmingham Barons, the lefty struck out 35 batters and recorded a 1.19 ERA in 53 innings of work. All the hard work and dedication to hone his craft paid off in the form of his MLB debut on Saturday in front of 41,488 people in Toronto. Although the lefty gave up two runs on three hits in his first appearance for the White Sox, he was taking it all in and enjoying the moment that he had worked for his entire life. According to Chicago Sun-Times reporter Mitchell Armentrout, Palisch expressed his feelings about his debut to the media following the 7-1 loss to the Blue Jays. "It's certainly intense," Palisch said. "I'd like to say I was feeling it, but I think I may have blacked out a little bit at first. You kind of lose track of everything that's going on, other than just that pitch and working through it." Once Palisch can settle into his role with the franchise and develop over time, he will be rocking and rolling on the mound in the pinstripes in no time. For a franchise that so desperately needs pitchers at the moment, he will likely be inserted to relieve more frequently for the White Sox moving forward. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Prediction made for 4-Star Oregon Ducks WR target to land with rival Big Ten school
The Oregon Ducks hosted several highly-rated recruits on official visits in Eugene this weekend, many of whom they are in a great position to land over the next several weeks. While on said visit, one of those targets — 4-star wide receiver Jalen Lott — picked up a prediction to land with a rival Big Ten school, though. According to Texas Longhorns On3 reporter Eric Nahlin, the expectation is that Lott will end up with the USC Trojans in the end. His recruitment was coming down to a trio of Oregon, USC, and Texas, and there is a sense that the Longhorns are accepting that they are unlikely to land the blue-chip prospect who the 247Sports Composite rates as the No. 49 player in the 2026 class. While Nahlin's prediction is only rated at a 50% confidence level, it still indicates that there is recruiting intel available that suggests Lott, a Frisco, Texas native, may be leaning towards the Trojans. Before this latest prediction, it was Oregon and Texas who were considered the favorites. However, Lott's sister, Falyn, runs track at USC, so there is a family pull there. We will see after the official visit this weekend how much of a push the Ducks can make in Lott's commitment, and how the chips will stack up before his expected commitment date of July 8. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Arkansas SS Wehiwa Aloy wins Golden Spikes Award as top amateur player in the nation
CARY, N.C. (AP) — Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy won the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur baseball player in the nation, USA Baseball announced Saturday. Aloy is the third Arkansas player to take home the prize, joining Andrew Benintendi in 2015 and Kevin Kopps in 2021, and the 12th winner from the Southeastern Conference — most of any league. Aloy, the SEC player of the year, started all 65 games this season and led the Razorbacks in almost every major offensive cateogy, including slugging percentage (.673), OPS (1.107), hits (93), doubles (19) and home runs (21). He was second on the team with a .350 batting average and 68 RBIs. He made just five errors in 229 total chances (.978) and helped turn 31 double plays. Aloy was named an All-American by four major publications and finished the season with a run to the College World Series semifinals. He batted .324 with eight runs, 10 RBIs and five extra-base hits in nine NCAA Tournament games. Of the 46 previous Golden Spikes winners, six have earned Rookie of the Year honors in the major leagues, three have won the Cy Young Award, three were selected league MVP and 11 have won at least one World Series championship as a player or manager. Twenty-three previous winners have also been named to at least one All-Star Game roster as a player or manager. ___
