Clemson Faces Presbyterian Looking for Bounce Back Midweek Win

The Clemson Tigers return to action on Wednesday night after their tough loss against Coastal Carolina on Tuesday night. The Tigers didn’t put up much of a fight against the Chanticleers, as they lost 8-2. Clemson will face Presbyterian on Wednesday as they look to get back to their winning ways. Clemson comes into this game 23-4 overall on the season, while Presbyterian is sporting a 12-13 record. The Blue Hose are coming off a sweep against Gardner-Webb, taking down the Bulldogs 16-13 on Sunday. 

Presbyterian Scouting Report

The Presbyterian Blue Hose come into this game on a three-game win streak after sweeping Gardner-Webb in a three-game weekend series. The Blue Hose and the Tigers already played once this season on March 5, when Clemson beat Presbyterian 11-2. The Blue Hose are hoping for a better result this time around. Last season, Presbyterian finished the regular season 29-27 overall and 18-6 within conference play. The Blue Hose had the best conference record in the Big South but went 0-2 in the Big South tournament to miss out on the NCAA tournament. Head Coach Elton Pollock has been with the Blue Hose since the 2005 season, compiling a record of 415-644-1 coming into this season. During Pollock’s time with the Blue Hose, they have gone from playing in Division II to making their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance in 2021. 

Presbyterian is led by their designated hitter, Jake Randolph, who is in his third season with the Blue Hose. Last season, Randolph tallied a .302 batting average, a .382 on-base percentage, a .458 slugging percentage, and a .840 OPS, which helped earn him Second-Team All-Big South honors. The Florida native has stepped up his game even more, tallying a .390 batting average, a .467 on-base percentage, a .468 slugging percentage, and a .934 OPS this season. The junior has become the focal point of the Blue Hose offense this year and is a player to watch in Wednesday night’s game. 

The Blue Hose also get their production from outfielder Ryan Ouzts, who is in his second season with Presbyterian. Last season, Ouzts struggled to come through for the Blue Hose, only tallying a .286 batting average, a .392 on-base percentage, a .381 slugging percentage, and a .773 OPS in just 74 plate appearances. This season, the South Carolina native has become one of the most important players to Elton Pollock as he has tallied a .277 batting average, .341 on-base percentage, .566 slugging percentage, and a .907 OPS while hitting six home runs and bringing home 18 runners. Clemson must be careful when pitching to Ouzts, as he can make pitchers pay with just one swing of the bat. 

Starting Pitching Matchup

Wednesday, March 26, at 6:00 PM - Talan Bell gets his first career start for Clemson as the Gatorade Player of the Year in Florida looks to start his season on the right foot. Left-hander Luke Gibson will get the ball from Elton Pollock in this one as he looks to improve his 5.68 ERA this year.